History isn't always clean. It’s often messy, uncomfortable, and tied to symbols that make people flinch. When you talk about the Cross of Iron—the Eisernes Kreuz—you’re stepping into a minefield of military tradition, national identity, and the darkest chapters of the 20th century. Most people see it and immediately think of the Nazis. That’s understandable, but it’s also a bit of an oversimplification. This hunk of metal and ribbon predates Hitler by over a century. It was born in the Napoleonic Wars. It was a symbol of liberation before it became a tool of propaganda.
Honestly, the Cross of Iron is one of the most recognizable military awards in existence. It has a stark, geometric beauty that somehow feels both ancient and modern. It wasn't made of gold or silver like the fancy medals of the French or the British. It was made of cast iron. Black, cold, and heavy. That was the point. King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia wanted something that reflected the "Iron Age" of struggle against Napoleon. No glitz. Just grit.
Where the Cross of Iron Actually Came From
The story starts in 1813. Prussia was trying to kick Napoleon out of German lands. This wasn't just a professional army thing; it was a "people's war." Before this, medals were usually for officers—the nobility. The Cross of Iron changed the game. It was the first award in the region that could be given to any soldier, regardless of their social class or rank. If you were a private and you did something incredibly brave, you got the same medal as a General. That was revolutionary for the time.
The design was handled by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. He was a legendary architect. He took the shape from the cross of the Teutonic Knights, a medieval order. It was meant to look German, look stoic, and look tough. You’ve probably seen the 1813 date stamped on the bottom arm of the original versions. That date is the "birth" of the award. Every time a new war started, the Prussian (and later German) leaders would "re-authorize" it. That's why you see different dates on them: 1813, 1870, 1914, and 1939.
It wasn't a permanent medal. It was a wartime commission. When the war ended, they stopped handing them out. This gave the Cross of Iron a certain prestige. You couldn't just get one for showing up during peacetime. You had to be in the thick of it.
The Evolution into the World Wars
By the time World War I rolled around in 1914, the Cross of Iron was basically a legend. It was the ultimate mark of a German soldier. Over five million Second Class crosses were handed out during the Great War. That sounds like a lot. It is. But it shows how industrialized and brutal that war was. It was a meat grinder.
📖 Related: Why Fox Has a Problem: The Identity Crisis at the Top of Cable News
Then things got complicated.
When the Nazis took power, they didn't invent the Cross of Iron, but they certainly hijacked it. They added the swastika to the center for the 1939 version. This is the version most people see in movies or museums. Because of this, the medal is now forever linked to the atrocities of the Third Reich. It’s a weird paradox. You have a medal that represents individual bravery—the guy who crawls through the mud to save his buddy—but it's also the official symbol of a regime that committed unspeakable crimes.
There's a reason you don't see German soldiers wearing the swastika version today. In 1957, the West German government realized they had a problem. Thousands of veterans were proud of their service but couldn't wear their medals because of the Nazi symbols. The solution? The "1957 Version." They re-issued the medals without the swastika, replacing it with an oak leaf cluster (the 1813 symbol). It was a way to de-Nazify the bravery of the individual soldier.
What People Get Wrong About the Grades
People get confused about the "Classes." It’s not a 1-2-3-4 ranking system like most people think.
- Iron Cross 2nd Class (EKII): This was the entry level. You wore the ribbon in your second buttonhole. You didn't actually wear the metal cross every day. Just the ribbon. The medal itself was only worn on full-dress uniforms.
- Iron Cross 1st Class (EKI): This was a big deal. You had to have the 2nd Class first. It was a pin-back medal worn on the left breast. If you see a photo of a soldier with a cross pinned directly to his tunic, that's the 1st Class.
- Knight's Cross (Ritterkreuz): This is the one collectors obsess over. It was worn around the neck. It was much rarer.
There were even higher grades, like the Knight’s Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. Only 27 people ever got the Diamonds version. It was the "hall of fame" level of military recognition. Hans-Ulrich Rudel, a Stuka pilot, actually got an even higher one: the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. He was the only one.
👉 See also: The CIA Stars on the Wall: What the Memorial Really Represents
The Cultural Afterlife and the Biker Scene
So, how did a Prussian military medal end up on the back of leather jackets in California?
After World War II, American GIs brought these medals back as trophies. They were everywhere. In the 1950s and 60s, the burgeoning outlaw biker culture started using the Cross of Iron as a symbol of rebellion. It wasn't necessarily because they were Nazis. For many, it was a "shock factor" thing. It was a way to flip the bird to polite society.
Surfers used it too. Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, the guy who created Rat Fink, popularized the "Surfer's Cross." It looked almost exactly like the Cross of Iron. It became a piece of 1960s kitsch. Eventually, the symbol drifted into heavy metal and punk rock. Think of Motörhead. Lemmy Kilmister famously wore one. He was a huge collector of WWII memorabilia, but he always maintained he wasn't a Nazi—he just liked the aesthetic.
The Moral Weight of Collecting
Collecting these things is a controversial hobby. Some people do it for the history. Others find it distasteful. If you go to a militaria show, you'll see them under glass cases. The prices for a legitimate Knight's Cross can reach the tens of thousands of dollars.
There is a massive market for fakes. Seriously. Since the Cross of Iron is so iconic, people have been forging them since the 1940s. A "real" one usually has a three-piece construction: a frame of silver (or "German silver") and an iron core that is actually magnetic. If the center doesn't stick to a magnet, it’s probably a fake or a late-war "zinc" version.
✨ Don't miss: Passive Resistance Explained: Why It Is Way More Than Just Standing Still
The Modern Bundeswehr and the Symbol Today
Today, the German military—the Bundeswehr—still uses the "Cross Pattée" (the shape of the Cross of Iron) as its official emblem. You’ll see it on their tanks, planes, and helicopters. However, they stopped awarding the medal itself after 1945.
There was a big debate in Germany around 2007-2008. Some people wanted to bring the Cross of Iron back for soldiers serving in Afghanistan. They argued that German soldiers were doing brave things again and deserved a traditional award. The government eventually said no. The historical baggage was just too heavy. Instead, they created the "Cross of Honour for Valour," which looks somewhat similar but is definitely its own thing.
Actionable Insights for History Buffs and Collectors
If you're interested in the Cross of Iron, don't just look at the 1939 versions. Look at the 1870 and 1914 versions to see the evolution of the craftsmanship. The early 19th-century ones are incredibly rare and tell a story of a completely different era of warfare.
- Verify the core. If you’re looking at an original, use a small magnet. The vast majority of authentic crosses have a black-painted iron core.
- Check the "Ring" stamps. Many makers stamped their ID numbers on the small ring that holds the ribbon. These numbers (like "65" for Klein & Quenzer) can help verify authenticity.
- Study the "Frosted" edges. High-quality early-war crosses had a beautiful "frosting" on the silver frames that polished up on the high edges.
- Respect the history. Remember that behind every piece of metal is a person. Whether you agree with the cause they fought for or not, these objects were earned in some of the most intense moments of human history.
The Cross of Iron remains one of those few objects that can pull a person's focus instantly. It’s a design that has survived the fall of empires, the total defeat of a nation, and a complete cultural rebranding. It’s heavy. It’s dark. It’s iron. And it isn't going anywhere.