Order of the Star of Romania

History

In 1863, Alexandru Ioan Cuza, the Domnitor of the United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia, asked the Romanian representative to Paris to contact the then well-known jewellery house Krétly, to manufacture a state decoration. Krétly presented a model, which was immediately accepted by the domnitor, and based on his agreement, 1,000 pieces of the order were made. It was decided that the order would have five ranks: Knight (Cavaler), Officer (Ofițer), Commander (Comandor), Grand Officer (Mare Ofițer), and Grand Cross (Mare Cruce).

Unlike all other decorations in that time that were mostly inspired on the French Légion d'honneur, or which had their insignia like a Maltese cross, the model proposed by Krétly for this order was a blue cross crosslet (cruce repetată), a design that was then unique in decorational design.

The domnitor decided that the name of the honour would be "The Order of the Union" ("Ordinul Unirii"). It was planned to institute the order on 24 January 1864, the date when the 5th anniversary of his election would be celebrated and a moment that marked the unification of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia. Because of this, the motto of the new order would fit the event: "GENERE ET CORDES FRATRES" ("BROTHERS THROUGH ORIGINS AND FEELINGS"). The obverse of the insignia would bear the numbers "5" and "24", the days of January when he was elected in both Moldova and Wallachia.

Unable to legally institute the order due to Romania's status as an Ottoman vassal, Cuza awarded the insignia therefore only as a personal present, not as a state decoration. Most of the insignia produced for him remained stored in the Royal Palace's cellars.

In April 1877, when Romania gained independence from the Ottoman Empire, the debate regarding the institution of Romanian decorations was revived. Mihail Kogălniceanu, Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Ion Brătianu cabinet, took part in the debates in the Assembly of Deputies regarding the institution of a state decoration. Because of the already earlier supplied "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").

The name "Steaua României" ("The Star of Romania") appeared on 10 May 1877, 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 changed the order of precedence in the Romanian honours system. As a result, in 1932, The Star of Romania dropped in precedence from second place (where it had been since 1906) to fourth place (after the Order of Carol I and the ). 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 was increased:

• Knight (Cavaler): 1,000 civilians and 350 military;
• Officer (Ofițer): 500 civilians and 150 military;
• Commander (Comandor): 200 civilians and 75 military;
• Grand Officer (Mare Ofițer): 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 statutes established by King Carol II were changed by General Ion Antonescu (who became Conducător on 4 September 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 that of the Order of 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.

In 1993, the idea of reinstating the oldest Order was proposed within the Special Commission of the Chamber of Deputies. After several 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.

Grades

As per Law 29/2000, regarding Romania's national system of decorations, there are currently six grades:

• 1st Class: Collar (Colan);
• 2nd Class: Grand Cross (Mare Cruce);
• 3rd Class: Grand Officer (Mare Ofițer);
• 4th Class: Commander (Comandor);
• 5th Class: Officer (Ofițer);
• 6th Class: Knight (Cavaler).

Notable recipients

File:Romanian Star Vlaicu 11Oct1911.jpg|Certificate confirming that the Star of Romania was awarded to Aurel Vlaicu in the name of King Carol I. File:Steauaromaniei.jpg|Certificate confirming that the Star of Romania was awarded to Ernesto Burzagli in the name of King Ferdinand I. File:Alexandru Munteanu 1928.jpg|Alexandru Munteanu wearing an officer's cross, civilian version. File:Dr Dimitrie Tușinschi Demeter von Tuschinski ca 1937 Colorized.jpg|Dr. Dimitrie Tușinschi wearing a civilian commander's cross, awarded in 1928. File:ConstantinPoenaru.jpg|Constantin Poenaru wearing a grand officer's cross, military version with crossed swords.

