History

The Order of the White Deer of St. Hubertus was instituted by Prince Friedrich Karl Nikolaus of Prussia as a Knightly Hunting Order, and the goal of the order was to preserve the prestige and standards of the sport. The origins of the order lead back into the year 744 and the life of St. Hubertus. He is the patron saint of archers, dogs, forest workers, trappers, hunting, and huntsmen.

The motto of the Order is "VIVE LE ROY SES CHASSEURS", which translates to "Long live the King and his hunters". This motto is featured on the ribbon.

The order was renewed on April 8, 1889 by King Wilhelm II. The member admittance was set at 50 and mostly included the emperor’s hunting friends. As a private order, the insignia was not allowed to be worn with a military uniform or with other Prussian neck decorations. In 1930, the last court hunting order in Germany was suspended.

The order was again revived in 1945 by Prince Louis Ferdinand of Hohenzollern.

The Grand Cross was worn on a neck ribbon and features a twelve point buck with an acorn, crown, and oak leaf suspension. It was awarded seven times, the first being in 1859 to Prince Friedrich Karl of Prussia. All gold parts are made of 8 karat gold. The statutes stipulated how the decoration was to be worn. The green ribbon was to be 48mm wide, until 1900, when it was increased in size to 52mm wide.