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Issued in 1851, the House Order of Hohenzollern always occupied a special position among the Prussian orders. Its highest grade was reserved exclusively for recipients of the Prussian Order of the Black Eagle. The Knight’s Cross with Swords was regarded as equivalent in prestige to the German Cross in Gold of the Third Reich. Because of its overwhelming prominence, the Eagle decorations—the second tier of the order—have largely faded into obscurity.
Yet these Eagle decorations are arguably more interesting and certainly far rarer than the “regular” crosses. Throughout their entire award period, they were issued almost exclusively to civilians in educational professions or to clergy. Even more telling, the lowest grade of the Eagle was most commonly bestowed upon retirees in recognition of long, dedicated, and honorable service to the Prussian state.
In addition to the Eagle of the Proprietor (Adler der Inhaber)—a plain silver eagle badge with an enameled Hohenzollern coat of arms—there also exist Eagle decorations for Knights and Commanders.
I would like to take this opportunity to say a few words about the Eagle of the Knights, as I recently acquired one for my collection. I purchased the Eagle decoration together with a Red Eagle Order, 4th Class (last model), including their matching miniatures. All pieces came directly from Germany, from the widow Mrs. Ziegler (née Lauffer, born in 1904). Unfortunately, the heirs were unable to provide any background information regarding these decorations.
We can only speculate about their history, but it is known that both the Red Eagle Order and the Eagle of the Knight were frequently awarded for long and faithful service. In this case, it is quite possible that the recipient was a teacher—or perhaps a school director—who received the Red Eagle Order during his active career and, upon retirement, was honored with the Eagle of the Knights, in keeping with established award practice.
The early Eagle badges were produced by Hossauer and executed in an elaborate, fully three-dimensional style, with enameling applied only to the obverse. The Hossauer maker’s mark can be readily found on the reverse of these decorations. Pieces manufactured after the Hossauer period are generally flat in construction and enameled on both sides.
Original decorations produced before 1916 were made of gold and constructed in two parts—front and reverse—forming a hollow body. As a result, these badges are surprisingly light, typically weighing between 7 and 9 grams. Despite their delicate weight, they display extraordinary craftsmanship, as clearly illustrated in the accompanying photographs. The last type, awarded from 1916 on, would have been made from gilded silver and marked with the "938" silver content stamp.
Only 485 Eagle badges were awarded between 1851 and 1918, averaging merely seven pieces per year. As most recipients belonged to the lower to middle income strata, the likelihood of purchasing a badge for commemorative purposes—at a cost of 81 Marks—was minimal. In most cases, the heirs were likewise unable to afford such an expense. Consequently, the majority of Eagle badges were returned to the Prussian Orders Commission, as required by the regulations in force at the time.
Today, Eagle badges represent a true highlight of any Prussian orders collection and are among the most difficult decorations to acquire.
For
comparison a Eagle of the Proprietor (Equivalent in size to
the Eagle of the Knights):
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