The Medal for Noble Deeds[1] (Swedish: För berömliga gärningar, GM/SMbg) is a Swedish medal intended to honour personal courage in a civilian context. It is used to honour not only the noble deed of lifesaving but also courage and presence of mind. Since its inception in 1832, the medal has been awarded in gold in two sizes and in silver in one size.
| Medal for Noble Deeds | |
|---|---|
| Awarded for | Noble deeds |
| Country | Sweden |
| Presented by | Government of Sweden |
| First awarded | 1832 |
 Ribbon bar | |
| Related | Sui memores alios fecere merendo |
History
editGustav III approved the medal Illis quorum meruere labores, in 1785, but there is no information to indicate that it was awarded until 1787. After Gustav III's death, no awards were given. Gustav IV Adolf took the medal into use in 1798 and it was used relatively extensively during the 19th century. The medal was used for various contributions and for people from large parts of society. Sui memores alios fecere merendo ("To those who affirm their memory in others by doing good deeds") was established in 1805 by Gustaf IV Adolf intended to honor efforts for public benefit activities. It then became a reward for saving human lives.[2]
In 1832, Charles XIV John decided that the medals would be issued in Swedish in the future, but that the variants in Latin would be retained for special cases. This meant that a certain confusion took place between the medals for a number of years. In the 1860s, Illis quorum regained its status as an award for Swedish citizens for civic merit. Illis quorum's equivalent in Swedish, the Medal for Noble Deeds (För medborgerlig förtjänst), therefore became in 1832 an award for long-lasting and solid locally emphasized efforts in the municipal and of a practical nature. Illis quourum was awarded to a large extent for e.g. cultural merits. The Medal for Noble Deeds, which is the Swedish version of Sui memores alios fecere merendo, was also instituted in 1832 to be awarded to Swedes, while the version in Latin is awarded to foreigners.[2]
Appearance
editSizes
editGold medal of the 8th size (GMbg8), gold medal of the 5th size (GMbg5) and silver medal of the 8th size (SMbg8).[3]
Ribbon
editThe ribbon is royal blue with a yellow stripe toward each edge.[4]
Presenting
editThe medal is rarely awarded, on average less than once a year.[5] Between 1975 and 2005, the medal was awarded only 17 times, and only in gold of the fifth size.[6]
Selected recipients
edit| Year | Size | Medalist & citation | Ministry | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1874 | ? | Alarik Liedbeck During the explosion in Vinterviken's factory on 11 June 1868, Liedbeck saved a couple of dozen lives and a lot of property in the 1874 fire. |
? | [7] |
| 1905 | 5th in gold | Anna, Ebba and Thyra Ekwall On 11 April 1904, the Ekwall sisters, the daughters of Professor Knut Ekwall, with great danger to their own lives, saved their 27-year-old brother Olof Knut Ekwall from drowning in Lake Sommen. |
King in Council | [8] |
| 1908 | 5th in gold | Nils August Lindberg On 4 April, Lindberg saved the life of a fourteen-year-old chimney sweep apprentice. The apprentice was going to crawl into a chimney at Södra varietén in Stockholm and missed as he crawled into the chimney from the engine room instead of the one from the kitchen and got stuck in it with the fire under his feet and without a view to be able to get up. Lindberg noticed the danger, hurried up to the roof and down into the pipe but could not do anything on that road but had to enter another way. The doors were closed. He broke a window, then came through this, ran straight into the fireplace and managed after a while to pull the boy out, admittedly badly burned but alive. |
King in Council | [9] |
| 1908 | 5th in gold | Eva Emilia Elisabeth von Platen At the beginning of April, Miss von Platen, at the risk of her own life, rescued a small disabled and frozen 5-year-old, who had come out on a drift ice in Rönne. |
King in Council | [10] |
| 1908 | 8th in gold | Elof Renhuldt Renhuldt from Skinnskatteberg's mill saved a 6-year-old boy from drowning in the rapids next to the mill. Renhuldt has once before saved a human life. |