First issue (1877–1948)

• Ernesto Burzagli
• Archduke Eugen of Austria (1881)
• Friedrich von Beck-Rzikowsky
• Aurel Vlaicu (1911)
• Pratap Singh of Idar (1921)
• Jan Karcz
• Aristide Razu (1918)
• Harry Gideon Wells (1919)
• Ismail of Johor (1920)
• Hendrik Pieter Nicolaas Muller (1922)
• Scarlat Cantacuzino
• Artur Phleps
• Edward Rydz-Śmigły
• Jack Corbu (1930)
• Stanisław Maczek
• Amha Selassie of Ethiopia
• Rudolf Walden
• Fritz Witt (1942)
• Martin Unrein
• Jagatjit Singh of Kapurthala (1935)
• Walter Staudinger (1942)
• Ismail of Johor (1942)
• Walther Wenck (1943)
• Emmerich Jordan (1944)
• Samuel C. Cumming
• Paul de Smet de Naeyer
• Joseph Maria von Radowitz
• Klement Gottwald (1947)

Second issue (since 1998)

Foreign citizens

By class

;1st Class: Collars

• Abdullah II of Jordan
• George Abela
• Valdas Adamkus
• Albert II of Belgium
• Albert II, Prince of Monaco
• Amha Selassie
• Teoctist Arăpașu
• Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
• Traian Băsescu
• Beatrix of the Netherlands
• Zine El Abidine Ben Ali
• Carl XVI Gustaf
• Jacques Chirac
• Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
• Emil Constantinescu
• Nicolae Corneanu
• Ion Dragalina
• Andrzej Duda
• Elizabeth II
• Matthew Festing
• Joachim Gauck
• Mihai Ghimpu
• Dalia Grybauskaitė
• Tarja Halonen
• Harald V of Norway
• Ioan Holender
• François Hollande
• Ion Iliescu
• Toomas Hendrik Ilves
• Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah
• Lech Kaczyński
• Andrej Kiska
• Thomas Klestil
• Émile Lahoud
• Margrethe II of Denmark
• Sergio Mattarella
• Michael I of Romania
• Giorgio Napolitano
• Nursultan Nazarbayev
• Josef Šnejdárek
• Angelo Sodano
• Konstantinos Stephanopoulos
• Petar Stoyanov
• Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani
• Gherman Titov
• Ezer Weizman ;2nd Class: Grand Crosses
• Alois Lexa von Aehrenthal
• Martti Ahtisaari
• Yıldırım Akbulut
• Albert I of Belgium
• Archduke Albrecht, Duke of Teschen
• Prince Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence and Avondale
• Alexander III of Russia
• Alexander of Battenberg
• Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg
• Prince Alfons of Bavaria
• Alfred, 2nd Prince of Montenuovo
• Teoctist Arăpașu
• Count Kasimir Felix Badeni
• Ehud Barak
• Bartholomew I of Constantinople
• David Beatty, 1st Earl Beatty
• Kurt Beck
• Radu Beligan
• Silvio Berlusconi
• Andrew Bertie
• Birendra of Nepal
• Herbert von Bismarck
• Otto von Bismarck
• Albrecht von Boeselager
• Victor, Prince Napoléon
• Boutros Boutros-Ghali
• Josip Broz Tito
• Bernhard von Bülow
• Ernesto Burzagli
• Leo von Caprivi
• Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland
• Carol I of Romania
• Charles, Prince of Wales
• Christian IX of Denmark
• Prince Christian of Schleswig-Holstein
• Doina Cornea
• Pat Cox
• Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem
• Bülent Ecevit
• Edmond de Gaiffier d'Hestroy
• Edward VII
• Ernest Louis, Grand Duke of Hesse
• Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
• Archduke Eugen of Austria
• Prince Eugen, Duke of Närke
• Laurent Fabius
• Felipe VI of Spain
• Ferdinand I of Romania
• Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria
• Franz Joseph I of Austria
• Frederick I, Duke of Anhalt
• Frederick III, German Emperor
• Prince Frederick of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen
• Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
• Frederik VIII of Denmark
• Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark
• Kurt Fricke
• Prince Friedrich Leopold of Prussia
• Prince Georg of Bavaria
• Agenor Maria Gołuchowski
• Dan Grigore
• Eremia Grigorescu
• Wilhelm von Hahnke
• Ionel Haiduc
• Tarja Halonen
• Rafic Hariri
• Prince Heinrich of Hesse and by Rhine
• Prince Henry of Prussia (1862–1929)
• Stefan Hell
• Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg
• Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark
• Jaap de Hoop Scheffer
• Klaus Iohannis
• Mugur Isărescu
• Prince Joachim of Denmark
• Archduke Joseph Karl of Austria
• Lionel Jospin
• Jean-Claude Juncker
• Ioan Kalinderu
• Viatcheslav Moshe Kantor
• Karekin II
• Karl Anton, Prince of Hohenzollern
• Hüseyin Kıvrıkoğlu
• Konstantin of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst
• Aleksey Kuropatkin
• Aleksander Kwaśniewski
• Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski
• Chuan Leekpai
• Prince Leopold of Bavaria
• Leopold, Prince of Hohenzollern
• Liviu Librescu
• Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse
• Prince Ludwig Ferdinand of Bavaria
• Archduke Ludwig Viktor of Austria
• Luís I of Portugal
• Horia Macellariu
• Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg
• Michael I of Romania
• Grand Duke Michael Alexandrovich of Russia
• Louis Michel
• Milan I of Serbia
• Helmuth von Moltke the Younger
• Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma
• Hendrik Pieter Nicolaas Muller
• Valeriu Munteanu (politician)
• Adrian Năstase
• Nicholas II of Russia
• Mariana Nicolesco
• Olav V of Norway
• Archduke Otto of Austria (1865–1906)
• George Emil Palade
• Queen Paola of Belgium
• Alexander August Wilhelm von Pape
• Pedro II of Brazil
• Maurice Pellé
• Göran Persson
• Nicolae Petrescu-Comnen
• Christian Poncelet
• Romano Prodi
• Mozaffar ad-Din Shah Qajar
• Antoni Wilhelm Radziwiłł
• Jean-Pierre Raffarin
• Archduke Rainer Ferdinand of Austria
• Ioan Rășcanu
• George Robertson, Baron Robertson of Port Ellen
• Gil Carlos Rodríguez Iglesias
• Prince Rudolf of Liechtenstein
• Rudolf, Crown Prince of Austria
• Rupprecht, Crown Prince of Bavaria
• Edward Rydz-Śmigły
• Gerhard Schröder
• Wolfgang Schüssel
• Walter Schwimmer
• Queen Silvia of Sweden
• Jagatjit Singh
• Pratap Singh of Idar
• Vassilios Skouris
• Queen Sofía of Spain
• Edmund Stoiber
• Jan Syrový
• Eduard Taaffe, 11th Viscount Taaffe
• Alfred von Tirpitz
• Alexandru Todea
• Ernest Troubridge
• Charles d'Ursel
• Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden
• Grigore Vieru
• Charles J. Vopicka
• Rudolf Walden
• Georg Wassilko von Serecki
• Alan Watson, Baron Watson of Richmond
• Count Hans Weiss
• William, Prince of Hohenzollern
• William, Prince of Wied
• Sergei Witte
• August zu Eulenburg
• Adrian Zuckerman (attorney) ;3rd Class: Grand Officers
• Dinu Adameșteanu
• Prince Dominique de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel
• Radu Aldulescu (musician)
• Ioan Arhip
• Constantin C. Arion
• Randolph L. Braham (Resigned)
• Gheorghe Brega
• Nicolae Cajal
• Alexandru Cernat
• Dietrich von Choltitz
• Gheorghe Cipăianu
• Liviu Ciulei
• Nadia Comăneci
• Ileana Cotrubaș
• Nicolae Dăscălescu
• Constantin Dumitrescu (general)
• Ivan Fichev
• Ismail of Johor
• Lucien Loizeau
• Marian-Jean Marinescu
• Lucian Pintilie
• Constantin Poenaru
• Dumitru Prunariu
• Ioan Mihail Racoviță
• Condoleezza Rice
• Constantin Sănătescu
• Hans-Georg von Seidel
• Alexandru Slătineanu
• Simion Stoilow
• Alexandru Tzigara-Samurcaș
• Gheorghe Vlădescu-Răcoasa
• Elie Wiesel
• Arthur Zimmermann
• Alexandru Zub ;4th Class: Commanders
• Robert Aderholt
• Vasile Atanasiu
• Grigore Bălan
• James Berry (surgeon)
• Ion Boițeanu
• Randolph L. Braham
• Leonid Brezhnev
• Karl von Bülow
• Ronald L. Burgess Jr.
• Leopold Bürkner
• Ernesto Burzagli
• Ion Buzdugan
• Ben Cardin
• Nicolae Ciupercă
• Constantin Constantinescu-Claps
• Aurel Cosma
• Lucian Croitoru
• Salvator Cupcea
• Mircea Dinescu
• Eugen Doga
• Émile Dossin de Saint-Georges
• Mihai Drăgănescu
• Wim van Eekelen
• Ștefan Fălcoianu
• Nikolaus von Falkenhorst
• Angela Gheorghiu
• Hans Globke
• Maximilian Hacman
• Orrin Hatch
• Friedrich-Wilhelm Hauck
• Francis Howard (British Army officer, born 1848)
• Dietrich von Hülsen-Haeseler
• Sergěj Ingr
• Ron Johnson
• Hunor Kelemen
• Gunther Krichbaum
• Emil Krukowicz-Przedrzymirski
• Tadeusz Kutrzeba
• Alexandru Lapedatu
