Order of Saint Michael (Bavaria)

This article is about the Bavarian order. For other uses, see Order of Saint Michael (disambiguation).

Order of Saint Michael Orden zum Heiligen Michael
Badge of a knight of the order
Type	Military order 1693–1803 Merit order 1808–1918
Country	Electorate of Cologne Kingdom of Bavaria
Status	No longer awarded
Established	29 September 1693
Ribbon of the order
Precedence
Next (higher)	Merit Order of the Bavarian Crown
Next (lower)	Bavarian Maximilian Order for Science and Art

The Order of Saint Michael (German: Orden zum Heiligen Michael) or Royal Merit Order of Saint Michael (German: Königlicher Verdienstorden vom heiligen Michael) was founded in 1693 by Joseph Clemens of Bavaria, then Archbishop-Elector of Cologne, as a Military order. Initially, this order was only open to the Catholic nobility.