The Coming King of the North

Germany Discusses Return of the Iron Cross

A leader of German military reservists has called for the reintroduction of the Iron Cross, a centuries-old soldier's honor marred by the Nazis. But some say the medal is too burdened by its own past.

AP

Germany's Iron Cross: A symbol of peace or of war?

Back when it was introduced in the 1800s, the Iron Cross was meant to reward soldiers for heroism on the field of battle. It was a medal not much different from the Congressional Medal of Honor awarded to US soldiers. But in World War II, the medal came to symbolize the Nazis and their demonic ambitions -- and after the war, it disappeared.

Now, though, a representative of German soldiers wants to bring back the Iron Cross. At a meeting of an association of German reservists in Berlin on Tuesday, the group's president, Ernst-Reinhard Beck -- also a member of Germany's parliament, the Bundestag -- suggested that the medal be reintroduced for those who show "extraordinary courage or bravery."

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