Royal House Order of Hohenzollern

When King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. signed over the Hohenzollern principalities to Prussia on December 7, 1849, he kept the principal House Order of Hohenzollern within his order system. The Prussian king was however driven to recreate the House Order of Hohenzollern within the Prussian Order system and did so on the 150-year jubilee festivities of the coronation of King Friedrich I. on January 18, 1851. The new Motto: “Vom Fels zum Meer” (From Mountain Top to Ocean) was a play on the extension from the Mountain Top the Hohenzollern stemmed from to the Baltic See bordering the Prussian lands.

The order ended up being awarded in two divisions, one for general and the other for civil and clerical services with decorations for Grand Commander (Cross on collar with 8-pointed star), Commanders (neck cross with and without star), Knights and Proprietor. The clerical/civil division wore all order decorations in form of the Hohenzollern eagle. The general division was able to wear decorations for bravery – swords.