The Cross of Merit was a military and civil decoration of Austria-Hungary established 16 Februar 1850. Emperor Franz Josef awarded the cross “to reward loyal and actively proven devotion to Emperor and Fatherland, many years of acknowledged beneficial use in public service or other merits earned for the general good”.
The establishment took place on February 16, 1850. The decoration came in four classes. During the First World War, the award was extended to include the Iron Cross of Merit with and without a crown on April 1, 1916, for the duration of the war.
