Youtuber: just bought a Federal Cross of Merit

Simply buy a Federal Cross of Merit for 149 euros from the manufacturer instead of acquiring it through special merits? The Youtuber Marvin Wildhage wants to be successful, as he claims in a video. With the email of a fictional agency to the manufacturer of the order and with a newspaper article from the Internet. A scraper in the name of Peter Lustigs, as the 28-year-old finds.

In the email, Wildhage, according to his own representation, pretended to be an estate administrator of the cult moderator Peter Lustig, who died in 2016. Its Federal Cross of Merit on the ribbon was stolen in the event of a break -in, so he asked for replacement. “As the only proof, you ask me to have a commercially available newspaper article that every idiot can pull out of the Internet,” says the 28-year-old in the video stunned.

And indeed, ten days later, a simple package came, “as if you had ordered something from China from Amazon,” said the YouTuber from Lower Saxony. Content: A noble night blue box with a golden federal eagle, in it the red -gold cross, also with eagle in the middle – the simplest level of the Federal Cross of Merit.

Amazingly easy to honor

“I wanted to show that even the highest state symbols are not as well secured as you might think. And that you can get far with a little skill-further than you should,” said Wildhage of the German Press Agency (dpa) after the “SPIEGEL” had previously reported on the case.

“First an official certificate was required – whereupon I actually wanted to cancel the action. But a few days later, a second email came with the request for a newspaper article. And the way was surprisingly easy.”

Order is reclaimed

The Federal President’s Office is responsible for the award of Merit Order. On request, this emphasized that Wildhage was not involved in the acquisition of the order. In a written statement, it was said that with the manufacturer, the manufacturer was the cause of the error, which was given when checking the evidence for the possession of the order.

The Federal Presidential Office continued to say: “Prevention was taken to rule out an unjustified acquisition of deception about the authorization in the future. The manufacturer has assured us that Mr. Wildhage, which is unjustified by deceiving, has requested.” (sic!)

The company initially did not want to comment on the DPA request.

Attention administrative offense!

In the opinion, the Federal Presidential Office pointed out that according to the law on titles, orders and badges of honor, these awards may only be left to the fee after submission of a proper proof of ownership. “In the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, this is usually done by submitting the award certificate.” Every excellent receives this document together with the order.

Wildhage should never wear the order. Because unauthorized wearing or leaving the order could be an administrative offense, as the Federal Presidential Office emphasized. The top state authorities are responsible for their punishment – they can also move in to the order.