Prussia’s King Frederick William III established the Iron Cross or Eiserne Kreuz on March 10, 1813 to reward soldiers who fought heroically to break the French occupation, also known as the War of Liberation. The unmistakable black and silver cross-shaped medal was designed by the famous architect Karl Friedrich Schinkel. More @Wikipedia
Hover over any link to get a description of the article. Please note that search keywords are sometimes hidden within the full article and don't appear in the description or title.