what does the iron cross mean

A Star of the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross was manufactured in World War II, but never formally instituted or awarded. These recipients were recognized with the award of a clasp featuring a miniaturized 1914 Iron Cross on a metal bar. New York, NY 10158-3650 The eight points on the cross have layers of meaning. The Iron Cross 1st Class was a pin-on medal with no ribbon and was worn centered on a uniform breast pocket, either on dress uniforms or everyday outfit. Consequently, the use of the Iron Cross in a non-racist context has greatly proliferated in the United States, to the point that an Iron Cross in isolation (i.e., without a superimposed swastika or without other accompanying hate symbols) cannot be determined to be a hate symbol. © 2021 Anti-Defamation League. King Frederick William III of Prussia established it on 17 March 1813 during the Napoleonic Wars (EK 1813). The ribbon of the medal (2nd class and Knight's Cross) was different from the earlier Iron Crosses as the color red was used in addition to the traditional black and white (black and white were the colors of Prussia, while black, white, and red were the colors of Nazi Germany). The only known example, based on the World War I version but with the 1939 Iron Cross centerpiece, was found by Allied forces at the end of the war, and it is now in the museum at West Point. In the United States, however, the Iron Cross also became one of several Nazi-era symbols adopted by outlaw bikers, more to signify rebellion or to shock than for any white supremacist ideology. For the 1st Class award, the Spange appears as an eagle with the date "1939". The Grand Cross, distinguished by its silver frame, appeared in a number of forms, though only five were awarded during World War I. Maerz, Dietrich, "Award Numbers of the Iron Cross of 1939", International Medal Collector, Vol.3-No.4 and Vol. Lastly, as a concluding note, one should remember that a tattoo should be made only from a certified professional tattoo artist as that is safe from hygiene point of view. Because of his Muslim faith, he only wore the ribbon, and not the cross. At least one Iron Cross 1st Class recipient was a woman, test pilot Hanna Reitsch. The original Grand Cross presented to Göring (personally by Hitler) was destroyed during an air raid on his Berlin home. One had to possess the 2nd Class already in order to receive the 1st Class (though in some cases both could be awarded simultaneously). It was a progressive award, with the second class having to be earned before the first class and so on for the higher degrees. In 1914, a variety of very crude anti-German propaganda versions of the Iron Cross were created by the Allies, and sold to raise money for the War effort and the relief of Belgian refugees. One was inscribed "FOR KULTUR" in raised letters, another "FOR BRUTALITY" . (Image source: WikiCommons) The Nazi Cross. Tax ID/EIN: 13-1818723 [18] It is likely that Reichsmarschall Göring was the intended eventual recipient. By the early 2000s, this other use of the Iron Cross had spread from bikers to skateboarders and many extreme sports enthusiasts and became part of the logo of several different companies producing equipment and clothing for this audience. The Maltese cross is a cross symbol, consisting of four "V" or arrowhead shaped concave quadrilaterals converging at a central vertex at right angles, two tips pointing outward symmetrically.. Before a soldier could be awarded with the Iron Cross 1st Class, he needed to have been decorated with the Iron Cross 2nd Class. In 1821 Schinkel crowned the top of his design of the National Monument for the Liberation Wars with an Iron Cross, becoming name-giving as Kreuzberg (cross mountain) for the hill it stands on and – 100 years later – for the homonymous quarter adjacent to it.[1]. [4] It was first awarded to Karl August Ferdinand von Borcke on 21 April 1813. In this respect, this type of cross is symbolic of balance, faith, equanimity and protection. He, together with several other Bosnian Muslims, was decorated with the EK. The Iron cross began to be further embraced by bikers and to stand for things like honor, bravery and loyalty. It was designed by neoclassical architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel, based on Friedrich Wilhelm III. The traditional design in black is used on armored vehicles and aircraft, while after German reunification, a new creation in blue and silver was introduced for use in other contexts. [citation needed] It was worn with a 57 mm (2.2 in) wide ribbon bearing the same colors as the Knight's Cross and 2nd Class