German Society for Phaleristics

The German Society for Phaleristics (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ordenskunde e.V., DGO) is a German registered voluntary association founded in Munich in 1974. It promotes research in phaleristics, one of the auxiliary historical sciences concerned with orders, decorations, medals and related insignia. The association brings together scientists, researchers and collectors from Germany as well as interested members from abroad, and its bimonthly magazine Orden und Ehrenzeichen is known internationally among experts and collectors. According to the French Wikipedia article, the association had 995 members in 2022. The organisation began in 1974 as the Association of Collectors of German Orders (BDOS), the result of an initiative to anchor phaleristics scientifically within German universities, driven by collectors, scientifically interested persons and academics. In 2000 it was renamed "BDOS – German Society for Phaleristics", and in 2010 it took its current name, "German Society for Phaleristics" (DGO). Regular federal meetings and symposia are organised; Altenburg has for several years been a preferred venue for these gatherings, which are usually accompanied by specialist exhibitions and collectors' fairs. The DGO carries out basic research of international renown in phaleristics. Research work is regularly documented and presented at specialist conferences. The association also provides information on questions from collectors and researchers, investigates forgeries and maintains contacts worldwide. All members are kept informed about collecting fields and topics related to orders through the association's bimonthly magazine. A scientific advisory board, founded in April 1999 at the 4th phaleristics symposium in Gunzenhausen, advises the presidium on questions of scientific study and promotes fundamental phaleristic publications and symposia. The DGO also maintains a club library, which was administered by the university library of Bayreuth from 2003 to 2020 and is now held at the Bavarian Army Museum in Ingolstadt. Corresponding members in Germany include institutions such as the German Historical Museum in Berlin, the House of History in Bonn and Leipzig, the Coin Cabinet of the Berlin State Museums, the Brandenburg-Prussian House of History in Potsdam, the LWL-Prussian Museum in Minden, the Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden, the Coin Cabinet of the Dresden State Art Collections, the Coin Cabinet of the Württemberg State Museum in Stuttgart, the Württemberg State Library, the German Order Museum in Neuffen, the Rastatt Military History Museum, the Bavarian Army Museum, the Veste Coburg Art Collections, the Altenburg Castle and Playing Card Museum, as well as the order departments of the state chancelleries of North Rhine-Westphalia and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Abroad, corresponding members include the Budapest Military History Museum, the West Bohemian Museum in Plzeň, the Institute for Numismatics and Monetary History at the University of Vienna, the Austrian Society for Phaleristics, the Danish Society for Phaleristics (Ordenshistorisk Selskab) and the Museum of the Legion of Honour in Paris. The society is led by a president and a presidium. Daniel Krause has been president since 2021; the official website's 2026 general meeting invitation is signed by the presidium represented by president Dr. Bernhard Wenning. Lars Adler has been chairman of the scientific advisory board since May 2013, with members including Eckart Henning, Jörg Nimmergut and Frank Wernitz, and Michael Autengruber advising the board. The DGO describes itself as serving research and pursuing no political ambitions.

