War Merit Medal (Oldenburg)

The War Merit Medal 1916–1918 was instituted on 21 November 1916 by Grand Duke Friedrich August II of Oldenburg for girls aged 15 and over and women who had worked in the care of the wounded within the Grand Duchy for at least one year. The reason for instituting it was that the statutes of the Friedrich-August Cross and the Oldenburg Red Cross Medal did not permit these awards to be bestowed on voluntary hospital assistants and Red Cross fundraisers who were not involved in actual nursing care, so the new medal was intended to create a way to recognize the work of such assistants with a visible token. The awards were made by the territorial delegate for voluntary nursing care in the Duchy of Oldenburg, who was also chairman of the Oldenburg Red Cross.

The first two medals were presented on 1 January 1917 to the duchesses Ingeborg Alix (1901–1996) and Altburg (1903–2001) of Oldenburg, the two youngest daughters of the Grand Duke. On 10 January, 185 women were honored with the medal in the gymnasium of the Oldenburg Gymnasium. From 9 May 1917, the medal could also be awarded to women and men who had distinguished themselves particularly in the field of the war economy.