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Iron Cross
Sign in to savemilitary decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1870–1918) and Nazi Germany
The Iron Cross is a military decoration that originated in the Kingdom of Prussia and was later used by the German Empire and Nazi Germany to honor military service and achievement. It remains historically significant as one of the most recognizable military awards and as a symbol whose meaning and associations changed dramatically across different periods of German history.
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Encyclopedic overview
Standard, most basic form of the Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz, listen, abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the insignia of the medieval Teutonic Order and borne by its knights from the 13th century. As well as being a military medal, it has also been used as an emblem by the Prussian Army, the Imperial German Army, and the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic, while the Balkenkreuz (bar cross) variant was used by the Wehrmacht. The Iron Cross is now the emblem of the Bundeswehr, the modern German armed forces.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Iron Cross” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.