Order of the Star of Romania

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Order of the Star of Romania
The Collar (Sash) of The Star of Romania
Awarded by The President of Romania
Type	Multiple grades civil and military national order (listed from lowest to highest): Knight (Cavaler), Officer (Ofiţer), Commodore (Comandor), Grand Officer (Mare Ofiţer), Grand Cross (Mare Cruce) and Sash (Colan)
Eligibility	(1) Civil, military; (2) military units; (3) foreign citizens
Awarded for	(1) Exceptional civil and military services to the Romanian State and the Romanian people; (2) For special acts in time of peace or for heroic acts in time of war; (3) For contributing to the development of the friendship relations with Romania, or for other exceptional services to the Romanian State and the Romanian People
Status	Currently awarded
Statistics
Established	1877 - Romanian War of Independence
First awarded	1877
Last awarded	2009
Total awarded	99
Posthumous awards	1
Precedence
Next (higher)	Peacetime: none Wartime: Ordinul "Mihai Viteazul"
Next (lower)	Ordinul naţional "Serviciul Credincios"
The ribbon (peacetime)

The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: Steaua României or Ordinul Naţional "Steaua României" - National Order "Star of Romania") is Romania's highest civil order. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has 6 ranks, from lowest to the highest: Knight (Cavaler), Officer (Ofiţer), Commodore (Comandor), Grand Officer (Mare Ofiţer), Grand Cross (Mare Cruce) and Sash (Colan).

[edit] History

In 1863 Alexandru Ioan Cuza asked the Romanian representative to Paris to contact a well-known jewellery house, to manufacture a decoration. The Krétly House presented a model, immediately accepted by the domnitor, and based on his agreement, 1,000 pieces of the order would be made. It was established that the award would have have five ranks: Knight (Cavaler), Officer (Ofiţer), Comandor (Comandor), Grand Officer (Mare Ofiţer), and Grand Cross (Mare Cruce).

Unlike all the other projects of decorations, realized in the country, or inspired by the French Légion d'honneur, or by other orders that had as their insignia a Maltese cross, the model proposed by the Krétly house was a blue cross crosslet (cruce repetată), a design that, at that time, was not used before in decoration design.

Cuza decided that the name of the decoration would be "The Order of the Union" ("Ordinul Unirii"). It was planned to institute it on January 24, 1864, when it would be celebrated the fifth anniversary of his election, moment that marked the Small Union. Because of this, tha motto of the order was established to fit the event: "GENERE ET CORDES FRATRES" ("BROTHERS THROUGH ORIGINS AND FEELINGS"). The obverse would bear the numbers "5" and "24", the days of January when he was elected in Moldova and Wallachia.

Being unable to institute and award the decoration, Cuza gives the insignia as a personal present, not as an actual decoration. Most of the insignia remained stored in the Royal Palace's dungeons.

In April 1877, as the war with the Ottoman Empire, the debate regarding the institution of a Romanian decoration was revived. Mihail Kogălniceanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the I. C. Brătianu cabinet, took part in the debates in the Assembly of Deputies regarding the institution of a national decoration. Because of the supply of "The Order of The Union", it was decided that the shape of the decoration would be the same, modifying only the domnitor's seal. The motto was also changed, because the old one was not appropriate to the moment, to "IN FIDE SALUS" ("IN FAITH IS THE SALVATION"). Regarding the name, Kogălniceanu insisted on "Steaua Dunării" ("The Star of The Danube").

Certificate confirming that the Star of Romania was awqarded to Ernesto Burzagli in the name of King Ferdinand I.

The name "Steaua României" ("The Star of Romania") appeared on May 10, 1887, when the law was voted in the Parliament, as the first law of the Sovereign Romania.

By Royal Decree no. 1545/1932, King Carol II modified the shape and the place of the decoration in the national hierarchy. As a result, in 1932, it dropped from first place (where it had been since 1906) to fourth place (after the Order Carol I and the Order Ferdinand I). In 1937, it dropped to seventh place. The main shape of the order, the blue repeated cross (called also "Romanian cross") was kept, but the rays between the cross' arms were replaced by four heraldic eagles with wings spread, the insignia of King Carol I was placed on the obverse, and the reverse bore the year of its establishment, "1877". Also the number of persons that could be awarded The Star of Romania is increased, as follows:

• Knight (Cavaler): 1,000 civilians and 350 military;
• Officer (Ofiţer): 500 civilians and 150 military;
• Commodore (Comandor): 200 civilians and 75 military;
• Grand Officer (Mare Ofiţer): 75 civilians and 25 military;
• Grand Cross (Mare Cruce): 35 civilians and 10 military.

