The Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen (Hungarian: Magyar Királyi Szent István Iovagrend; German: Königlich Ungarische Sankt-Stephans-Orden) was an order of knighthood founded by Holy Roman Empress Maria Theresa in 1764. It was recreated in 2011 as the Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, and to this day remains the highest order in Hungary.
The order is the namesake of Hungary’s most famous king, Stephen I, whose reign (997 – 1038) was marked by his consolidation of the monarchy, the establishment of the medieval state of Hungary, and his adoption of Christianity as the state religion. His coronation, as recognized in the Church, is dated 1001. He died on August 15, 1038, during the Feast of the Assumption. His feast day in Hungary is August 20. Canonized by Pope Gregory VII in 1083 along with his son Imre (who preceded him in death, after a hunting accident, 1031) and Bishop Gerhard of Hungary, St. Stephen is the patron saint of "Hungary, kings, the death of children, masons, stonecutters, and bricklayers." Though its exact provenance is somewhat disputed, the Crown of St. Stephen is said to have been a gift from Pope Silvester II, upon Stephen’s 1001 coronation.
Creation of the Order and qualifications for membership
Empress Maria Teresa and her son, Emperor Joseph II, made several political concessions to ease tensions within their empire—most especially between Austria and Hungary, among them being the creation of the Order. Membership was available to various members of the Hungarian nobility. To receive the Order, according to collector and historian Stephen Herold,
one had to have at least four quarterings of arms showing as many generations of noble status. It helped promote her (Maria Teresa's) position as Queen of Hungary and reinforced the quasi independent position of Hungary in the Empire. The original statutes allow for only 20 Grand Crosses, 30 Commanders and 50 Knights who are to be "distinguished for virtue and merit and noble birth". Grand Cross Knights were considered so important that the Emperor was to address them as "Cousin". These insignia were to be returned to the Chancellery of the Order on the death of the holder. There was no military application of this order. It is rare, and even modern awards of St. Stephen are seldom seen. Perhaps more than any other Austrian order, this one approached the ideal character as put forth in its statutes and regulations.
Grand Cross – For ceremonial purposes, a full set of robes were prescribed, following the tradition of other orders, such as the Austrian and Spanish Orders of the Golden Fleece and Great Britain’s Order of the Garter. The robes were crimson and green, and were lined with ermine. A collar of gold was worn about the neck and shoulders, with the badge of the Order suspended from the collar. For normal occasions and every-day wear, a sash of crimson, edged with green, was worn over the right shoulder and extended to the left hip, the distinctive badge of the Order suspended from the sash at the hip. An eight-pointed star was worn on the left breast. During the waning days of the monarchy, especially during the Great War, a less formal option was also authorized, whereby a miniature (a so-called “kleine decoration”) of the breast star was affixed to the center of the ribbon of an ordinary knight’s cross, and was worn on the left breast with other orders and military medals, in order of precedence.Knight Commanders – wore the badge of the Order at the throat, suspended from the crimson edged with green ribbon about the neck. During the Great War, the informal wear of the miniature, gold, Crown of Saint Stephen kleine decoration was worn on an ordinary knight’s cross, to delineate them from ordinary knights and Grand Cross knights, and worn on the left breast with other orders and military medals, in order of precedence.Knights – wore the badge of the Order, suspended from a tri-fold ribbon of crimson, edged in green, on the left breast with other orders and military medals, in order of precedence.The following is a partial list of knights of the Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, as compiled from a variety of sources listed in the bibliography. A nearly complete list, MAGYAR KIRÁLYI SZENT ISTVÁN REND, is available in the Hungarian language, online.
