Back وسام الاستحقاق الوطني Arabic Vaterländischer Verdienstorden German Orden patriótica del mérito Spanish Ordre du Mérite patriotique (RDA) French Ordine al merito per la patria (Repubblica Democratica Tedesca) Italian 祖国功労勲章 Japanese Vaderlandse Orde van Verdienste Dutch Order Zasługi dla Ojczyzny (NRD) Polish Орден «За заслуги перед Отечеством» (ГДР) Russian Орден «За заслуги перед Вітчизною» (НДР) Ukrainian
| Patriotic Order of Merit Vaterländischer Verdienstorden | |
|---|---|
 The 3 classes of the Patriotic Order of Merit | |
| Awarded for | Special services to the state and to society |
| Presented by |  East Germany |
| Status | No longer awarded |
| Established | 21 May 1954 |
| Final award | 1 May 1989 |
| Precedence | |
| Next (higher) | Karl Marx Order |
| Next (lower) | Banner of Labour |
The Patriotic Order of Merit (German: Vaterländischer Verdienstorden, or VVO) was a national award granted annually in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). It was founded in 1954 and was awarded to individuals and institutions for outstanding contributions to the state and society in various areas of life.