Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria
Grand Decoration of Honour (Großes Ehrenzeichen)
Country	Republic of Austria

The Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria (which in German is Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich) is a very special award given by the country of Republic of Austria. It's like the highest medal you can get in Austria for doing great things for the country. This award has 15 different levels, or "classes," to show different levels of achievement.

What is the Decoration of Honour?

This award is given to people who have done something really important for Austria. It can be given to people from Austria or from other countries. It's a way for Austria to say "thank you" for their hard work and dedication. The government chooses who gets these awards, and the President officially presents them.

History of the Austrian Honour

The idea for this special award first started a long time ago, on November 4, 1922. Back then, it had ten different levels. Later, it grew to sixteen levels. However, this first version of the award was replaced in 1934.

The award we know today was created by the National Council in 1952. This is the modern version of the Decoration of Honour. When someone becomes the President of Austria, they automatically receive the "Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria." They keep this high honour for their whole life. It's important not to mix this award up with other Austrian honours, like the Austrian Decoration for Science and Art, which is for achievements in science and art.

Levels of the Decoration of Honour

The Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria has 15 different levels. Each level shows a different degree of service to the country. Here are some of the main levels:

• Grand Star (Groß-Stern)
• Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash (Großes Goldenes Ehrenzeichen am Bande)
• Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver with Sash (Großes Silbernes Ehrenzeichen am Bande)
• Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Star (Großes Goldenes Ehrenzeichen mit Stern)
• Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver with Star (Großes Silbernes Ehrenzeichen mit Stern)
• Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold (Großes Goldenes Ehrenzeichen)
• Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver (Großes Silbernes Ehrenzeichen)
• Grand Decoration of Honour (Großes Ehrenzeichen)
• Decoration of Honour in Gold (Goldenes Ehrenzeichen)
• Decoration of Honour in Silver (Silbernes Ehrenzeichen)
• Decoration of Merit in Gold (Goldenes Verdienstzeichen)
• Decoration of Merit in Silver (Silbernes Verdienstzeichen)
• Gold Medal (Goldene Medaille)
• Silver Medal (Silberne Medaille)
• Bronze Medal (Bronzene Medaille) - This one is not given out anymore.

Sometimes, the "Gold Medal for Services to the Republic of Austria" can also be given as a "Gold Medal with Red Riband." This special version is awarded for acts of bravery and for saving lives.

Who Has Received This Honour?

Many important people have received the Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria. This includes leaders from different countries and people who have made big contributions in various fields.

Grand Star Recipients

The Grand Star is the highest level of this award. Many kings, queens, and presidents from around the world have received it.

Leaders from Royal Families

• Hussein bin Talal, who was the King of Jordan from 1952 to 1999 (received in 1976).
• Haile Selassie, the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974 (received in 1954).
• Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Emperor of Iran from 1941 to 1979 (received in 1958).
• Elizabeth II, who was the Queen of the United Kingdom and other countries from 1952 to 2022 (received in 1966).
• Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II (received in 1966).
• Akihito, who was the Emperor of Japan from 1989 to 2019 (received in 1999).
• Margrethe II of Denmark, who was the Queen of Denmark from 1972 to 2024 (received in 1964).
• Carl XVI Gustaf, who has been the King of Sweden since 1973 (received in 1967).
• Juan Carlos I, who was the King of Spain from 1975 to 2014 (received in 1978).
• Philippe of Belgium, who has been the King of the Belgians since 2013 (received in 2022).
• Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who has been the King of the Netherlands since 2013 (received in 2022).

Important Political Leaders

• Adolf Schärf, who was the President of Austria from 1957 to 1965 (received in 1957).
• Josip Broz Tito, who was the President of Yugoslavia from 1953 to 1980 (received in 1965).
• Suharto, who was the President of Indonesia from 1968 to 1998 (received in 1973).
• Kurt Waldheim, who was the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1972 to 1981, and later President of Austria from 1986 to 1992 (received in 1974).
• Thomas Klestil, who was President of Austria between 1992 and 2004 (received in 1992).
• Heinz Fischer, who was President of Austria from 2004 to 2016 (received in 2004).
• Alexander Van der Bellen, who has been the President of Austria since 2017 (received in 2017).
• Sergio Mattarella, who has been the President of Italy since 2015 (received in 2019).
• Moon Jae-in, who was the President of South Korea from 2017 to 2022 (received in 2021).
• Zuzana Čaputová, who has been the President of Slovakia since 2019 (received in 2024).
• Roberta Metsola, who has been the President of the European Parliament since 2022 (received in 2024).

Other Notable Recipients

Many other people have received different levels of the Decoration of Honour for their contributions:

• Dimitri Shostakovich, a famous composer (Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver, 1967).
• Willy Brandt, who was the Chancellor of Germany from 1969 to 1974 (Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash, 1972).
• Anna Freud, a well-known psychologist (received in 1975).
• Simon Wiesenthal, who was famous for his work in human rights (Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold for Services to the Republic of Austria, 2005).
• Kofi Annan, who was the Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006 (Grand Decoration in Gold with Sash, 2007).
• Miep Gies, known for helping hide Anne Frank and her family during World War II (received in 2009).
• Martin Karplus, a Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry (Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash, 2024).

See also

In Spanish: Orden al Mérito de la República de Austria para niños