Sometimes small differences carry a lot of weight: That is why the Federal President is making sure that the Federal Crosses of Merit for men are no longer bulkier than those for women. Steinmeier also has a reference to the “people” deleted.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier lays hands on the size of the Federal Cross of Merit for women. So far, the order has been available in the larger men’s format and in the smaller women’s version. That should change from March. A spokesman for the Federal President told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that Steinmeier had decided to “largely align the women’s and men’s versions”. In particular, “there should no longer be any gender-specific different size of the religious sign”.
The Federal Cross of Merit, officially called the “Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany”, is the highest award given by the Federal Republic for services to the common good. There are eight levels of the Order of Merit. By far the most frequently awarded is the “Cross of Merit with ribbons”.
The cross of merit on a ribbon for men has a diameter of 55 millimeters – and it hangs on a ribbon. The Cross of Merit on a ribbon for women, on the other hand, is more of a Cross of Merit on a ribbon. Because it doesn’t hang on a ribbon, but on a loop. In addition, it only has a diameter of 47 millimeters. In the future, the Cross of Merit on a ribbon will “do without the loop previously intended for women,” said the spokesman for the Federal President. Because in the future women, like men, are to receive the larger men’s version of the order.
Last November, the Federal President had already introduced a women’s quota for the award of Federal Crosses of Merit. In the future, at least 40 percent of the awards should go to women. In 2022, the rate was still 34 percent.
The Federal President is now also having the text on the award documents for the Federal Cross of Merit standardized. So far, German nationals have read: “In recognition of the special services rendered to the people and the state”. The word “people” is now deleted. In the future, all recipients of the award should read: “In recognition of the special services they have rendered to the Federal Republic of Germany”.