Grand Masters
Empress Maria Teresa (May 13, 1717 – November 29, 1780), 1764–1780Emperor Josef II (March 13, 1741 – February 20, 1790), 1780–1790Emperor Leopold II (May 5, 1747 – March 1, 1792), 1790–1792Emperor Franz I (II) (12 February 1768 – 2 March 1835), 1792–1835Emperor Ferdinand I (April 19, 1793 – June 29, 1875), 1835–1848Emperor Franz Josef I (August 18, 1830 – November 21, 1916), 1848–1916Emperor Karl I (17 August 1887 – 1 April 1922), 1916–1922; deposed as emperor and king as a result of World War One, but never abdicated; received beatification ("Blessed Charles I") by Pope John Paul II, 2004Otto von Habsburg (20 November 1912–4 July 2011); stepped down from his role as head of the House of Habsburg in January 2007, in favor of his son Karl.Knights, Grand Cross
Prince Wenzel Anton von Kaunitz ( In Czech: Václav Antonin Kounic; 1711 – 1794), diplomat and foreign policy advisor to Maria Teresa, State Chancellor and Privy Councilor to Josef IICarl Friedrich Hatzfeldt zu Gleichen (September 14, 1718 – September 5, 1793), Austrian statesman; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, May 6, 1764Prince Anton Esterházy de Galantha (11 April 1738 – 22 January 1794), Captain of the Hungarian Life Guards; also a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece; son of Field Marshal Prince Nicholas ("Miklós" in Hungarian) Esterházy, the primary patron of Joseph Haydn; nephew of Field Marshal Pal II Antal EsterházyArchduke Ferdinand of Austria-Este (1 June 1754 – 24 December 1806), fourth son of Emperor Franz I Stephen and Empress Maria Teresa; heir presumptive of the Duchy of ModenaArchduke Maximilian Franz of Austria (1756 – 1801), fifth son of Emperor Franz I Stephen and Empress Maria Teresa; Grand Master of the Teutonic Order; Archbishop and Elector of CologneAlbert, Duke of Saxony-Teschen (11 July 1738 – 10 February 1822), husband of Archduchess Maria Christine, son-in-law of Emperor Franz I Stephen and Empress Maria Teresa, and brother-in-law of Emperors Joseph II and Leopold IIField Marshal Karl Josef gróf Batthyany (28. April 1697 – 15. April 1772), Field Marshal of HungarySamuel von Brukenthal (1721 – 1803), Governor of Transylvania, personal advisor of Empress Maria Teresa.Ferdinand III, Grand Duke of Tuscany (May 6, 1769 – June 18, 1824), second son of Emperor Leopold IIArchduke Charles, Duke of Teschen (September 5, 1771 – April 30, 1847), third son of Emperor Leopold II; Field Marshal of AustriaArchduke Alexander Leopold of Austria (August 14, 1772 – July 12, 1795), fourth son of Emperor Leopold II; Palatine/Regent of HungaryArchduke Joseph, Palatine of Hungary (9 March 1776 – 13 January 1847), fifth son of Emperor Leopold IIArchduke Johann of Austria (January 20, 1782 – May 11, 1859), sixth son of Emperor Leopold II; Regent of the Duchy of Styria, naturalist, industrialistArchduke Rainer of Austria (30 September 1783 – 16 January 1853), seventh son of Emperor Leopold II; Viceroy of the Kingdom of Lombardy-VenetiaArchduke Louis of Austria (13 December 1784 – 21 December 1864), eighth son of Emperor Leopold II; Field Marshal of Austria; head of the State Conference (Regency) for Emperor FerdinandArchduke Rudolf of Austria (January 8, 1788 – 24 July 1831), ninth son of Emperor Leopold II; Archbishop of Olomouc; Cardinal in the Catholic Church, from June 4, 1819Field Marshal Karl Phillip Fürst zu Schwarzenberg (April 18, 1771 – October 15, 1820), Field Marshal of Austria and Commander in Chief of the Grand Army of Bohemia during the Napoleonic Wars.Field Marshal Alfred Fürst zu Windisch-Graetz (May 11, 1787 – March 21, 1862), Field Marshal of Austria and chief commander of Austrian forces during the Hungarian Revolt, 1849Field Marshal Heinrich Hermann Josef Freiherr von Heß (1788 – 1870), Field Marshal of Austria and Chief of Staff to Emperor Franz JosefFriedrich Ferdinand graf von Beust (January 13, 1809 – October 24, 1886), Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of Saxony; later Privy Councilor to Franz Josef after assisting him in gaining the throne in Hungary;Archduke