Decorations

Friedrich-August Cross (Oldenburg)

Friedrich August Kreuz

Friedrich-August Cross (Oldenburg)

The Friedrich August Cross was was established on September 24, 1914 by Grand Duke Friedrich-August as the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg’s equivalent of the Iron Cross. Like the Iron Cross, it came in two classes: a pinback 1st Class and a 2nd Class worn from a ribbon. The 1st Class (Steckkreuz) was only awarded to recipients of the 2nd Class. Non-combatant awards were possible and were made with a different (reversed color) ribbon.

The best figures available indicate that approximately 6,900 awards were made of the 1st Class between 1914-1919 (with 1,734 of them being awarded between 24 September 1914 and 31 December 1916) and 62,800 of the 2nd Class.

As the long list of recipients below demonstrates, the Friedrich August Kreuz was awarded with some frequency to German naval officers who weren’t from the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg.


CommanderDate  Command
Kptlt. Abendroth, Karl-Friedrich von3 Jan 1917  

Kptlt. Beitzen, Curt1917  U 75
Oblt. Berlin, Ernst2 Jan 1917  
Kptlt. Beyersdorff, Hans1918 or later  U 111
Kptlt. Born, Joachim3 Jan 1917  
Oblt. Branscheid, Albert2 Jan 1917  

Kptlt. Creutzfeldt, Walter2 Jan 1917  

Oblt. Dobberstein, Karl3 Jan 1917  

Kptlt. Feldkirchner, Johannes3 Jan 1917  UC 25
Kptlt. Fischel, Hermann von1918 or later  
Kptlt. Forstner, Georg-Günther von3 Jan 1917  

Oblt. Glimpf, Hermann3 Jan 1916  
Kptlt. Götting, Friedrich1918 or later  UB 93

Kptlt. Haecker, Erich1918 or later  
Oblt. Haumann, Waldemar3 Jan 1917  
Oblt. Heimburg, Heino von3 Jan 1917  UC 22
Oblt. Hertwig, Wolf Hans   
Kptlt. Hillebrand, Leo3 Jan 1917  U 46

KrvKpt. Jürst, Hellmuth3 Jan 1917  U 43

Oblt. Krameyer, Alfred2 Jan 1917  

Oblt. Loch, Kurt2 Jan 1917  
Oblt. Lühe, Vicco von der3 Jan 1917  

Ltn. Maurer, Franz3 Jan 1917  
Kptlt. Metger, Hermann1 Jan 1917  
Kptlt. Metzger, Heinrich3 Jan 1917  U 47
Kptlt. Middendorff, Heinrich3 Jan 1917  
Oblt. Mohrbutter, Ulrich3 Jan 1916  UC 5
Kptlt. Moraht, Robert3 Jan 1917  U 64

Kptlt. Nieland, Hans3 Jan 1917  U 67
Oblt. Niemer, Hans Ewald3 Jan 1917  

Kptlt. Pauli, Edmund3 Jan 1917  
Oblt. Petri, Woldemar3 Jan 1917  
Kptlt. Plange, Wilhelm3 Jan 1917  

Kptlt. Rave, Ortwin3 Jan 1917  
Kptlt. Recke, Philipp3 Jan 1917  
Oblt. Reiche, Fritz3 Jan 1917  
Oblt. Rhein, Wilhelm3 Jan 1917  

Oblt. Scheffler, Walter3 Jan 1917  
Kptlt. Schultze, Otto1 Jan 1917  U 63
Kptlt. Stoß, Alfred1 Jul 1915  
Ltn. (R)Stüben, Willy2 Jan 1917  
Kptlt. Suadicani, Günther1918 or later  

Kptlt. Ulrich, Friedrich3 Jan 1917  

Oblt. Valentiner, Hans3 Jan 1916  UB 16

Kptlt. Walther, Hans1918 or later  
Oblt. Warzecha, Walter3 Jan 1917  
Kptlt. Weddigen, Otto22 Nov 1914  U 9
Kptlt. Weisbach, Raimund3 Jan 1917  U 81
Oblt. Wendlandt, Hans Hermann3 Jan 1917  
Oblt. Wiesenbach, Erich3 Jan 1917  
Ltn. (R)Wischhausen, Bernhard3 Jan 1917  
Kptlt. Wünsche, Otto3 Jan 1917  U 70

Oblt. Ziemer, Heinz3 Jan 1917  UB 23

53 officers decorated with Friedrich-August Cross (Oldenburg) (Friedrich August Kreuz) located.

Note: This listing is still being compiled and some recipients might be missing.

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