Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-10
Iron Cross Has
Ancient History
Decoration Which the Kaiser
Awards Supposed to Date Back
to Crusaders Time.

\ Shortly after the outbreak of tbs
pam European war dispatches from
Berlin conveyed the information that
+ Kaiser Wilhelm had revived the Or
! der of the Iron Cross and was deco
| rating certain officers and soldiers
/ who had distinguished themselves on
/ the French frontier with the insignia
J OF the order.
I To many the revival meant moth
ing, for 1t had never existed to their
knowledge. There Is little written
about 1t. Nevertheless 1t is one Of
the oldest military honor legions In
existence.
Although 1t is recorded that on
March 10, 1913, Frederick william Ill.
founded the Order of the Iron Cross,
tho origin of the legion dates back
to the Crusades.
During the Siege of Acre, in 1870.
Barbarossa's army of the crusaders
was at a disadvantage in comparison
with the Tenplars and the Hospital
lers, as English and French army or
ders were called. The latter had well
organized corps for taking care of
the wounded, sick and dead. The
Germans did not. They fought with
out shelter, medicine, and with little
food
10 TtflbNE Tile ElIhhliOl IL COAhP1iiJ
of ship captains, headed by Walpot
Won Bassenheim. citizen of Bremen,
was organized to render such assist
ance as they could to the fighting
Teutons. They used canvas tents
for hospitals and went first under the
name of "Knigths Hospitallers of
Our Dear Lady of Mount Zion" This
cumbersome title was later changed
to the German Order of st Mary"
or "Teutsche Ritter Won der Marie-
Orden," and finally abbreviated to
"Teutsche Ritterthum."
The chivalric order then bound its
members to fidelity and fortitude by
a sacred vow. 1t became powerful
through rich requests until its main
interests were no longer in Palestine,
but in Venice Thither its 1eadquar-
tiers were transferred In A. d. 1910
by Hermann Won der Salza. The ar
der was in great favor with the Pope
at the time.
Sixteen years later the crusaders,
no longer having to prosecute mes
sage In the direction of Palestine,
turned their attention to Prussia.
Prussia was inviting the attention
of the order by reason of the fact
that II was Christian. The
bishop of Prussia was only titular;
ne dared not I'VE IN PRUSSIA. he
lived In Liefiand, among the Bremen
trading settlers
The titular bishop, worrying over
the anti-Christian state Of Prussia,
persuaded the order to go to Prus-
STA and convert the Prussians by
force. The work was carried out, the
two races intermingled and Prussia
became thoroughly Christian.
There WAS also a superior decora-
ton OF double size, called the grand
cross. This was reserved for officers
of high rank who had successfully
carried out a campaign, won de-
cislve battle or conducted a brave
defense.
The sign Of the order as It now
exists Is a cross in the shape of a
cross pattee, much like a Maltese |
cross or plus sign, except that the |
arms of the cross become wider as
they extend further The cross Is ]
made of iron with silver edges and
One side is entirely plain.
The other has on Its upper limb the
initials "F. w." which stand for
Frederick william. Above the In
itials Is the imperial crown. The
centre OF the CROSS bears oak leaves,
the meaning of which seems to be
lost, On the bottom limb is the date
of the founding Of the order, 1873