Albert, Duke of Teschen (August 3, 1817 – February 2, 1895), son of Archduke Charles; Field Marshal of Austria; Governor of HungaryArchduke Franz Karl of Austria (7 December 1802 – 8 March 1878), second son of Emperor Franz I (II) and younger brother of Emperor Ferdinand; Member of the State Conference (Regency) for his older brother, Emperor Ferdinand; father of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary and Emperor Maximilian of MexicoPrince Klemens Wenzel von Metternich (May 15, 1773 – June 11, 1859), Minister of State, statesman and diplomatNapoleon II of France (March 20, 1811 – July 22, 1832), King of Rome, titular Emperor of the French, and Duke of Reichstadt ; son of Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte of the French, and his second wife, Archduchess Maria Luisa of AustriaCount Alfred Josef Potocki (1817 – May 15, 1889), Member of the Austrian House of Peers and the Galician Diet; Vieceroy of Galicia, Minister-president (prime minister) of Austria, 1870 – 1871Franjo (Francis) Haller of Hallerkeö (1796 – 1875), “Ban” (Viceroy) of Croatia, June 16, 1842 – 1845Count Gyula Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka (in Hungarian: csíkszentkirályi és krasznahorkai gróf Andrássy Gyula) (March 3, 1823 – February 18, 1890), Hungarian statesman and diplomat; first constitutional Premier of HungaryEmperor Maximilian of Mexico (July 6, 1832 – June 19, 1867), Archduke of Austria and Prince of Hungary and Bohemia; second son of Archduke Franz Karl; brother of Emperor Franz Josef I of Austria-HungaryArchduke Joseph Karl of Austria (2 March 1833 – 13 June 1905), second son of Archduke Joseph (Palatine of Hungary); General der Kavalrie in the Austro-Hungarian Army (K.u.K.)Archduke Carl Ludwig of Austria (30 July 1833 – 19 May 1896), third son of Archduke Franz Karl; brother of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary and Emperor Maximilian of Mexico; father of Archduke Franz Ferdinand; grandfather of Emperor Karl I of Austria-HungaryField Marshal Alexander von Krobatin (1849 – 1933); Field Marshal of Austria-HungaryField Marshal Hermann Kövess von Kövessháza (1854 – 1924); Field Marshal of Austria-Hungary; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 26 March 1918Field Marshal Eduard von Böhm-Ermolli (February 12, 1856 – December 9, 1941), Field Marshal of Austria-Hungary; honorary Army General of Czechoslovakia, 1928; honorary Generalfeldmarschall of Germany, 1938Archduke Friedrich, Duke of Teschen (4 June 1856, – 30 December 1936), eldest son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand; Field Marshal of Austria and Supreme Commander of the K.u.K. Army; godson and heir of Archduke Albrecht, Duke of Teschen; brother of Field Marshal the Archduke Eugen; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1 May 1894Kronprinz Rudolf (21 August 1858 – 30 January 1889), Archduke of Austria and Crown Prince of HungaryArchduke Eugen of Austria (May 21, 1863 – December 30, 1954), third and youngest son of Archduke Karl Ferdinand; Field Marshal of Austria-Hungary; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St Stephen, 30 March 1911; last Habsburg Grand Master of the Teutonic Order, 1894 – 1923Archduke Leopold Salvator of Austria (15 October 1863 – 4 September 1931), nephew of Ferdinand IV, Grand Duke of Tuscany; Colonel-General and Inspector General of Artillery in the Austro-Hungarian (K.u.K.) ArmyArchduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este (December 18, 1863 – June 28, 1914), oldest son of Archduke Carl Ludwig; successor of Francis V, Duke of Modena; heir apparent of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary; uncle of Emperor Karl I of Austria-HungaryArchduke Otto Franz of Austria (April 21, 1865 – November 1, 1906), second son of Archduke Carl Ludwig; brother of Archduke Franz Ferdinand; father of Emperor Karl I of Austria-HungaryCount István Tisza de Borosjenő et Szeged (22 April 1861 – 31 October 1918), Prime Minister of Hungary, 1903 – 1905, and 1913 – 1917Generaloberst Friedrich Graf von Beck-Rzikowsky (March 