The German Order was the highest decoration that the Nazi Party could bestow on an individual for "duties of the highest order to the state and party". This award was first made by Adolf Hitler posthumously to Reichsminister Fritz Todt at his funeral in February, 1942. A second posthumous award of the German Order was given to SS-Obergruppenfuhrer Reinhard Heydrich at his funeral in June of that same year. Cynics called the award the "dead hero order" as it was almost always awarded posthumously. The only two persons who received the German Order who survived the war and its consequences were Konstantin Hierl and Arthur Axmann.

The German Order was originally to be awarded in three grades, but only the neck order (the highest grade) was ever awarded. This award ranks the second rarest award in the Third Reich (second only to the National Prize for Art and Science). The holders of this award were supposed to form a confraternity.

Adolf Hitler viewed this award as his personal decoration to be bestowed only upon those whose services to the state and party he deemed worthy. For this reason, plus the fact that the reverse of the medal bears a facsimile of his signature, it was also informally known as the 'Hitler Order'.

There were in all ten confirmed recipents of this award between 1942 and 1945. According to some documents, The order was intended to be awarded to Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler and Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, but this was never done.

Confirmed recipients and date of award

Fritz Todt (posthumous), 11FEB42
Reinhard Heydrich (posthumous), 09JUN42
Adolf Hühnlein (Posthumous), 22JUN42
Viktor Lutze (posthumous), 08MAY43
Arthur Axmann, 04JAN44
Josef Bürckel (suicide in NOV44), 03OCT44
Rudolf Schmundt (posthumous), 07OCT44
Konstantin Hierl, 24FEB45
Karl Hanke (executed by partisans MAY1945), 12APR45
Karl Holtz (killed in action MAY45), 19APR45