{{Infobox military award | name = Merit Cross<br/>''Verdienstkreuz'' | image = Kruisen van Verdienste van Pruisen 1912 tot 1918 in Zilver en in Goud.gif | image_size = 250px | caption = | presenter = Prussia | country = | type = | eligibility = Military personnel or civilians | awarded_for = Meritorious service to the Kingdom of Prussia | campaign = | status = | description = | motto = | clasps = | post-nominals = | established = 27 January 1912 | firstawarded = | lastawarded = | total_awarded = | total_awarded_posthumously = | total_recipients = | precedence_label = Order of Wear<ref>{{cite web|last=Lundström|first=Richard|title=Prussian Regulations of 24 February 1915 (with amendment 1916)|url=http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/related/ribbons/regulations/rules_regulations2.htm|work=Guide to German Ribbon Bars 1914-1945|accessdate=25 May 2013}}</ref> | individual = | higher = Prussian Red Cross Medal 2nd Class<br/>or Orders of non-Prussian States subordinate to Prussia if officers wore that state’s cockade<br/><small>(Merit Cross in Gold)</small> | same = | lower = Cross of the General Honor Decoration<br/><small>(Merit Cross in Silver)</small> | related = | image2 = 100px | caption2 = Ribbon of the cross }} The '''Merit Cross''' ({{langx|de|Verdienstkreuz}}) was a meritorious service decoration of Prussia. Established 27 January 1912, by Wilhelm II in his capacity as King of Prussia, it recognized general merit to Prussia. The cross could be awarded to civilians as well as members of the military. The cross was awarded in two classes a gold cross and a silver cross.<ref name=gold>{{cite web|url=http://www.ehrenzeichen-orden.de/deutsche-staaten/goldenes-verdienstkreuz-1912.html |title=Goldenes Verdienstkreuz 1912 |publisher=Ehrenzeichen-orden.de |date= |accessdate=19 May 2013}}</ref>
==Classes== The Merit Cross was awarded as a Gold Merit Cross or Silver Merit Cross, the gold being ranked the higher of the two. For exceptional service each class could be awarded with a crown, meaning that the cross would be surmounted by a crown and the ribbon attached through it. Awards which commemorated a long period of service could be awarded with a circular shield bearing a jubilee number attached at the top of the cross, and holding the suspension ring.<ref name=silver>{{cite web|url=http://www.ehrenzeichen-orden.de/deutsche-staaten/silbernes-verdienstkreuz-1912.html |title=Silber Verdienstkreuz 1912 |publisher=Ehrenzeichen-orden.de |date= |accessdate=26 May 2013}}</ref>
The Merit Cross was to be returned to the state upon the award of a higher level decoration. An exception to this was if the Silver Cross of Merit was awarded with crown, it did not have to be returned if the recipient was later awarded the Gold Cross of Merit. All awards of the Merit Cross were to be returned to the state upon the death of the recipient.<ref name=gold/>
==Appearance== The Merit Cross is a 41 mm wide Maltese cross with smooth edges and pebbled texture on the arms. In the center is a circular medallion with the stylized crowned cypher ''WR'' for King Wilhelm II.<ref name=gold/> The obverse and reverse designs are identical. The Gold Merit Cross is gilded silver,<ref name=dhm>{{cite web|title=Königlich Preußisches Verdienstkreuz in Gold|url=http://www.dhm.de/datenbank/dhm.php?user=uml&seite=5&fld_0=mi010763|work= Gesamtdatenbank|publisher=Deutsches Historisches Museum|accessdate=26 May 2013|language=German}}</ref> while the Silver Merit Cross was made of silver or silver-plated bronze.<ref name=silver/>
The crosses were hung with a ring suspension attached at the top arm of the cross. When awarded with the Crown or jubilee numbers shield, those were attached at the top arm of the cross and the suspension ring attached to the crown or shield. The cross was worn suspended from a ribbon of blue with yellow stripes.<ref name=dhm/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Orders and decorations of the Kingdom of Prussia}}
Category:Orders, decorations, and medals of Prussia Category:1912 establishments in Germany Category:Awards established in 1912