Effective 26 June 2009, the medal assumed its current name.

[2] The order is awarded by the Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg for outstanding contributions to the state of Baden-Württemberg, in politics, society, culture and economics.

The order is limited to 1,000 living holders, and has been awarded 1,923 times, as of 30 April 2018.

[1] The form of the Order of Merit was fundamentally changed by an amendment to the foundation announcement on 3 February 2016.

Since then, the Order of Merit is no longer awarded as a medal, but in the form of a stylised cross with a medallion in the middle, on which the large state coat of arms with the lettering „Baden-Württemberg“ is depicted.