Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony

Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony
Insignia of the Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony
Awarded by the Free State of Saxony
Country	Germany
Type	Order of merit
Awarded for	Outstanding contributions to the Free State of Saxony and its people
Statistics
First awarded	27 October 1997
Total awarded	243
Precedence
Next (lower)	Sächsische Verfassungsmedaille
Ribbon bar of the order

The Order of Merit of the Free State of Saxony (German: Sächsischer Verdienstorden) is a civil order of merit, and the highest award of the German state of Saxony. First presented in 1997, it is awarded by the Minister-President of Saxony. The order is presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the people and state of Saxony. The award is limited to a total of 500 living recipients. As of November 2012 it has been awarded 243 times.