The Order of Merit (Verdienstorden) was an Order of merit founded by George Victor, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont on the 3rd of July 1857 and was expanded between 1871 and 1899 by Georg Victor and his successor Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont.

The Order was originally founded in 1857 as a medal of merit to reward those who had distinguished themselves through meritorious actions for the Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont, both in the civil and military spheres.

With the entry of the principality into the German Empire, the Order was "re-founded" and upgraded on January 14, 1871, and officially took the name of "Order of Merit".

[1] The end of the war brought the German revolution, which ended the Principality and brought about the Free State of Waldeck-Pyrmont.

The original order consisted of a single class (the Medal of Merit).