| Civic Decoration (Belgium) | |
|---|---|
Civic Cross First Class (For Meritorious Service in the Administration) (Left) Civic Medal First Class (For Fire-Fighting) (Right) |
|
| Awarded by Kingdom of Belgium | |
| Type | Cross or Medal |
| Eligibility | Belgian civilians |
| Awarded for | Meritorious service or exemplary behaviour or act |
| Status | Currently awarded |
| Statistics | |
| Established | 21 July 1867 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Order of Leopold II |
The Civic Decoration (French: Décoration Civique, Dutch: Burgerlijke Ereteken) is a civil decoration of Belgium. It was created on 21 July 1867 to reward the services rendered to the country after a long and meritorious career in the administration, whether national, provincial or local, as well as for exceptional acts of bravery, devotion or humanity. A separate decoration was created for meritorious services as a firefighter.
On 18 May 1915, the Civic Decoration 1914-1915 (later 1918) was created to reward civilians and non-combatants who served their country with distinction during World War I. A similar Decoration was also created for World War II.
The Civic Decoration is solely awarded by Royal Decree, even though after the federalisation of Belgium the Regions and Communities seemingly thought that they could award this Decoration to their employees.
Contents |
The Civic Decoration is awarded in two classes:
These classes are common for all types of Civic Decoration.
The badge of the Civic Cross is a white enamelled maltese cross with the central medallion bearing the monogram of King Leopold I or of King Albert I (for the 1914-1918 Cross) on the obverse and reverse. Between the arms of the Cross are:
The metal of the Cross is gold for the First Class and Silver for the Second Class.
The Medal shows the shape of the Civic Cross imprinted in a metal shape that is vaguely octagonal and looks like a closed florian cross. For the Medals 1914-1918 and 1940-1945, the medal is topped with crossed swords. The metal of the Medal is gold for the First Class, Silver for the Second Class and Bronze for the Third Class.
The ribbons of the Civic Decoration differ in function of the type of award:
The ribbon of the 1914-1918 and of the 1940-1945 Decoration is adorned with a metal bar showing the years of the war.
The Civic Decoration for long and distinguished service in the administration is awarded:
It seems that the Civic Medal Third Class is no longer awarded.
The Decoration for exceptional acts of bravery, devotion or humanity is awarded on a case-by-case basis.