The Imperial and Royal Order of Wilhelm (in English "William-Order") was instituted on 18 January 1896 by the German Emperor and King of Prussia Willhelm II as a high civilian award, and was dedicated to the memory of his grandfather Emperor William I "the Great".

Imperial and Royal Order of Wilhelm
Kaiserlich und Königlich Orden von Wilhelm
Collar of the Order
Awarded by German Empire Head of the House of Prussia
TypeState Order (formerly)
House Order (currently)
Royal houseHouse of Prussia
RibbonWhite with a Black stripe in the middle and either side
StatusUnconstituted
SovereignGeorg Friedrich, Prince of Prussia
GradesKnight With Collar
Knight/Dame Commander
Knight/Dame Officer
Knight/Dame
Precedence
Next (higher)Order of Louise

The Ribbon of the Order

Insignia

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The insignia of the Order consisted of a golden medal with the portrait of William I, surrounded by a golden wreath and suspended from a heavy golden collar. This collar with a weight of 222 grams bore the words WIRKE IM ANDENKEN AN KAISER WILHELM DEN GROSSEN (English: "Work in the memory of Emperor William the Great") and was designed by the jewellers Emil Weigand and Otto Schultz.

List of recipients

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The order was very exclusive. One of the first to be decorated was Otto von Bismarck. Also among the recipients were:

See also

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There are other decorations with this or a similar name:

References

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  1. ^ "Germany". The Times. No. 36051. London. 29 January 1900. p. 6.
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