During its brief existence (1941–1945), the Independent State of Croatia created and awarded numerous decorations. One of these decorations is the Order of Merit, specifically the Order of Merit 2nd Class.
This decoration was established on December 19, 1942, by the Legal Decree on the Establishment of the Order of Merit, and it occupied the 27th place in the order of precedence of decorations of the Independent State Highway. According to available data from literature (Prister), this decoration was awarded 567 times.
There are two types of this decoration; one in the shape of a cross, which was awarded to Christians, and one in the shape of the „Bosnian lily,“ which was awarded to Muslims. The conceptual design for this decoration probably originated from Jakov pl. Machieda, and it was crafted in the „Brothers Knaus“ workshop in Zagreb.
In this article, we address the former, intended for Christian believers.
In the Barac catalog for world decorations, this decoration is listed under catalog number 61.
The decoration insignia for Christians consists of a cross with scrolls, modeled after the cross depicted on the baptismal font of Duke Višeslav. The cross is made of silver-plated metal and filled with dark red enamel. The dimensions of the cross are 44 x 44 mm, and the mass of the specific specimen shown here is 23.60 g.
In the central part of the cross face is the symbol of the Ustaše movement; a capital letter U inside of which is a burning bomb and the Croatian coat of arms. Around the symbol of the Ustaše movement is an interlace decorative ornament, parts of which extend into the arms of the cross.
The reverse side of the cross is entirely filled with dark red enamel and bears the inscriptions: „10.IV. / ZA ZASLUGE / 1942“. On the reverse, there is also a large vertical pin used for fastening.
This medal has no ribbon, but was fastened to a suit or uniform using this pin, and was worn on the left side of the chest.
What is interesting about this decoration is that it was initially made in the shape of a cross. However, since there was also a considerable number of citizens of the Islamic faith in the Independent State of Croatia, it was concluded that it was not appropriate to award them a decoration in the shape of a cross. Therefore, the production of a decoration in the shape of, as it was called, the „Bosnian lily“ was undertaken, which was then awarded to Muslims.
Image gallery
Author: Zlatko Viščević
Photos: Numex – Coins, Banknotes & Militaria Store [www.numex.hr]
Literature: Boris Prister, Orders of the Independent State of Croatia, Croatian History Museum, 1997; Borna Barac, Reference Catalogue Orders, Medals and Decorations of the World, Obol, Zagreb, 2013.