ribbons. this term is used when making a forceful bowel movement in the handicapped stall in public bathrooms. An Iron Cross was inserted into Peace's laurel wreath, making her into a Goddess of Victory. [16], The Star of the Grand Cross was awarded only twice, both to Field Marshals who already held the Grand Cross: in 1815 to Gebhard von Blücher for his part in the Battle of Waterloo, and in March 1918 to Paul von Hindenburg for his conduct of the 1918 Spring Offensive on the Western Front. Exceptionally rewarding, Oxalis tetraphylla 'Iron Cross' (Good Luck Plant) is a bulbous perennial forming a lush mound of rich green leaves composed of 4 heart-shaped leaflets, each with a dark purplish blotch at its base. [20] On 6 March 2008, President Horst Köhler approved a proposal by Minister of Defense Franz Josef Jung to institute a new award for bravery. The Iron Cross is a famous German military medal dating back to the 19th century. Iron Cross in AZ Dictionary (n) a posture on the bands where the gymnast keeps the rings straight-out on either side of the body. The Iron Cross 2nd Class, and the larger Grand Cross, were suspended from different ribbons: the Grand Cross from a neck ribbon, the 2nd Class from a ribbon on the chest. Another commemorated the raid on Scarborough, Hartlepool and Whitby, showing the names of these "war atrocities" on the arms of the cross. Although not consistently used, and certainly not recognized as their official symbol, evidence of the iron cross used by the Knights showed up in the mid 1100’s. The most accepted German symbol in society today. This heraldic cross took various forms throughout the order's history, including a simple Latin cross, a cross potent, cross fleury, and occasionally also a cross pattée. In XX century, the Iron Cross, which retained its shape as it was created by Carl Friedrich Schinkel, first became a German award (before that it was exclusively a Prussian award), and then acquired a distinctive feature of the Nazi army - the swastika in the center … When in formal dress, the entire cross was worn mounted alone or as part of a medal bar. It is estimated that some four and a half million 2nd Class Iron Crosses were awarded during World War II, and 300,000 of the 1st Class. When the Iron Cross was brought back in 1914, other variants appeared. The Grand Cross was intended for senior generals of the Prussian or (later) the German Army. He was awarded the Iron Cross for service with an ambulance unit in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–71.[14]. Prussia did have other orders and medals which it awarded on the basis of rank, and even though the Iron Cross was intended to be awarded without regard to rank, officers and NCOs were more likely to receive it than junior enlisted soldiers. Emperor Wilhelm II reauthorized the Iron Cross on 5 August 1914, at the start of World War I. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes, often simply Ritterkreuz) recognized military valour or successful leadership. 0 0. Two Jewish officers of the Finnish Army, including Major Leo Skurnik, and one female Lotta Svärd member were awarded Iron Crosses, but they would not accept them. 567 talking about this. The award was backdated to the birthday (10 March) of his late wife, Queen Louise. Iron Cross Symbolic Meanings While the iron cross is no longer used for war, it is used for one thing in particular, bikers. He was the only holder of the World War II Iron Cross Grand Cross, and both the previous recipients of the Star had already received the Grand Cross. Only 883 received the Oak Leaves; 160 both the Oak Leaves and Swords (including Japanese Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto (posthumously)); 27 with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds; and one with the Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds (Oberst Hans-Ulrich Rudel). The Black Cross was used on the naval and combat flags of the German Empire. In such cases, a "1939 Clasp" (Spange) would be worn on the original 1914 Iron Cross. (n) an acrobatic maneuver where in fact the skier stays upright, nevertheless reduced leg bends straight back within leg 90 levels, plus the legs twist 45 levels, so your back of skis form a right-angle mix Get ADL's printable summary of all of the 'Hate on Display' symbols used by white supremacist groups and movements, as well as some other types of hate groups.. Anti-Defamation League [9] The Iron Cross of World War II was divided into three main series of decorations with an intermediate category, the Knight's Cross, instituted between the lowest, the Iron Cross, and the highest, the Grand Cross. The Iron