Iron Cross facts for kids
The Iron Cross (in German, Eisernes Kreuz) is a famous military decoration from Germany. It's a black cross shape with a white or silver outline. This design comes from the Teutonic Order, a group of knights from the 1200s.
Besides being a medal, the Iron Cross has also been a symbol for the German army for a long time. Today, it's the emblem of the Bundeswehr, which is Germany's modern armed forces.
King Frederick William III of Prussia first created the Iron Cross award on March 17, 1813, during the Napoleonic Wars. He made the award's start date March 10, which was his late wife Queen Louise's birthday. She was the first person to receive it, after she had passed away.
The Iron Cross was also given out during the Franco-Prussian War (1870), World War I (1914), and World War II (1939). During World War II, the Nazi government added a swastika symbol to the medal.
Usually, the Iron Cross was only for military members. However, a few civilians received it for doing military-like jobs. For example, Hanna Reitsch and Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg were civilian test pilots during World War II and received the award.
Since the late 1900s, the Iron Cross symbol has also been used by motorcycle clubs and in heavy metal fashion.
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The Black Cross Symbol
The Black Cross (Schwarzes Kreuz) is a symbol used by the German army since 1871. It was designed when King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia created the Iron Cross medal in 1813. This was the first military award open to all soldiers, not just officers.
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The Black Cross was put on the Prussian war flag along with the Black Eagle. The design was made by Karl Friedrich Schinkel, an architect, and was inspired by the black cross used by the Teutonic Order knights.
After Napoleon's defeat, a famous statue called the Quadriga was brought back to Berlin. An Iron Cross was added to the statue's laurel wreath, turning the Goddess of Peace into a Goddess of Victory.
The Black Cross was used on naval and combat flags of the German Empire. It was the German Army symbol until 1915, when a simpler cross called the Balkenkreuz took its place. Later, the armies of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany also used the symbol. Today, the Bundeswehr (modern German armed forces) uses the Black Cross. It appears on tanks and aircraft.
Medal and Ribbon Design
The ribbon for the 1813, 1870, and 1914 Iron Cross (2nd Class) was black with two thin white stripes. These were the colors of Prussia. For those who received the award for non-combat roles, the ribbon colors were reversed (white with black stripes). The ribbon for the 1939 Iron Cross (2nd Class) was black, white, red, white, and black.
Since the Iron Cross was awarded during different periods, each medal had the year it was issued. For example, a World War I Iron Cross has "1914" on it, and a World War II one has "1939". The back of the 1870, 1914, and 1939 Iron Crosses all have "1813" on the bottom, showing when the award was first created.
The 1813 medal had the initials "FW" for King Friedrich Wilhelm III. The next two had a "W" for Wilhelm I and Wilhelm II. The last version (1939) had a swastika instead of a letter. After World War II, a "1957" version was made for those who had the 1939 medal. It replaced the swastika with an oak-leaf cluster.
If someone had already received an Iron Cross in 1870 and then got another in 1914, they could wear a special clasp. This clasp had a small 1914 Iron Cross on a metal bar. In World War II, if someone had a 1914 Iron Cross and earned a 1939 one, they wore a "1939 Clasp" (Spange) on their old medal. For the 1st Class award, the clasp looked like an eagle with "1939" on it. It was pinned above the original medal.
A cross has been the symbol of Germany's armed forces (now the Bundeswehr) since 1871.
Wars of Liberation
On March 17, 1813, King Frederick William III of Prussia created the Iron Cross. It was given to soldiers during the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon. To get the Iron Cross 1st Class, a soldier first needed to have the Iron Cross 2nd Class. The first person to receive it was Karl August Ferdinand von Borcke on April 21, 1813.
At first, the Iron Cross 1st Class was a ribbon stitched to the uniform. Later, a cast iron version with silver borders was made, which could be attached to the uniform. By 1817, 670 soldiers had received the Iron Cross 1st Class.
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King Frederick William III of Prussia, who created the award
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The 1813 Iron Cross
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Field Marshal Blücher wearing the 1813 Grand Cross of the Iron Cross and the Star
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Franco-Prussian War
King Wilhelm I of Prussia allowed more Iron Cross awards on July 19, 1870, during the Franco-Prussian War. Soldiers who received the 1870 Iron Cross and were still serving in 1895 could buy and wear a "Jubilee clip" (Jubiläumsspange). This was a "25" on three oak leaves, marking 25 years since the award.
William Manley is believed to be the only person to receive both the Iron Cross and the Victoria Cross. He got the Iron Cross for his work with an ambulance unit during the Franco-Prussian War (1870–71).
World War I
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Emperor Wilhelm II brought back the Iron Cross on August 5, 1914, at the start of World War I. During these periods (1813, 1870, 1914), the Iron Cross was an award of Prussia. But because Prussia was so important in the German Empire, it was seen as a general German award.
The 1813, 1870, and 1914 Iron Crosses had three levels:
- Iron Cross, 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse, or EKII)
- Iron Cross, 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse, or EKI)
- Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (Großkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes)
The medals looked the same, but they were worn differently. The Iron Cross, 1st Class, had a pin on the back and was worn on the left side of the uniform. The Iron Cross 2nd Class and the larger Grand Cross hung from ribbons. The Grand Cross was worn around the neck, and the 2nd Class was often worn as a ribbon through a buttonhole on the uniform.
The Grand Cross was for high-ranking generals. An even higher award, the Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (also called the Blücher Star), was given only twice. It went to Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher in 1813 and Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg in 1918.
