Document information
Physical location:
General-Landesarchiv, Karlsruhe, 60/1266. M79.09.19Preferred Citation:
August von Unger-Sternberg to Ludwig Turban, 1879-09-19 [M79.09.19]. R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora, J.H. Voigt and Monika Wells (eds), Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, <https://vmcp.rbg.vic.gov.au/id/M79-09-19>, accessed September 11, 2025
No 1870
Karlsruhe den 19. Sept. 1879.
S. K. H. der Grossherzog lassen dem Gr. Staatsministerium gnädigst mittheilen, dass
der englische Regierungs-Botaniker Baron von Müller in Melbourne (:Neuholland:) der
Gr. Gartendirektion zur Ausschmückung der Gewächshäuser des botanischen Gartens dahier
3 werthvolle Baumfarrenstämmme zum Geschenke gemacht hat.
S. K. H. beabsichtigen diese Schenkung durch eine Ordensverleihung zu verdanken und
lassen desshalb das Gr Staatsministerium gnädigst veranlassen, über die persönlichen
Verhältnisse des Baron v. Müller Erhebungen anzustellen, um darnach bemessen zu können,
welcher Ordensgrad für denselben in Vorschlag zu bringen ist.
Gr. Geh. Kabinet.
[…] Sternberg.
1
Friedrich August Johannes Paul, Freiherr von Ungern-Sternberg (1817-1895), President
of the Grand-ducal Cabinet.
No. 1870.
Karlsrühe, 19 September 1879.
His Royal Highness the Grand Duke graciously informs the grand-ducal Ministry of State
that the English Government Botanist, Baron von Mueller in Melbourne (New Holland)
has made a present to the grand-ducal Garden Directorate of three valuable tree-fern
trunks for the adornment of the glass houses of the botanical garden here.
2
See M to C. Mayer, 20 February 1879.
His Royal Highness intends to acknowledge this gift by the conferring of an order
and therefore graciously induces the grand-ducal Ministry of State to enquire into the personal circumstances of Baron
von Mueller's ennoblement in order to gauge which rank in the order is to be proposed
for him.
3
The file includes a letter from Adam Albrecht at the Grand-ducal Court Treasury, dated
3 September 1879, which, after noting that M 'hegte ... noch den Wunsch, mit einem Grossherzoglichen Orden decorirt zu werden' [still wishes to be decorated with a grand-ducal order], formally notified the Grand-ducal
Privy Cabinet of the Grand Duke's decision to decorate M with such an order and thus
initiated the necessary official action.
M was awarded a Knight’s cross, 1st class with oak leaves, of the Order of the Zähringer
Lion on 10 October 1879; see Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden, to M, 10 October 1879
(in this edition as 79-10-10b). For discussion in Friedrich's Court about the effect of the British rules on acceptance
of foreign orders, see also L. Turban to Friedrich I, Grand Duke of Baden, 30 September 1879 (in this edition
as M79-09-30).
Grand-ducal Privy Cabinet
[…] Sternberg