Cross awarded during the second world war was imprinted with 1939 in the center, indicating the year of its reintroduction. Other Western military medals draw a … The iron cross meaning is also associated with the Knights Templar. The Iron Cross is a famous German military medal dating back to the 19th century. When the Quadriga of the Goddess of Peace was retrieved from Paris at Napoleon's fall, it was re-established atop Berlin's Brandenburg Gate. Officers awarded the Iron Cross were given entitlements and often wore signifying articles, such as an Iron Cross signet ring or cloth Iron Cross which could be affixed to clothing. Among the holders of the 1914 Iron Cross 2nd Class and 1st Class was Adolf Hitler, who served as an Austrian citizen in the Bavarian Army with the rank of Gefreiter (lance-corporal), he received these medals for showing bravery on the field of battle. The design is ultimately derivative of the black cross used by the Teutonic Order. The standard 1939 Iron Cross was issued in the following two grades: The Iron Cross was awarded for bravery in battle as well as other military contributions in a battlefield environment. Manley, V.C.". However, it does not have the traditional form of the Iron Cross (instead more closely resembling the Prussian Military Merit Cross), but is seen as a supplement of existing awards of the Bundeswehr. Hitler also created the War Merit Cross as a replacement for the non-combatant version of the Iron Cross. This is much in keeping with the original meaning of the Iron Cross and the other military crosses shown below. The multitude of awards reduced the status and reputation of the decoration. Even in 1813, there were second and first-class Iron Crosses. From the second button in the tunic for the first day after award. Our music is Hard rock and Heavy metal. It is a heraldic cross variant which developed from earlier forms of eight-pointed crosses in the 16th century. In 1956, it was re-introduced as the symbol of the Bundeswehr, the modern German armed forces (with the "ends" of the white border removed, as in the Balkenkreuz of 1918). The Iron Cross is probably the most famous German award. The award was backdated to the birthday (10 March) of his late wife, Queen Louise. The history of the iron cross paints it as a symbol of rebellion. In some cases, Minox miniature cameras were given to people together with an Iron Cross.[19]. The Black Cross (Schwarzes Kreuz) is the emblem used by the Prussian Army and Germany's army from 1871 to the present. The German Iron Cross The German Iron Cross was the primary recognition awarded for valor The German Iron Cross in its various grades was awarded to all ranks of the Wehrmacht, Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine to recognize officers and men for acts of bravery, heroism and leadership. 4-No.s, This page was last edited on 23 February 2021, at 06:41. Two such examples were Hanna Reitsch, who received the Iron Cross 2nd Class and Iron Cross 1st Class, and Melitta Schenk Gräfin von Stauffenberg, who received the Iron Cross, 2nd Class. II personally by Himmler in the days after the mutiny. One of the Muslim SS members to receive the award, SS Obersturmführer Imam Halim Malkoć, was granted the Iron Cross (2nd Class) in October 1943 for his role in suppressing the Villefranche-de-Rouergue mutiny. Göring had extra copies made, one of them with a platinum frame that he was wearing at the time of his surrender to the allies in 1945. The Knight's Cross was divided into five degrees: In total, 7,313 awards of the Knight's Cross were made. After World War II, the medal was discontinued but neo-Nazis and other white supremacists subsequently adopted it as a hate symbol and it has been a commonly-used hate symbol ever since. Bikers, or people who take great pride in riding motorcycles, still use this symbol. After post-war German armed forces began seeing active service, first in Kosovo and then in Afghanistan, a campaign began to revive the Iron Cross and other military medals, since Germany had no awards specifically for active military service. The 1957 law also authorized de-Nazified versions of most other World War II–era decorations (except those specifically associated with Nazi Party organizations, such as SS Long Service medals, or with the expansion of the German Reich, such as the medals for the annexation of Austria, the Sudetenland, and the Memel region). In these instances, the iron cross is … It was designed on the occasion of the German Campaign of 1813, when Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia commissioned the Iron Cross as the first military decoration open to all ranks, including enlisted men. In 1817 a total of 670 chevaliers had received the Iron Cross 1st Class. [2] The award was quite rare, since by this time there were few in service who held the 1870 Iron Cross. Sometimes mistaken for the Maltese Cross , the Iron Cross is one of the most visually powerful and recognizable military awards of all time. Iron Cross definition: the highest decoration for bravery awarded to the German armed forces in wartime :... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples The egalitarian nature of this award contrasted with those of most other German states (and indeed of many other European monarchies), where military decorations were awarded based on the rank of the recipient. iron cross synonyms, iron cross pronunciation, iron cross translation, English dictionary definition of iron cross. What does the eagle symbol mean? The Iron Cross is a cross symbol typically in black with a white or silver outline that originated after 1219 when the Kingdom of Jerusalem granted the Teutonic Order the right to combine the Teutonic Black Cross placed above a silver Cross of Jerusalem. [3] The Iron Cross was awarded to soldiers during the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon. Hitler also had all of the Iron crosses made with a swastika (Nazi symbol) in the middle of them. Since the Iron Cross was issued over several different periods of German history, it was annotated with the year indicating the era in which it was issued. The Knight's Cross replaced the Prussian Pour le Mérite or "Blue Max". The history of the Iron Cross dates back to 1813, when the Prussian King Frederick William III established it for the first time during the war for the liberation of Prussia from the troops of Napoleon. Contact Us: www.adl.org/contact By order of 1 June 1813, the 2nd form was created in cast iron with silver borders, and 8 loops on the reverse, to be fixed to the left uniform breast. When the Iron Cross was reauthorized for World War I in 1914, it was possible for individuals who had previously been awarded one in 1870 to be subsequently granted another. The Iron Cross 2nd Class came with a ribbon and the cross itself was worn in one of two different ways: Note that for everyday wear, only the ribbon itself was worn from the second buttonhole in the tunic. Like the Knight's Cross, the Grand Cross (Großkreuz) was worn suspended from the collar. From this time, the Black Cross was featured on the Prussian war flag alongside the Black Eagle. The sides of the cross were curved, like most original iron crosses. In World War II it was also possible for a holder of the 1914 Iron Cross to be awarded a second or higher grade of the 1939 Iron Cross. The ribbon color for the 1939 EKII was black/white/red/white/black. Antisemitism Uncovered: A Guide to Old Myths in a New Era, Support ADL through a wire transfer donation, Support ADL through your Donor-advised Fund. Care must therefore be used to correctly interpret this symbol in whatever context in which it may be found. Maerz, Dietrich/Stimson, George "The Iron Cross 1. Louise was the first person to receive this decoration (posthumously). More than six decades after its … By the early 2000s, this other use of the Iron Cross had spread from bikers to skateboarders and many extreme sports enthusiasts and became part of the logo of several different clothing companies. All rights reserved. The non-combatant version of this award had the same medal, but the black and white colors on the ribbon were reversed. Iron-cross definitions A cross formed by two bars of equal length, crossing in the middle at right angles and expanding toward the ends, used especially as a symbol for the Prussian and German military. The reverse of the 1870, 1914 and 1939 series of Iron Crosses have the year "1813" appearing on the lower arm, symbolizing the year the award was created. The Iron Cross 1st Class employed a pin or screw posts on the back of the medal, and was worn on the left side of the recipient's uniform, like the original 1813 version. Orders, decorations and medals of Prussia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Iron_Cross&oldid=1008422047, Military awards and decorations of Nazi Germany, Military awards and decorations of Prussia, Articles with dead external links from June 2016, Articles with unsourced statements from April 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from September 2019, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the New International Encyclopedia, Беларуская (тарашкевіца)‎, Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.

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