• Chris Lauzen
• Wolf Lepenies
• Charles W. Lyons
• Stanisław Maczek
• Solomon Marcus
• Valeriu Moldovan
• Vasile Moldoveanu
• Teodor Negoiță
• Devin Nunes
• Artur Phleps
• Tadeusz Piskor
• Karl von Plettenberg
• David Popescu
• Andrei Rădulescu
• Aristide Razu
• Mike Rogers (Alabama politician)
• Frank Rolleston
• Marco Rubio
• Nicolae Samsonovici
• Gustav von Senden-Bibran
• Ioanel Sinescu
• Ilie Șteflea
• Rudolf Stöger-Steiner von Steinstätten
• Anastase Stolojan
• Dejan Subotić
• Nicolae Tătăranu
• Rudolf Toussaint
• Alexandru Vulpe
• Jackie Walorski
• Bolesław Wieniawa-Długoszowski ;5th Class: Officers
• Paul Alexiu
• Ilie Antonescu
• Petre Antonescu (general)
• Constantion Bădescu
• Ștefan Balaban
• Ioan A. Bassarabescu
• Constantin Brătescu
• Mihai Ciucă
• Constantin Climescu
• Mihail Corbuleanu
• Dumitru Coroamă
• Ilie Crețulescu
• Anton Crihan
• Constantin Cristescu
• Nicolae Dabija (soldier)
• Dumitru Dămăceanu
• Alexandru Dobriceanu
• Constantin Doncea
• Anton Durcovici
• Constantin Eftimiu
• Eremia Grigorescu
• Jan Karcz
• Radu Korne
• Dan Lupașcu
• Raoul Magrin-Vernerey
• Gheorghe Manoliu
• Sergiu Niță
• Alexandru Pastia
• Oana Pellea
• Irina Petrescu
• Artur Phleps
• Constantin Poenaru
• Iulian Pop
• David Praporgescu
• Nicolae Samsonovici
• Alexandru Șerbănescu
• Oleg Serebrian
• Constantin Tobescu ;6th Class: Knights
• Ecaterina Andronescu
• Gheorghe Avramescu
• Constantin Bălăceanu-Stolnici
• Colin Robert Ballard
• Gelu Barbu
• Viorel P. Barbu
• Ion Besoiu
• Marcian Bleahu
• Mihai Brediceanu
• Nicolae Cambrea
• Scarlat Cantacuzino
• Ion Caramitru
• Nicolae Ciupercă
• Dina Cocea
• Titus Corlățean
• Pierre de Coubertin
• Corina Crețu
• Ioan Culcer
• Samuel C. Cumming
• Marțian Dan
• Neagu Djuvara
• Valer Dorneanu
• Mariana Drăgescu
• Tudor Gheorghe
• Marcel Guguianu
• Gheorghe Hagi
• Thomas Hunton
• Ernest Juvara
• Gabriel Liiceanu
• Leonard Mociulschi
• Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan
• Iulia Motoc
• Marioara Murărescu
• Dan Nica
• Andrei Oișteanu
• Richard W. O'Neill
• Gabriel Oprea
• Octavian Paler
• Gică Petrescu
• Teodosie Petrescu
• David Popovici
• Colea Răutu
• Aristide Razu
• Mihai Șora
• Mihai Tănăsescu
• Radu Timofte
• László Tőkés (Withdrawn)
• Corneliu Vadim Tudor (Withdrawn)(2004 until 2007, when it was withdrawn)
• Petre Țuțea
• Virginia Zeani ;Unknown Class
• Otto Adler
• Ilham Aliyev
• Petre Andrei
• Kofi Annan
• Gheorghe Arsenescu
• Giuseppe Arzilli
• Beatrix of the Netherlands
• Tarcisio Bertone
• Bhumibol Adulyadej
• Josef Bílý
• Volkan Bozkır
• Constantin Budișteanu
• George W. Bush
• Gheorghe Buzatu
• Mihail Cămărașu
• Fernando Henrique Cardoso
• Aníbal Cavaco Silva
• Marin Ceaușu
• Mauro Chiaruzzi
• Henri Cihoski
• Jack Corbu
• Paul de Smet de Naeyer
• Süleyman Demirel
• Radko Dimitriev
• Roman Dmowski
• Werner Ehrig
• Eddie Fenech Adami
• Alberto Fujimori
• Victor Gomoiu
• Árpád Göncz
• Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović
• Gheorghe Ionescu-Sisești
• Emmerich Jordan
• Juan Carlos I
• Mihail Kogălniceanu
• Stiliyan Kovachev
• Milan Kučan
• Leonid Kuchma
• Ricardo Lagos
• Ivan Loiko
• Mircea Lucescu
• Petru Lucinschi
• Ferenc Mádl
• Leon Malhomme
• Rexhep Meidani
• Stjepan Mesić
• Miron Mitrea
• Alois Mock
• Aleksander Piotr Mohl
• Maria Morganti
• Dumitru C. Moruzi
• Bolesław Mościcki
• Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan
• Danail Nikolaev
• Pietro Parolin
• Rosen Plevneliev
• Kazimierz Porębski
• Ștefan Procopiu
• Roberto Raschi
• Arnold Rüütel
• Said Halim Pasha
• Jorge Sampaio
• Eustachy Sapieha
• Marian Sârbu
• Rudolf Schuster
• Walter Staudinger
• Michel Suleiman
• Jan Szembek (diplomat)
• Păstorel Teodoreanu
• Nicolae Timofti
• Martin Unrein
• Guy Verhofstadt
• Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga
• Matei Vlădescu
• Harry Gideon Wells
• Walther Wenck
• Fritz Witt
• Valdis Zatlers
• Ferdynand Zarzycki
• Ernesto Zedillo