In 1938, the order was given a superior rank, called "Clasa I" (First Class in English), between the Grand Officer rank and the Grand Cross rank, with a maximum of 50 civilians and 15 military personnel.

The rules established by King Carol II were changed by General Ion Antonescu (who became Conducător on September 4, 1940). Generally, the rules were the ones used during World War I. The order "The Star of Romania" became the second in the national hierarchy, after The Order "Michael the Brave".

Inspired by the German Iron Cross, Ion Antonescu decided that the first three grades of the orders the Star of Romania and the Crown of Romania, with spades (swords), and the ribbon of The Medal "The Military Virtue" would be awarded for exceptionally brave acts with an oak leaf, attached to the ribbon.

After 1948, all the existing decorations were outlawed, and their wearing was forbidden. Just by keeping the insignia one was considered a delinquent in the first years of communism.

After many attempts, in 1998/1999 the National Order "The Star of Romania" was reinstituted, with a design similar to the one used in 1932, but without the insignia of King Carol I, and with the republican insignia.

[edit] Select recipients

[edit] First issue (1877-1948)

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completion. You can help by expanding it with sourced additions.

• Ernesto Burzagli, No. 67616.[1]
• Archduke Eugen of Austria (1881)
• Jan Karcz
• Hendrik Pieter Nicolaas Muller (1922)
• Artur Phleps (1920, 1933)
• Edward Rydz-Śmigły
• Amha Selassie of Ethiopia
• Rudolf Walden
• Fritz Witt (1942)

[edit] Second issue (1998-)

This article does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2008)

This is an incomplete list, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completion. You can help by expanding it with sourced additions.

[edit] Sash rank

[edit] Grand Cross rank

[edit] Grand Officer rank

[edit] Commodore rank

[edit] Officer rank

[edit] Knight rank

[edit] See also

• List of military decorations
• National Decorations System (Romania)

[edit] External links

• (Romanian) Ordinul naţional "Steaua României", Presidency of Romania website
• (Romanian) Recipients of the order (Excel sheet), Presidency of Romania website

v • d • e Romanian National Decorations System National decorations National Orders Order of the Star of Romania • National Order for Faithful Service • National Order for Merit National Crosses National Cross for Faithful Service National Medals National Medal for Faithful Service • National Medal For Merit Commemorative decorations Victory Order of the Romanian Revolution of December 1989 • Commemorative Cross of the Second World War, 1941-1945 • Commemorative Cross of the Anti-communist Resistance • Commemorative Medal "150 Years from the birth of Mihai Eminescu" Military decorations in peacetime Military Orders Order of Military Virtue • Order of Aeronautical Virtue • Order of Matitime Virtue • Order of Manhood and Faith Military Medals Military Virtue Medal • Aeronautical Virtue Medal • Maritime Virtue Medal • Manhood and Faith Medal Civil decorations on domains of activity Civil Orders Agricultural Merit Order • Cultural Merit Order (categories A to I)1 • Diplomatic Merit Order • Industrial and Commercial Merit Order • Educational Merit Order • Medical Merit Order • Athletic Merit Order Civil Medals Agricultural Merit Medal • Cultural Merit Medal (categories A to I)1 • Diplomatic Merit Medal • Industrial and Commercial Merit Medal • Educational Merit Medal • Medical Merit Medal • Athletic Merit Medal Military decorations in wartime Order of Michael the Brave • Order of the Star of Romania2 • National Order for Faithful Service2 • National Order for Merit2 • Order of Military Virtue2 • Order of Aeronautical Virtue2 • Order of Maritime Virtue2 • Order of Manhood and Faith2 • Medical Merit Order2 • Military Virtue Medal2 • Medal of Aeronautical Virtue2 • Medal of Maritime Virtue2 • Medal of Manhood and Faith2 • Medical Merit Medal2 Honorific signs The Honorific Sign "The Vulture of Romania" • The Honorific Sign "The Reward for the Work in the Public Service" • The Honorific Sign "In the Service of the Country" for officers and special statute public functionaries • The Honorific Sign "In the Service of the Country" for warrant officers and special statute public functionaries 1 the categories are equal in ranking, an differentiate only the cultural field (A - literature; B - music; C - fine arts; D - performing arts; E - national cultural heritage; F - promotion of culture; H - cults; G - scientific research; I - architecture); 2with two crossed swords (tip up) added (the war insignia)