The German Society for Phaleristics (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ordenskunde e.V., DGO) traces its origins to 1974, when the Association of Collectors of German Orders (BDOS) was founded in Munich. The founding was the result of an initiative to anchor phaleristics scientifically within German universities, driven by collectors, scientifically interested persons and academics. The society thus emerged at the intersection of collecting and academic historical research. In 2000 the association was renamed "BDOS – German Society for Phaleristics", reflecting a broadening of its identity beyond German orders collecting toward the general field of phaleristics. In 2010 it was renamed again, becoming simply the "German Society for Phaleristics" (DGO). Regular federal meetings and symposia have been organised throughout its existence; Altenburg has for several years been a preferred venue for these gatherings, which are usually accompanied by specialist exhibitions and collectors' fairs. A key institutional development was the creation of the Scientific Advisory Board (Wissenschaftlicher Beirat). It was founded in April 1999 at the 4th phaleristics symposium in Gunzenhausen after about a year of preparation. Among the initiators and founding members were Willi Waldvogel (Leipheim, former president of the DGO) and Werner Bergmann (Kirchenlamitz, first vice-president, responsible for the DGO's scientific work). The creation of the advisory board was recommended when, in the 1990s, leading phalerists discussed fundamental phaleristic questions, including the narrow or broad definition of the term "phaleristics/order studies", terminological problems and deficits in phaleristics. The advisory board's goal is to promote and scientifically accompany phaleristic research and to make it known as a scientific field among members of other associations and phaleristic societies, representatives of related scientific disciplines, in universities and in other public spaces. It advises the DGO presidium on questions of scientific study, and its practical tasks include above all promoting fundamental phaleristic publications and organising and/or promoting phaleristic symposia. Lars Adler has been chairman of the scientific advisory board since May 2013; other members include Eckart Henning, Jörg Nimmergut and Frank Wernitz, with Michael Autengruber advising the board. The DGO also maintains a club library. From 2003 to 2020 it was administered by the university library of Bayreuth; it is now held at the Bavarian Army Museum in Ingolstadt. The society's international orientation is reflected in its corresponding members. In Germany these include the German Historical Museum in Berlin, the House of History in Bonn and Leipzig, the Coin Cabinet of the Berlin State Museums, the Brandenburg-Prussian House of History in Potsdam, the LWL-Prussian Museum in Minden, the Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden, the Coin Cabinet of the Dresden State Art Collections, the Coin Cabinet of the Württemberg State Museum in Stuttgart, the Württemberg State Library, the German Order Museum in Neuffen, the Rastatt Military History Museum, the Bavarian Army Museum, the Veste Coburg Art Collections, the Altenburg Castle and Playing Card Museum, as well as the order departments of the state chancelleries of North Rhine-Westphalia and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Abroad, corresponding members include the Budapest Military History Museum, the West Bohemian Museum in Plzeň, the Institute for Numismatics and Monetary History at the University of Vienna, the Austrian Society for Phaleristics, the Danish Society for Phaleristics (Ordenshistorisk Selskab) and the Museum of the Legion of Honour in Paris. Leadership has evolved over the decades. Rainer Keilbach, a former president, stressed in a 2005 interview with the Reutlinger General-Anzeiger that the association sees itself as serving research and pursues no political ambitions. Daniel Krause has been president since 2021. The official website's invitation to the 2026 general meeting is signed by the presidium represented by president Dr. Bernhard Wenning, indicating a change in the presidency. The 2026 general meeting is scheduled for 19 September 2026 in the Drusussaal of the Mainz Citadel, with a supporting programme from 18 to 20 September 2026. Membership stood at 995 in 2022, according to the French Wikipedia article, comprising scientists, researchers and collectors from Germany as well as interested members from abroad.

• 2026

  Ordinary general meeting scheduled for 19 September 2026 in the Drusussaal of the Mainz Citadel.

• 2022

  Membership reported at 995.

• 2021

  Daniel Krause becomes president.

• 2020

  Club library administration by the university library of Bayreuth ends; library now held at the Bavarian Army Museum in Ingolstadt.

• 2013

  Lars Adler becomes chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board in May.

• 2010

  Renamed "German Society for Phaleristics" (DGO).

• 2005

  Former president Rainer Keilbach gives interview to Reutlinger General-Anzeiger, stressing the society serves research and has no political ambitions.

• 2003

  Club library begins being administered by the university library of Bayreuth.

• 2000

  Renamed "BDOS – German Society for Phaleristics".

• 1999

  Scientific Advisory Board founded in April at the 4th phaleristics symposium in Gunzenhausen.

• 1974

  Association of Collectors of German Orders (BDOS) founded in Munich.

A non-political scholarly and collector society dedicated to the scientific study of orders, decorations and medals, with international reach through its magazine, symposia and corresponding members.

• Orden und Ehrenzeichen

  Bimonthly magazine of the association, known internationally among experts and collectors.

• Club library

  Library administered by the university library of Bayreuth from 2003 to 2020, now held at the Bavarian Army Museum in Ingolstadt.

• Phaleristics symposia

  Regular specialist conferences, usually accompanied by specialist exhibitions and collectors' fairs.

1. 1Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ordenskunde e.V. – Verein für Phaleristikdeutsche-gesellschaft-fuer-ordenskunde.de
2. 2German Society for Phaleristics – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Société allemande de phaléristique – Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org