References

Sources

• Ordinul național "Steaua României", Presidency of Romania website
• Recipients of the order (Excel sheet), Presidency of Romania website

References

1. "Ordinul național "Steaua României"".
2. (26 January 2014). "Ordinul Unirii".
3. "LEGE nr. 29 din 31 martie 2000 privind sistemul national de decoratii al Romaniei". [[Monitorul Oficial.
4. (1916). "Hof- und Staatshandbuch der Österreichisch-Ungarischen Monarchie". Druck und Verlag der K.K. Hof- und Staatsdruckerei.
5. (18 December 2012). "Řády a vyznamenání prezidentů republiky".
6. (22 June 2016). "Iohannis i-a decorat pe președintele Germaniei şi pe partenera sa". [[Mediafax]].
7. ''www.presidency.ro'', [http://www.presidency.ro/ro/media/decrete-si-acte-oficiale/decret-de-decorare-semnat-de-presedintele-romaniei-domnul-klaus-iohannis1490805956 Decret de decorare semnat de Președintele României, domnul Klaus Iohannis], 29 March 2017.
8. "Romanian president decorates legendary gymnast Nadia Comaneci".
9. (June 9, 2017). "Klaus Iohannis a decorat opt congresmani americani cu Ordinul Steaua României în grad de Comandor".
10. (June 9, 2017). "President Iohannis and U.S. congressmen discuss Romania's inclusion in Visa Waiver programme".
11. (2007-05-28). "Presedintele Basescu i-a retras Steaua Romaniei lui Vadim Tudor".