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Tattoo designs - I >> Iron Cross

Iron Cross Tattoos - This simple yet striking symbol has long been synonymous with old world German courage and triumph. Sometimes mistaken for the Maltese Cross, the Iron Cross is one of the most visually powerful and recognizable military awards of all time.

Normally a military decoration, it was occasionally handed out to civilians for performing military functions. The civilian pilot Hanna Reitsch for instance, was awarded the Iron Cross First Class by Adolf for her bravery as a test pilot, and was one of only two women presented with the Iron Cross First Class during WWII. Awarded only in wartime, it hasn’t been handed out since May of 1945, yet it continues to pay homage to the valor of the old warriors who lived and fought through those crazy times. The cross design (not the decoration) has been the symbol of Germany’s armed forces (the Bundeswehr) since about 1870.

See also Celtic Cross, Southern Cross, Maltese Cross.

Cross Tattoo design ideas at Tattoo Johnny

Tattoo designs - I >> Iron Cross

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