21, 1830 – February 9, 1920), president of the Military Chancery, General Adjutant to the Emperor, and Chief of the General StaffGeneral der Kavalrie Alexander Graf von Üxküll-Gyllenband (October 2, 1836 – July 13, 1915), Privy Councilor and life member of the House of Lords; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, August 12, 1907Prince Ladislaus Batthyány-Strattmann (October 28, 1870 – January 22, 1931), noble by birth, medical doctor by education; dedicated to providing medicine for the peasant class, and remembered as the “Doctor of the Poor”, Member of the Upper House from 1915; invested with the Order of the Golden Fleece, Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, and the Papal Order of the Golden Spur, 1915; beatified (“Blessed László”) by Pope John Paul II, 2003Generaloberst Karl Freiherr von Pflanzer-Baltin (1855 – 1925), commander of the 7th Army (K.u.K.), Chief of Staff to the 11th Corps, and Inspector General of Cavalry and later of Infantry; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, August 25, 1918Generaloberst Eduard Graf von Paar (May 12, 1837 – February 1, 1919), General Adjutant to the EmperorGeneraloberst Arthur frhr von Bolfas (April 16, 1838 – December 9, 1922), Chief of Staff to the 14th Corps, Chief of the Military Chancery, and General Adjutant to the EmperorArchduke Joseph August of Austria (9 August 1872 – 6 July 1962), son of Archduke Joseph Karl; Field Marshal of Austria-Hungary; claimed to have been awarded (by Emperor Karl I) a war decoration for his Grand Cross, October 1918, despite the fact that the Order was exclusively civilianGéza Baron Fejérváry de Komlós-Keresztes (1833 – 1914), Hungarian general officer and Prime Minister of Hungary, 1903 – 1907; invested as Knight, 1875, Knight Commander, 1882, and Grand Cross, 1901.Vice Admiral Miklós Horthy von Nagybánya (18 June 1868 – 9 February 1957), Vice Admiral of the Austro-Hungarian (K.u.K.) Navy, Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Fleet, and Regent of Hungary. As Regent of Hungary, in 1938, he attempted to revive the Order. With Hungary under the influence of Nazi Germany during the Second World War, Horthy and a number of his appointments to the Order (such as Hermann Göring and Joachim Ribbentrop) are considered highly controversial, and most of his appointments are not recognised as legitimate by most monarchists.During his regency in Hungary, Miklós Horthy bestowed the Grand Cross of the Order on the following non-Nazis:
Pál Count Teleki de Szék (1879 – 1941), Prime Minister of Hungary and Chief Scout of the Hungarian Scout Association, invested by Miklós Horthy, 1940. Teleki approved several anti-Jewish measures as appeasement to the Nazis, but eventually committed suicide rather than allow Nazi troops to march through Hungary.Jusztinián György Cardinal Serédi (1884 – 1945), Cardinal of Hungary and an Anti-Nazi, invested by Miklós Horthy, 1940King Ernst August of Hannover (5 June 1771 – 18 November 1851), King of Hanover & Duke of Cumberland, fifth son of King George III of Great Britain, invested during a diplomatic visit from Prince MetternichGiustino Fortunato (20 August 1777 – 22 August 1862), Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, 1849 – 1852, invested in 1850Georg V of Hannover (27 May 1819 – 12 June 1878), invested while crown prince, during a diplomatic visit from Prince MetternichSir George Hamilton-Gordon, 4th Earl of Aberdeen (28 January 1784 – 14 December 1860), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, 1852 – 1855Wilhelm I (March 22, 1797 – March 9, 1888), King of Prussia and German EmperorFriedrich III (October 18, 1831 – June 15, 1888), King of Prussia and German Emperor, invested while crown princeEdward VII of the United Kingdom (9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910), King of the United Kingdom, 1901 – 1910; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, June 13, 1867Chulalongkorn, King of Siam (1868 – 1910), invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1869Wilhelm II (27 January 1859 – 5 June 