Kriegsmarine Großadmiral wrote:Does anyone know for how long was the Kaiser Wilhelms I. Centenarmedaille (1897) being awarded?
I know it was established on 22 March 1897, but was it awarded for longer than that one day?
Thanks.
The Centenarmedaille was awarded to all active members of the Prussian Army, the Imperial Navy and the Imperial Schutztruppe as of 22.3.1897. If you were active on that date, you received it as of that date. It was pretty much automatic.
Since the Royal Bavarian Army and the Royal Saxon Army were separate from the Prussian Army, Bavarians and Saxons generally did not receive the medal. The exceptions were mainly those serving in the Reichsland Elsaß-Lothringen, those serving as of 22.3.1897 in Prussian contingents, members of the Bavarian 6.IR (named for Kaiser Wilhelm I), and, of course, Bavarians and Saxons in the Navy and Schutztruppe. I honestly have no idea whether Württembergers received it or not, since the Württemberg contingent was a corps of the Prussian Army but had a degree of autonomy.
The Centenarmedaille also was awarded to veterans of the Wars of Unification against Denmark, Austria and France. In those cases, the actual award might not have been made until the veteran actually applied for the medal.