History

The Military Merit Medal was originally instituted on May 30, 1794 by Duke Ludwig Eugen. The medal was originally only issued in silver, but in 1800 the Gold Medal was introduced for officers who demonstrated outstanding bravery in battle. The recipients were often officers who had not been awarded the Military Merit Order.

With the introduction of the Type II medals in 1806, non-commissioned officers also became eligible to receive the Gold Medal. Enlisted ranks were only eligible to receive the Silver Medal for acts of extraordinary bravery.

The Type III medals were established on September 23, 1818 by King Wilhelm I of Württemberg. The medals were designed by Johann Ludwig Wagner and feature the portrait of a young King Wilhelm I. They were suspended from the Knight’s Cross ribbon of the Military Merit Order.

In 1840, a new medal stamp was designed by Carl Friedrich Voigt from Munich. This version features the portrait of an older King Wilhelm I.

In 1864, the Type IV medals were established by King Karl of Württemberg. The medals were designed by Christian Schnitzspahn and feature the portrait of King Karl on the obverse. They were first awarded during the War of 1866.