Pour le Merite ( Blue Max)

The Pour le Mérite (Fr.: For Merit), known informally as the Blue Max (German: Blauer Max),^[1] was the German Kingdom of Prussia's highest award. It was awarded strictly as a recognition of extraordinary personal achievement, rather than as a general marker of social status or a courtesy-honor, although certain restrictions of social class and military rank were applied. The award was given as both a military (1740–1918) and civil (1740–1810, after 1842 as a separate class) honour.

The Pour le Merite, along with all other imperial orders, was similarly abolished along with Kaiser Wilhelm II's abdication on 9 November 1918.  Once again however a civil class of the award was re-introduced in February 1922.

During the Great War of 1914-18 the award gained its greatest fame.  It was awarded to commanders operating on all fronts and in all forms of warfare.  In the aerial war a fighter pilot was initially entitled to the award upon downing eight enemy aircraft.  Max Immelmann was thus the first airman to receive the award, after which it became known - on account of its color and its recipient - as the Blue Max among his fellow pilots.

The qualifying total was subsequently revised to 16.  Although the Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, readily qualified for the award he was not however - and to Erich Ludendorff'ssurprise - awarded the supplementary Oak leaves.

The last surviving recipient of the military Pour le Merite - Ernst Junger - died in 1998.

For more info: www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/pou…

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