Wilhelm-Orden

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The Wilhelm-Orden (English "William-Order") was instituted on the 18th January 1896 by the Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia William II, and was dedicated to the memory of his grandfather Emperor William I "the Great". This decoration, a golden medal with the portrait of William I, was supported from a heavy golden collar.

This collar with a weight of 220 gram bore the words WIRKE IM ANDENKEN AN KAISER WILHELM DEN GROSSEN (English: "Work in the memory of Emperor William the Great") and was designed by the jewellers Emil Weigand en Otto Schultz.

The order was very exclusive. One of the first to be decorated was Prince Bismarck.

There are other decorations with this or a similar name:

• The highest decoration for valour in the Netherlands is the Military Order of William (1815)
• The elector of Hesse-Kassel instituted a "Wilhelmsorden" in 1851 in honor of Friedrich Wilhelm I of Hesse.

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