The Iron Cross, 1st Class, and 2nd Class, could be awarded to anyone, regardless of their rank. You usually had to get the 2nd Class before the 1st Class. This was different from many other awards in Europe, which were often given based on a person's rank. Even though the Iron Cross was meant for all ranks, officers and non-commissioned officers (NCOs) were more likely to receive it than junior soldiers.
During World War I, millions of Iron Crosses were awarded. One famous recipient of the 1914 Iron Cross, 2nd Class, and 1st Class, was Adolf Hitler. He was a lance-corporal in the Bavarian Army and received these medals for bravery.
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World War I Iron Cross, 1st Class
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Certificate of award to a soldier in 1918
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German soldiers who had been awarded the Iron Cross
World War II
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Adolf Hitler brought back the Iron Cross in 1939 as a German award. It still had different levels. The Knight's Cross was a new category between the lowest (Iron Cross) and the highest (Grand Cross). The ribbon for the 1939 medals (2nd Class and Knight's Cross) was different from earlier ones. It used red in addition to black and white, reflecting the colors of Nazi Germany. Hitler also created the War Merit Cross for non-combat roles.
Iron Cross (1939)
The standard 1939 Iron Cross had two main levels:
- Iron Cross, 2nd Class (EK II)
- Iron Cross, 1st Class (EK I)
The Iron Cross was given for bravery in battle and other important military actions.
The Iron Cross, 2nd Class, came with a ribbon. Soldiers could wear just the ribbon through a buttonhole for everyday wear. For formal events, the whole cross could be worn.
The Iron Cross, 1st Class, was a medal with a pin on the back and was worn on the uniform's left breast pocket. To get the 1st Class, you usually had to earn the 2nd Class first.
It's thought that about 4.5 million 2nd Class Iron Crosses and 300,000 1st Class Iron Crosses were awarded during World War II.
Some women, mostly nurses from the German Red Cross, received the Iron Cross 2nd Class for their bravery. Two women, test pilot Hanna Reitsch and Red Cross sister Else Grossmann, received the Iron Cross 1st Class.
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
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The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz) was given for great military bravery or successful leadership. It had five levels:
- Knight's Cross
- Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves
- Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords
- Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds
- Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds
About 7,313 Knight's Crosses were awarded. Only a few received the higher levels. For example, only one person, Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel, received the highest level: the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds.
Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (1939)
Like the Knight's Cross, the Grand Cross (Großkreuz) was worn around the neck. It was only for high-ranking generals who made "the most outstanding strategic decisions affecting the course of the war." The only person to receive it during World War II was Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring. He received it on July 19, 1940, for leading the Luftwaffe (German air force) after the Battle of France.
This medal was a larger version of the Knight's Cross. It was originally planned to have gold edges, but this was changed to silver. It was worn with a wide ribbon that had the same colors as the Knight's Cross and 2nd Class ribbons.
Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross
The Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (also called Iron Cross with Golden Rays) was pinned to the left chest, above the Iron Cross 1st Class. Like the Grand Cross, it was for very successful generals.
This award was given only twice:
- In 1815, to Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher for his role in the Battle of Waterloo.
- In March 1918, to Paul von Hindenburg for his leadership during the 1918 Spring Offensive in World War I.
It is often called the Blücher Star after its first recipient.
A Star of the Grand Cross was made during World War II, but it was never officially awarded. The only known example is now in a museum in West Point, USA. It's thought that Reichsmarschall Göring might have been meant to receive it.
After World War II
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After World War II, German law made it illegal to produce or display items with Nazi symbols. So, in 1957, the West German government allowed new Iron Crosses to be made for World War II recipients. These new medals had a three-leaf oak cluster instead of the swastika, similar to the older 1813, 1870, and 1914 Iron Crosses.
When German armed forces started serving in places like Kosovo and Afghanistan, people wanted to bring back military medals for bravery. In 2007, a petition to revive the Iron Cross was started. On March 6, 2008, a new award for bravery was approved: the Ehrenzeichen der Bundeswehr (Badge of Honor of the German Armed Forces). This new award doesn't look like the traditional Iron Cross, but it's an important award for the modern German military.
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Emblem of the Bundeswehr, Germany's modern armed forces (since 1956)
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Badge of Honor of the German Armed Forces
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Iron Cross symbol on a UAV Barracuda
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Iron Cross symbol on a German Air Force CH-53G in 2015
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The Iron Cross symbol on a Leopard 2 main battle tank
Biker and Heavy Metal Subcultures
In the United States, the Iron Cross was adopted by outlaw motorcycle clubs in the 1960s. They used it as a symbol of rebellion. From bikers, it spread to rock and heavy metal music cultures, becoming a part of heavy metal fashion. Lemmy Kilmister from the band Motörhead often wore an Iron Cross necklace. In the 1990s, this use of the Iron Cross also spread to skateboarders and extreme sports fans.
The Anti-Defamation League says that the version of the symbol with a swastika has been used by neo-Nazis as a hate symbol. However, the wider use of the Iron Cross in different groups means that whether it's a hate symbol depends on the situation. If it's just the Iron Cross without a swastika or other hate symbols, it's not automatically considered a hate symbol.
Gallery of Medal Ribbons
| Iron Cross 2nd Class | ||||
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| Iron Cross 1st Class | |||
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| Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross | ||||
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| Grand Cross of the Iron Cross | |
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See also
- Grand Cross of the Iron Cross
- Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross
- Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
- 1939 Clasp to the 1914 Iron Cross
- Black Cross (Teutonic Order)
- Cross pattée
