German Awards - Bertha Priesthood Degrees

The Order of Bertha was established on May 30, 1910 by Prince Leopold IV. together with the Women's Cross for Merit and the Women's Medal for Merit. The classes were the Order of Bertha with Crown, the Order of Bertha without Crown, the Women's Cross of Merit and the Women's Medal of Merit. The order was supposed to honor the worthy activities of women and virgins in public life. It was named after Prince Bertha's first wife. She was Princess of Hesse-Philippsthal-Barchfeld. The Order of Bertha was awarded with a crown only to the corresponding princess, that is, only 2 times. The cross without a crown, like the cross presented here, was awarded at the suggestion only to those women and virgins who earned themselves selfless, personal activities in the field of charity, in the church and public sphere, as well as many years of faithful services or outstanding individual acts. The practice of awarding shows that the Order of Bertha, with one exception, was awarded to princely and noble ladies. The Women's Merit Cross was awarded mainly to female officials, while the Meritorious Service Medal was awarded mainly to midwives. The design of the order was developed by the court jeweler J. Gaudet from Berlin, who also took over production until 1918. Since 1918, K. F. Simmerman in Pforzheim took over the production of all classes. It was originally made of 990 silver. Marking between the upper crosses. This cross was made of silver from the 8000s, a stigma in the ring of the ribbon. I cannot prove whether this cross was low-alloy due to a lack of material around 1918 or was made by Zimmerman. A cross without a crown was awarded only 6 times. 8 pieces of Godet and 2 carpenters were made. Source: Rainer Schwark, order and badge of honor of the principality of Lippe Detmold 1778-1933, works of the Lipp Land Museum B. VI., 2005.

Elongated cross made of silver with rounded ends of the cross. Crosses with a smooth silver border are light purple, translucently enameled. Under them, decorative lines are visible going to the center. In the center are separately made medallions (21 mm). On the upper cruciform shoulder is a pupate ear with a ribbon ring.

Front side:

• The medallion has a wide silver rim consisting of a laurel wreath tied from below with a bow with fruits.
• The included midfield is red, translucently enameled with a ray wreath under it.
• Hang the crowned, decorated and intertwined letters - L-B - (Leopold and Bertha).
• On the elongated lower cruciform shoulder silver year - 1910 -.

Downside:

• The medallion has a wide silver rim consisting of a laurel wreath tied from below with a bow with fruits.
• The included midfield is finely combed and not enamelled.
• It has an elevated, 3-line font - DEM -/- WOMEN -/- MERRY -.

Tape:

• white 30 mm wide, red edges 3.5 mm, subsequently a yellow strip 1.5 mm and a red strip 3.5 mm.

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