Order of the Star of Romania

Order of the Star of Romania
Order of the Star of Romania
Star-of-Romania-Order-Collar.jpg
The Collar (Sash) of The Star of Romania
Awarded by The King of the Romanians (1877 - 1947)
The President of Romania
Country  Romania
Type Multiple grades civil and military national order (listed from lowest to highest):
Knight (Cavaler), Officer (Ofiţer), Commodore (Comandor), Grand Officer (Mare Ofiţer), Grand Cross (Mare Cruce) and Sash (Colan)
Eligibility (1) Civil, military; (2) military units; (3) foreign citizens
Awarded for (1) Exceptional civil and military services to the Romanian State and the Romanian people; (2) For special acts in time of peace or for heroic acts in time of war; (3) For contributing to the development of the friendship relations with Romania, or for other exceptional services to the Romanian State and the Romanian People
Status Currently awarded
Statistics
Established 1877 - Romanian War of Independence
First awarded 1877
Last awarded 2009
Total awarded over 100
Posthumous
awards
2
Precedence
Next (higher) Peacetime: none
Wartime: Ordinul "Mihai Viteazul"
Next (lower) Ordinul naţional "Serviciul Credincios"
Star of Romania Ribbon.PNG
The ribbon (peacetime)

The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: Steaua României or Ordinul Naţional "Steaua României" - National Order "Star of Romania") is Romania's highest civil order. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has 6 ranks, from lowest to the highest: Knight (Cavaler), Officer (Ofiţer), Commodore or Commander (Comandor), Grand Officer (Mare Ofiţer), Grand Cross (Mare Cruce) and Sash (Colan).

Contents

History

In 1863 Alexandru Ioan Cuza asked the Romanian representative to Paris to contact a well-known jewellery house, to manufacture a decoration. The Krétly House presented a model, immediately accepted by the domnitor, and based on his agreement, 1,000 pieces of the order would be made. It was established that the award would have five ranks: Knight (Cavaler), Officer (Ofiţer), Comandor (Comandor), Grand Officer (Mare Ofiţer), and Grand Cross (Mare Cruce).

Unlike all the other projects of decorations, realized in the country, or inspired by the French Légion d'honneur, or by other orders that had as their insignia a Maltese cross, the model proposed by the Krétly house was a blue cross crosslet (cruce repetată), a design that, at that time, was not used before in decoration design.

Cuza decided that the name of the decoration would be "The Order of the Union" ("Ordinul Unirii"). It was planned to institute it on January 24, 1864, when it would be celebrated the fifth anniversary of his election, moment that marked the Small Union. Because of this, tha motto of the order was established to fit the event: "GENERE ET CORDES FRATRES" ("BROTHERS THROUGH ORIGINS AND FEELINGS"). The obverse would bear the numbers "5" and "24", the days of January when he was elected in Moldova and Wallachia.

Being unable to institute and award the decoration, Cuza gives the insignia as a personal present, not as an actual decoration. Most of the insignia remained stored in the Royal Palace's dungeons.

In April 1877, as the war with the Ottoman Empire, the debate regarding the institution of a Romanian decoration was revived. Mihail Kogălniceanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the I. C. Brătianu cabinet, took part in the debates in the Assembly of Deputies regarding the institution of a national decoration. Because of the supply of "The Order of The Union", it was decided that the shape of the decoration would be the same, modifying only the domnitor's seal. The motto was also changed, because the old one was not appropriate to the moment, to "IN FIDE SALUS" ("IN FAITH IS THE SALVATION"). Regarding the name, Kogălniceanu insisted on "Steaua Dunării" ("The Star of The Danube").

Certificate confirming that the Star of Romania was awarded to Ernesto Burzagli in the name of King Ferdinand I.

The name "Steaua României" ("The Star of Romania") appeared on May 10, 1887, when the law was voted in the Parliament, as the first law of the Sovereign Romania.

By Royal Decree no. 1545/1932, King Carol II modified the shape and the place of the decoration in the national hierarchy. As a result, in 1932, it dropped from first place (where it had been since 1906) to fourth place (after the Order Carol I and the Order Ferdinand I). In 1937, it dropped to seventh place. The main shape of the order, the blue repeated cross (called also "Romanian cross") was kept, but the rays between the cross' arms were replaced by four heraldic eagles with wings spread, the insignia of King Carol I was placed on the obverse, and the reverse bore the year of its establishment, "1877". Also the number of persons that could be awarded The Star of Romania is increased, as follows:

  • Knight (Cavaler): 1,000 civilians and 350 military;
  • Officer (Ofiţer): 500 civilians and 150 military;
  • Commodore or Commander (Comandor): 200 civilians and 75 military;
  • Grand Officer (Mare Ofiţer): 75 civilians and 25 military;
  • Grand Cross (Mare Cruce): 35 civilians and 10 military.

In 1938, the order was given a superior rank, called "Clasa I" (First Class in English), between the Grand Officer rank and the Grand Cross rank, with a maximum of 50 civilians and 15 military personnel.

The rules established by King Carol II were changed by General Ion Antonescu (who became Conducător on September 4, 1940). Generally, the rules were the ones used during World War I. The order "The Star of Romania" became the second in the national hierarchy, after The Order "Michael the Brave".

Inspired by the German Iron Cross, Ion Antonescu decided that the first three grades of the orders the Star of Romania and the Crown of Romania, with spades (swords), and the ribbon of The Medal "The Military Virtue" would be awarded for exceptionally brave acts with an oak leaf, attached to the ribbon.

After 1948, all the existing decorations were outlawed, and their wearing was forbidden. Just by keeping the insignia one was considered a delinquent in the first years of communism.

After many attempts, in 1998/1999 the National Order "The Star of Romania" was reinstituted, with a design similar to the one used in 1932, but without the insignia of King Carol I, and with the republican insignia.

Select recipients

First issue (1877-1948)

Second issue (1998-)

Sash rank

Grand Cross rank

Grand Officer rank

Commodore rank

Officer rank

Knight rank

See also

External links


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