Patriotic Order of Merit

The Patriotic Order of Merit (German: Vaterländischer Verdienstorden, or VVO) was a national award granted annually in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was founded in 1954 and was awarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding contributions to the state and society in various areas of life.

The official language for the award stipulated it was given "for outstanding merit":

The order was awarded in bronze, silver, gold and gold honor clasp (for exceptional merit). Each level was only awarded once and with the exception of the recipient of the honor clasp, all recipients received a sum of money.

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