1941), King of Prussia and German Emperor, 1888 – 1918; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1872Alfred, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (1844 – 1900), Duke of Edinburgh and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha; Admiral of the Fleet of the British Royal Navy; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1873Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (1850 – 1942), Duke of Connaught and Strathearn; Field Marshal of the British Army; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1873Nicholas II of Russia (1868 - 1918), Emperor of Russia, November 1, 1894 – March 15, 1917; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, May 6, 1884Feldzeugmeister Prince Wilhelm of Württemberg (July 20, 1828 – November 6, 1896), invested October 18, 1891. Governor of Bosnia-HercegovinaPrince Leopold of Bavaria (February 9, 1846 – September 28, 1930), son of Prince Regent Luitpold of Bavaria (1821 – 1912) and Archduchess Augusta of Austria (1825 – 1864); Field Marshal (Generalfeldmarschall) of Bavaria; commander of German and Austro-Hungarian troops on the Eastern Front during World War IPorfirio Diaz (15 September 1830 – 2 July 1915), seven-time president of Mexico, invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, September 30, 1901Ferdinand I of Bulgaria (February 26, 1861 – September 10, 1948), Tsar of Bulgaria, 7 July 1887 – 3 October 1918Alfonso XIII of Spain (May 17, 1886 – February 28, 1941), King of Spain, May 17, 1886 – April 14, 1931George V of the United Kingdom (June 3, 1865 – January 20, 1936), King of the United Kingdom, May 6, 1910 – January 20, 1936; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of St. Stephen, 1902Großadmiral Alfred von Tirpitz (March 19, 1849 – March 6, 1930), grand admiral and Secretary of State of the Imperial Naval Office, Imperial German Navy, during World War One; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, August 30, 1911Gennaro Granito Pignatelli di Belmonte (April 10, 1851 – February 16, 1948), Italian Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church, Papal Nuncio in Austria-Hungary (1904 – 1911), Dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals, later Grand Prior of Rome of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta; invested with the Grand Cross of the Royal Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen, August 30, 1911William John Arthur Charles James Cavendish-Bentinck, 6th Duke of Portland (December 28, 1857 - 26 April 1943)Generalfeldmarschall August von Mackensen (December 6, 1849 – November 8, 1945), Prussian Field MarshalMindaugas II of Lithuania (né Wilhelm Karl Florestan Gero Crescentius von Württemberg, Prince of Urach, Count of Württemberg; May 30, 1864 – March 24, 1928), 3rd Duke of Urach; elected but uncrowned king of Lithuania, July 11 – November 2, 1918; invested 1917Zog I of Albania (ne Ahmet Muhtar Bej Zogolli, later Zogu)(8 October 1895 – 9 April 1961), Prime Minister 1922-24, President of Albania, January 21, 1926 – September 1, 1928, King of the Albanians, 9 September 1928 - 7 April 1939Pedro II of Brazil (2 December 1825 – 5 December 1891), Emperor of the Empire of Brazil (7 April 1831 – 15 November 1889)Since the recreation of the order in 2011, invested persons are:
János Áder (born 9 May 1959), President of Hungary. According to the Constitution of Hungary's CCII/2011 law as the President of Hungary receives automatically the Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Stephen.Krisztina Egerszegi (born 16 August 1974) is a Hungarian former world record holding swimmer and one of the greatest Hungarian Olympic champions of the modern era. She is a three-time Olympian (1988, 1992 and 1996) and five time Olympic champion. Invested in 2013.Alexandre Lamfalussy (26 April 1929 – 9 May 2015) was a Hungarian-born Belgian economist and central banker. Invested in 2013.Imre Kertész (9 November 1929 - 31 March 2016) is a Hungarian author, Holocaust concentration camp survivor, and recipient of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Literature. Invested in 2014.Ernő Rubik (born 13 July 1944) is a Hungarian inventor, architect and professor of architecture. He is best known for the invention of mechanical puzzles including Rubik's Cube (1974), Rubik's Magic, Rubik's Magic: Master Edition, and Rubik's Snake. Invested in 2014.Judit Polgár (born 23 July 1976) is a Hungarian chess grandmaster. She is generally considered the strongest female chess player in history. Invested in 2015.Peter Eötvös (born 2 January 1944) is a Hungarian composer and conductor. Invested in 2015.