King in Council | [10] |
| 1915 | 5th in gold | Styrbjörn von Stedingk The youth Styrbjörn von Stedingk, son of the director of Djursholms AB, Baron L. von Stedingk, carried out a rescue operation on 16 June at Djursholm's steamboat pier when he saved a 9-year-old boy from drowning by diving after the one who had already disappeared. |
King in Council | [11] |
| 1915 | 5th in gold | Per Elof Munck af Rosenschiöld The schoolboy Per Elof Munck af Rosenschiöld, son of Mayor M. af Rosenschöld in Landskrona, saved two girls, eleven years old like himself, from drowning when they sank on the weak ice on 7 February in Landskrona harbor. He then pulled one girl up on solid ice and then managed, although he himself got into the water during the rescue attempt, to hold the other up until help arrived and both he and the girl were brought ashore. |
? | [12] |
| 27 January 1933 | 5th in gold | Lieutenant Henrik Lange and conscript J. A. Christensson For saving a conscript from drowning at Oskarsvärn in Karlskrona in September 1932. |
King in Council | [13] |
| 27 January 1933 | 5th in gold | Customs inspector S. E. E. Jolin For a rescue feat in the Port of Gothenburg in December 1932. |
King in Council | [13] |
| December 1943 | 5th in gold | Naval surgeon Lars Troell and furir P. K. Braun Rescued of the crew of the German steamer Casablanca near Bogskär in the Sea of Åland in November 1943 |
King in Council | [14] |
| July 1961 | 8th in silver | Överfurir Sven Richard Bäckström of Västerbotten Regiment In October 1960, at the risk of his own life, Bäckström saved a comrade who had fallen on a downed high-voltage power line during a field exercise in the Umeå area |
? | [15] |
| 1982 | 5th in gold | Fanjunkare Stig Bertsand, platoon leader at the Swedish Army Flight School (Arméflygskolan) in Nyköping Rescued the crew from a burning aircraft wreck on 23 September 1981 at the risk of his own life |
Ministry of Defence | [16] |
| 1985 | 5th in gold | Corporal Hans Gustavsson When Gustavsson, while on duty as the Royal Guards at Stockholm Palace on 23 April 1985, he saved, at the risk of his own life, a 76-year-old man from drowning in Stockholms ström |
Ministry of Defence | [16] |
| 1987 | 5th in gold | Ivan Hampling, Helena Hampling, Ingvar Bångdahl This summer, they prevented a serious traffic accident by stopping a bus after the driver became ill |
Ministry of Communications | [16] |
| 1991 | 5th in gold | Hamid Haji-Taheri For his courageous and resourceful intervention during a bus ride, thereby preventing a major traffic accident |
Ministry of Communications | [16] |
| 1992 | 5th in gold | Lieutenant Kuno Larsson Who on 7 February 1990, in danger of his own life, saved the life of a conscript in connection with a hand grenade accident |
Ministry of Defence | [16] |
| 1992 | 5th in gold | Birgitta Apelqvist, superintendent, Stefan Karlsson, superintendent For their brave and resourceful intervention in the tram accident in Gothenburg on 12 March 1992, when they drove their police car along the track before a speeding tram |
Ministry of Communications | [16] |
| 1993 | 5th in gold | Lieutenant Mats Rullander Who, on 27 October 1992, in danger of his own life, saved the life of a conscript in connection with a hand grenade accident |
Ministry of Defence | [16] |
| 1994 | 5th in gold | Jonas Back, conscript For his resourceful and selfless intervention during a battalion exercise in March 1994 in Uppland Regiment for saving a conscript comrade from a fire in a camp tent |
Ministry of Defence | [16] |
| 1997 | 5th in gold | Daniel Müller, conscript, Kasper Pettersson, conscript Resourceful and selfless intervention in a traffic accident during a practice drive in April 1997 at Fårösund Marine Brigade to save a trapped comrade from a burning off-road vehicle |
Ministry of Defence | [16] |
| 1998 | 5th in gold | Thomas Brzezinski, Olav Reppert, Bengt Troberg, Olov Warolin Because on 8 March, they bravely and resourcefully by helicopter rescued a distressed person from a hole in the ice |
Cabinet Office | [16] |
References
editNotes
edit- ^ Belöningssystem (2021), p. 20.
