German Awards - Alice Medal in Bronze

The Alice Medal, officially the Medal of Merit depicting the Grand Duchess Alice, was presented in 1878 by her husband, Grand Duke Ludwig IV. in memory of his deceased wife in bronze and silver. Medals were awarded on April 25, 1884 to the ladies of the Alice Union, and later to persons who earned money on the device of the hospital founded by the Grand Duchess. Also, presidents were awarded various charitable institutions. Until 1911, Nemmergut gave only 29 awards.
The Alice Women's Association was founded on September 7, 1869 in Darmstadt by Alice (Princess of Great Britain and Ireland), wife of the future Grand Duke Ludwig IV. Hesse, founded jointly with Louise Buchner. The first missions of the association were in the hospitals of the wars of 1866 (still as a subsidiary association) and 1870/71. The association aimed to make nursing a paid female profession. The free sisterhood "Alice" left the club. In 1873, an auxiliary union in the Grand Duchy of Hesse to care for the sick and soldiers in the field became an independent land union. In 1888, the volunteer sanitary column of the Red Cross became subordinate to the Central Committee of German Red Cross Societies. Source: J. Nimmergut, Deutsche Orden und Ehrenzeichen bis 1945, vol. 1, 1997.

Round bronze medal with 2-fold stepped raised border. Above is a soldered ordinary eye with a ribbon ring.

Front side:

• On the edge of the inscription: - ALICE - GROSHERZOGIN - FROM - HESSE -.
In the
• center is a left-facing youthful portrait of the Grand Duchess.
• Under the neck is a small section of the stamp - J. RIES.

Downside:

• Along the edge is a wide wreath of 2 laurel branches open from above.
• Below it is connected by a large double loop. Under the loop is a small - R -.
• In the nested field, 2-line font: - IN -/- MEMORIAM -.

Tape:

• 28 mm, white edges 3 mm, blue stripes 1.5 mm, subsequently white 4 mm, central stripes red 12 mm.

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