Éva Marton (born June 18, 1943) is a Hungarian dramatic soprano, particularly known for her operatic portrayals of Puccini's Turandot and Tosca, and Wagnerian roles. Invested in 2016.Ádám Makkai (born December 16, 1935) holder twice of the Kossuth Prize, Hungarian poet, linguist, translator, retired professor emeritus of the University of Illinois. Invested in 2016.Knights Commander
Johann Karl Chotek, Count of Chotkov und Wognin (1704 – 1787), Statesman and Chancellor in Bohemia; Feldzeugmeister; invested as Knight Commander upon the founding of the Order, 1764; later invested with the Grand Cross (1765)Leopold Stephen Graf Pálffy (b. 1716), invested as Knight Commander upon the founding of the Order, 1764; later invested with the Grand Cross (1765)Heinrich Kajetan Graf Blumegen (1715 – 1788), Landeshauptleute of Bohemia; invested as Knight Commander upon the founding of the Order, 1764; later invested with the Grand Cross (1765)Johann Vencel Graf Paar, invested as Knight Commander upon the founding of the Order, 1764; later invested with the Grand Cross (1765)Fetete Georgy Graf Galanthai (1741 – 1803), invested as Knight Commander upon the founding of the Order, 1764Ludwig Friedrich Riechsgraf von Zinzendorf und Pottendorf (1721 – 1780), invested as Knight Commander upon the founding of the Order, 1764Johann Amadeus Franz de Paula Baron von Thugut (May 24, 1733 – May 28, 1818), Austrian diplomat, 1769 – 1793; Foreign Minister of Austria, 1793 – 1800Count Charles Emerick Alexander von Rewischny (Rewitzky) (1737 – 1793), Hungarian diplomat,Miklós (Nicholas) grof Vay (1802 – 1894), member of the Hungarian Privy Council and the Hungarian Parliament; invested as Knight Commander, 1846.Ferenc (Francis) grof Haller, Ban of Croatia, invested as Knight Commander, 1847Feldzeugmeister Franz graf Gyulay (1798 – 1868), Austrian Minister of War; invested as Knight Commander, 1848.Cardinal János Scitovszky (1785 – 1866), Bishop of Rozsnyó and Pécs; Cardinal 1853; invested as Knight Commander, 1849.Cardinal György Haulik (1788 – 1869), Archbishop of Zagreb and Ban of Croatia; invested as Knight Commander, 1849Ferenc (Francis) grof Zichy (1811 – 1900), Secretary of State for Commerce, Széchenyi ministry of 1848, and later Austro-Hungarian Ambassador to Constantinople; invested as Knight Commander, 1849.Batthyány Imre (1781 – 1874), Jurist and Lord Lieutenant of Latvia; invested as Knight Commander, 1861.Stephen Melczer (1810 – 1896), member of the Hungarian Privy Council and House of the Lords; invested as Knight Commander, 1867.Baron Levin Rauch de Nyék (1819 - 1890), viceroy of Croatia-Slavonia, and of Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia for four years (1867-1871); invested as knight Commander, 1869.Joseph Szlávy (1818 - 1900), Hungarian Prime Minister and later president of the Hungarian House of the Lords; invested as knight Commander, 1869.Baron Béla Orczy, Minister of Defense and Minister of the Interior; invested as Knight Commander, 1873.Feldzeugmeister Franz von Uchatius (1811 – 1881), ordnance expert and master artillerist, and member of the Viennese Academy of Sciences; invested as Knight Commander, 1875.Károly Csemegi (1826 – 1899), Hungarian judge and jurist; instrumental in the creation of the first criminal code in Hungary (1878); first Presiding Judge in the Hungarian Supreme Court; invested as Knight Commander, 1878.Sándor Matlekovits (1842 – 1925), Hungarian economist and author of several treatises on trade policy within the Austro-Hungarian