Orden der Schwäbischen Reichsritterschaft.
Knightly Order of the Swabian Nobility Congregation
Neck Badge. Fire-gilt bronze, the arms of the order's cross inlaid as separate enamel plates.
The decoration of the order in the form of the (uncrowned) double headed eagle with applied cross of the order with hand-painted inscription: "NI / IC / KA / XC".
In the center on cut red stone separately applied figure of St. George. In the cross corners Fleur de Lys with set Simili - diamonds.
Between the arms of the cross ciphers with the letters "PX" and the Greek letters Alpha and Omega, above red enameled cross of paws.
The reverse with finely executed engraving similar to the obverse.
This decoration is an early version of the decoration established in 1793 by Emperor Franz II for members of the noble families of the five imperial cantons of knights in Swabia.
The Swabian Knights' Congregation was the corporation of the Swabian imperial knights from the 16th century until the end of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806.
It was their representation of interests in the Swabian territory. The Knights' Congregation was formed between 1541 and 1545 after the dissolution of the Swabian Confederation. It adopted the traditions and organizational forms of the Knights' Society of Saint Jörgenschild. In 1561 the members of the circle of knights gave themselves their own constitution. This was confirmed by Emperor Ferdinand I in 1561. In 1577, the Knights' Circle merged with the Franconian and Rheinish Knights' Circles to form the Independent Imperial Knighthood. In 1609 the knightly circle attained the high court jurisdiction. The seat of the circle (syndicus, consulenten, chancellors and archives) was first the free city of Ulm, from 1689 Ehingen. The meetings, however, continued to take place in Ulm or in Munderkingen because of the better infrastructure. In 1790, thecongregation of knights included about 670 territories ruled by 140 families. The total population was about 160,000 people. The circle was divided into five cantons. The cantons were headed by an elected knight captain or director.
Knights canton Danube with its seat in Ehingen. It was also the directorate canton.
Knight canton Hegau-Allgäu-Lake Constance. It was divided into two districts, or quarters: the quarter Hegau with seat in Radolfzell and the quarter Allgäu-Bodensee with seat in Wangen im Allgäu.
Ritterkanton Neckar-Schwarzwald-Ortenau with its seat in Tübingen.
Ritterkanton Kocher with seat in Esslingen.
Ritterkanton Kraichgau with seat in Heilbronn.
The cantons had taxation rights and military sovereignty. They also represented the knightly congregation externally. Knights' estates could only be sold to other knights so that the territorial extent of the circle did not become smaller and thus politically less significant.
In the course of the mediatization in 1805/06 the congregation of knights was dissolved.
Highly important early decoration of the order and to my knowledge the only known example of this early form.
This badge is illustrated and described in Karstein Klingbeil/ Andreas Thies , Orden 1700-2000, vol. 4, p. 298.
Also in C. Ortner / G. Ludwigstorff: Österreichs Orden und Ehrenzeichen, part III / volume 1, p. 200, Vienna 2021.
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