- ^ a b Belöningssystem (2021), pp. 58–59.
- ^ Braunstein (2007), p. 50.
- ^ Braunstein (2007), p. 133.
- ^ Belöningsmedaljer (2006), p. 10.
- ^ Belöningsmedaljer (2006), p. 18.
- ^ Hvar 8 dag (1908a), p. 306.
- ^ Hvar 8 dag (1905), p. 326.
- ^ Hvar 8 dag (1908b), p. 451.
- ^ a b Hvar 8 dag (1908c), p. 553.
- ^ Hvar 8 dag (1915a), p. 780.
- ^ Hvar 8 dag (1915b), p. 32.
- ^ a b SvD 1933, p. 8A.
- ^ SvD 1943, p. A7.
- ^ SvD 1961, p. 2A.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Belöningsmedaljer (2006), pp. 50–51.
- Braunstein, Christian (2007). Utmärkelsetecken på militära uniformer [Decorations on Swedish military uniforms] (PDF). Skrift / Statens försvarshistoriska museer, 1101-7023 ; 12 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statens försvarshistoriska museer. ISBN 978-91-976220-2-8. SELIBR 10423295. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 August 2021.
- Regeringens belöningsmedaljer och regeringens utmärkelse Professors namn. SB PM, 99-0433409-9 ; 2006:1 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Statsrådsberedningen, Regeringskansliet. 2006. SELIBR 10400721.
- Kommittén om det offentliga belöningssystemet, de allmänna flaggdagarna och utformningen av anslaget till hovet (2021). Ett modernt belöningssystem, de allmänna flaggdagarna och redovisningen av anslaget till hovet (PDF). Statens offentliga utredningar : SOU, 0375-250X ; 2021:74 (in Swedish). Stockholm: Regeringskansliet. ISBN 9789152502044. SELIBR zcjkhxd5wzs9k0dk.
- "KVINNLIGT HJÄLTEDÅD". Hvar 8 Dag (in Swedish) (21). Gothenburg: D. F. Bonniers boktryckeri A.-B. 19 February 1905. SELIBR 786775.
- "ALARIK LIEDBECK". Hvar 8 Dag (in Swedish) (20). Gothenburg: D. F. Bonniers boktryckeri A.-B. 16 February 1908. SELIBR 786775.
- "För berömliga gärningar". Hvar 8 Dag (in Swedish) (29). Gothenburg: D. F. Bonniers boktryckeri A.-B. 19 April 1908. SELIBR 786775.
- "Berömliga gärningar". Hvar 8 Dag (in Swedish) (35). Gothenburg: D. F. Bonniers boktryckeri A.-B. 31 May 1908. SELIBR 786775.
- "Styrbjörn von Stedingk". Hvar 8 Dag (in Swedish) (49). Gothenburg: D. F. Bonniers boktryckeri A.-B. 5 September 1915. SELIBR 786775.
- "Per Elof Munck af Rosenschiöld". Hvar 8 Dag (in Swedish) (2). Gothenburg: D. F. Bonniers boktryckeri A.-B. 10 October 1915. SELIBR 786775.
- "För berömliga gärningar". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 28 January 1933. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- "Guldmedaljer för Casablancabragden". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). 23 December 1943. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- "Kamrat räddades med fara för livet". Svenska Dagbladet (in Swedish). TT. 1961-07-14. Retrieved 13 February 2024.