page_title: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
section_title: Post-war
hierarchical_section_title: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross / Post-war
caption_attribution_description: Deutsch: Ritterkreuz des Eisernen Kreuzes mit Eichenlaub und Schwertern (Replik 1957). English: Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords (replica 1957). Русский: Рыцарский крест Железного креста с Дубовыми листьями и Мечами (peпликa 1957г.).
context_page_description: 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.
  The Knight's Cross was awarded for a wide range of reasons and across all ranks, from a senior commander for skilled leadership of his troops in battle to a low-ranking soldier for a single act of military valour. Presentations were made to members of the three military branches of the Wehrmacht: the Heer, the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe, as well as the Waffen-SS, the Reichsarbeitsdienst and the Volkssturm, along with personnel from other Axis powers.
  The award was instituted on 1 September 1939, at the onset of the German invasion of Poland. A higher grade, the Oak Leaves to the Knight's Cross, was instituted in 1940. In 1941, two higher grades of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves were instituted: the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords and the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. At the end of 1944 the final grade, the Knight's Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds, was created. Over 7,000 awards were made during the course of the war.
context_section_description: The German Law about Titles, Orders and Honorary Signs (German language: Gesetz über Titel, Orden und Ehrenzeichen) regulates the wearing of the Knight's Cross in post World War II Germany. German law prohibits wearing a swastika, so on 26 July 1957 the West German government authorized replacement Knight's Crosses with an Oak Leaf Cluster in place of the swastika, similar to the Iron Cross of 1914, and the denazified Iron Cross of 1957, which could be worn by World War II recipients.
caption: 1957 Knight's Cross
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