History

The Faithful Service Cross was established by King Carol I in 1906. It was preceded by the Faithful Service Medal in 1878 and was later followed by the Order of Faithful Service in 1932. It was suppressed in 1947 after the abolition of the Romanian monarchy but was re-instated in 2004 following the collapse of the communist regime. It is currently awarded to Romanian citizens and foreigners in recognition of meritorious service to Romania. It was widely awarded to German military personnel during the Second World War, and from 1937-1941 it could be conferred with swords for wartime merit.

Since its reinstatement in 2000, peacetime membership in the I Class Cross grade has been limited to 1000 civilians and 200 military personnel. There is no limit on wartime conferral and foreigners are not included in statutory limits.

There are three models of the I Class Cross. The first and second models were both awarded prior to 1947 and feature a surmounting crown and the royal coat of arms of Romania. The first model features oak leaves on the arms of the cross, while the second model features an oak wreath that runs through the arms of the cross. The third model, awarded since 2000, features a surmounting wreath and the national coat of arms of Romania and is awarded in three different versions. The I Class Medal (for Military Personnel, peacetime) features surmounting crossed swords, and the I Class Cross (wartime) features crossed swords through the body of the cross. All three models have a reverse inscription that translates to “Faithful Service.”

The previous versions are listed in the Medals & Decorations of the Kingdom of Romania (1881-1947).