Empire; invested as Knight Commander, 1885.Beniczky Ferenc, Hungarian aristocrat and Intendant of the Budapest Academy of Music and the Budapest Opera, from 1888; invested as Knight Commander, 1890.Daruváry Alajos (1826 – 1912), politician, member of both houses of the Hungarian Parliament, vice president 1898 – 1900; invested as Knight Commander, 1892.Generaloberst Artur frhr von Bolfras (1838 – 1922), chairman of the Military Chancery and general adjutant to Franz Josef I, 1889 – 1917; invested as Knight Commander, 1892.Dr. Heinrich Wittek (1844 – 1930), Austrian politician: Director General of the Ministry of Commerce, 1886 – 1897, Minister of Railways, 1897 – 1905; invested as Knight Commander, 1893.Semsey Andor (1833 – 1923), Hungarian naturalist and geologist; eventual member of the Hungarian Parliament; invested as Knight Commander, 1896.Dr. Miksa Falk, tutored Emperor Franz Josef I in the Hungarian language, and ancestor of actor Peter Falk; invested as Knight Commander, 1898.Feldzeugmeister Oskar Potiorek (1853 - 1931), III Corps commander, 1897; eventual IG of the K.u.K. (1911 - 1913), Military Governor of Bosnia-Herzegovina (1912 - 1914), and 6th Army Commander (1914) ; invested as Knight Commander, 1906.Baron Guenther Heinrich von Berg (1765 – 1843) German Statesman, awarded June 9, 1820.During Miklos Horthy's regency, the following was invested as a knight commander:
Uray István, invested 1943Johann Christoph frhr von Bartenstein (1689 – 1767), Statesman and Privy Councilor to Karl VI, responsible for obtaining succession of Maria Teresa to the throne, personal tutor / educator of Josef II; Director of the House Archives; invested as a Knight of the Order upon its founding, 1764Johann Anton Graf Pergen (1725 – 1814), invested as a Knight of the Order upon its founding, 1764Friedrich frhr von Binder, invested as a Knight of the Order upon its founding, 1764; later invested as Knight Commander (1765)Koller Ferenc Nagymányai, invested as a Knight of the Order upon its founding, 1764; later invested as Knight Commander (1765)Franz Anton Felix Edler von Zeiller (January 14, 1751 – August 23, 1828), Imperial and Royal Courtier; Jurist, legal scholar, theorist and philosopher; Member of the Academy; Invested as a Knight of the Order, 1810Feldzeugmeister Joseph frhr Philippovic von Philippsberg (April 30, 1818 – August 6, 1889), Commander of the 2nd (K.u.K.) Army and veteran of campaigns in Croatia, Prussia, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Invested as a Knight of the Order ("kleinkreuz"), November 24, 1864General der Kavallerie Arthur frhr von Gieslingen (June 19, 1857 – December 3, 1935), member of the General Staff, commander of the Theresian Military Academy, division commander in World War One, and member of the Privy Council; Invested as a Knight of the Order, March 12, 1909Feldmarschalleutnant Rudolph Schamshula, member of the General Staff, Chief of the Telegraph Bureau, and eventual commander of the 52nd Infantry Division during the Great War; invested 1918Oberst Ludwig von Sündermann, Chief of Staff, VIII. Corps, during the Great War; invested 1918Generalmajor Johann Straub von Burgauhof (November 14, 1866 – October 18, 1929), member of the General Staff; Chief and commandant of Military Railroads; invested 1918Generalmajor Josef Ritter von Paić (September 26, 1867 – April 21, 1933), invested 1918Feldmarschalleutnant Árpád Kiss von Nagy-Sittke (September 10, 1859 – March 6, 1921), invested 1918Feldmarschalleutnant Kolomann Török von Harasztos (October 16, 1858 – June 3, 1926), invested 1918Generalmajor Heinrich Graf von Hoyos (June 4, 1865 – April 28, 1955), invested 1918Feldmarschalleutnant Karl Andreas Aloys frhr von Bienerth (April 20, 1825 – March 5, 1882), invested 1918Oberst Theodor Zeynek (1873 – 1948), member of the General Staff; invested 1918Major Rudolf Kundmann, member of the General Staff; Adjutant to Chief of Staff Hötzendorf; kept a diary of life inside the General Staff; invested 1918Generalmajor Anton Hellebronth von Tiszabeö (b. December 20, 1858), invested 1918
