The Iron Cross
Preserved but no longer current.
A Prussian military decora- tion (an iron Maltese cross, edged with silver). It was instituted by Frederick William III in 1813 during the straggle against Napoleon, and was remodelled by William I in 1870, with three grades, in civil and military divisions. In World War I some 3,000,000 Iron Crosses were awarded; there are no figures for World War II.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “The Iron Cross” mean?
A Prussian military decora- tion (an iron Maltese cross, edged with silver). It was instituted by Frederick William III in 1813 during the straggle against Napoleon, and was remodelled by William I in 1870, with three grades, in civil and military divisions. In World War I some 3,000,000 Iron Crosses were awarded; there are no figures for World War II.
Is “The Iron Cross” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.