- Time Period: Pre-WW1
- Institution: 8 May 1858
- Country: Luxembourg
The Order of Civil and Military Merit of Adolph of Nassau (or Ordre de Mérite civil et militaire d’Adolphe de Nassau in French) is a distinguished award of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It recognizes outstanding service to the Grand Duke, the Grand-Ducal House, and Luxembourg.
Established in 1858 by Adolphe of Nassau as a chivalric order in the Duchy of Nassau, it honored his ancestor, Adolf, Count of Nassau, the sole member of the House of Nassau to become Roman King of Germany. Following the annexation of the Duchy by Prussia in 1866 and Adolphe’s accession as Grand Duke of Luxembourg in 1890, he reestablished the order as an order of merit.
The order consists of eight grades:
Grand Cross 
Grand Officer 
Commander of the Crown- Commander (male) / Cross of Honor for Ladies (female)
Officer of the Crown- Officer
Knight of the Crown- Knight
Foreigners can also be inducted into the order, making it a common diplomatic honor. During World War II, it was awarded to a select number of Allied officers who played a role in liberating Luxembourg from Nazi Germany.
The Order of Adolphe of Nassau Design
The badge of the order is a gold cross, enamelled in white, with eight points each ending in a gold pearl. The front central disc displays the gold letter “A” in Gothic script, crowned by an imperial crown. This is surrounded by a laurel wreath on a blue-enamelled background, inscribed with the motto “Virtute” in gold letters. The reverse side features the dates “1292” (the year Adolf of Nassau-Weilburg was crowned King of the Romans) and “1858” (the year the order was established by Adolphe, Duke of Nassau) in gold letters on a white-enamelled background. The military division includes two crossed swords under the central medallion. The badge for all classes of the order has a gold crown attached above it.
The plaque (breast star) for the civil division of the order is an eight-pointed faceted silver star for the Grand Cross, or a faceted silver Maltese Cross with silver rays between the arms for the Grand Officer. The central disc is identical to that of the badge. The military division’s plaque also features two crossed swords under the central medallion, with gold hilts and silver blades, and the corresponding badge shows two crossed swords in gold.
The cross mirrors the badge in shape but is not enamelled, and is made of plain gold or silver. The medal is round, available in gold, silver, or bronze, and features the portrait of Adolph, Duke of Nassau.
The ribbon of the order is blue moiré with a narrow orange stripe along each edge. The Grand Cross badge is suspended from a 100 mm wide ribbon. The Grand Officer and Commander wear the badge from a 43 mm wide ribbon, while the Officer and Knight wear it from a 38 mm wide ribbon, with the Officer’s ribbon featuring a rosette in the same colors.
