The Iron Cross was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, and Nazi Germany. The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the insignia
Black Cross of the Teutonic Order (Leechkirche [de], Graz)
Collection of Iron Cross decorations throughout German military history
Various versions from 1813 to 1870
King Frederick William III of Prussia, creator of the award
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, or simply the Knight's Cross, and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. It was lower
Iron Cross
…Eisernen Kreuzes) of 1 September 1939. The Iron Cross of World War II was divided into three main series of decorations: the Iron Cross (the lowest), the Knight's Cross (intermediate), and the Grand Cross (the highest). The Knight's Cross replaced the Prussian Pour le Mérite or "Blue Max". Hitler did not care for the…