Iron Cross, 1 Class, 1813, of Ribbon, First Design.(Archiv Dro Klietmann, Berlin) is made of a change in design of the I Class Iron Cross, which was orig- inally issued as flat cast iron with a silver border and a silver reverse side. It had become a popular custom shortly after the freedom war to wear one’s Iron Cross reversed. That is, with the crown, initials, oak leaves, and date as the face of the medal. To that date the face of all Iron Crosses was officially flat and without inscription. This order of 1838 authorized and directed all owners of the Grand Cross and II Class cross to wear them reversed. Much confusion has resulted from this one point on the 1813 issue.

THE HONOR SENIORS To further recognition of the Iron Cross holders, on the 3rd of Aug- ust, 1841, Frederieh Wilhelm IV signed into effect "The Iron Cross Senior Order." It is proclaimed that 24 holders of the Iron Cross I Class (equally divided between officers and commoners) and 72 of holders of the Iron Cross II Class (also equally divided between officers and commloners) would be declared "Seniors". This "Senior" title carried with it an an- nual stipend of 150 thalers to the Iron Cross I Class Seniors. Likewise, 50 thalers were given per year to the Iron Cross II Class Seniors. Arrangements were also’made for those who would fall into the sen- ior ranks and who were not in real need of the money. They could forfeit their grant of funds and receive the title "Honor Seniors". Of course, someone else would replace then* on the rolls of the "Senior" status. The status of Honor Seniors, or Seniors, was reserved for only those who won their crosses in battle. The selections of the seniors were based upon six periods of the liberation war when the Iron Cross was awarded to the individuals. A seventh group was made up of those who had inherited the combat cross. In 1859, the ranks of the Iron Cross holders had thinned somewhat to: 96 5,530 THE 50th ANNIVERSARY Already in 1857 a fund was set up by Frederich Wilhelm IV for those holders of the Iron Cross with a rank of sergeant or less. This fund was for the wounded, maimed, or sick veteran holders of the Iron Cross. Fur- ther, the King expanded the veterans benefits to include all holders of the Iron Cross First Class and Iron Cross Second Class, both combattant and non-combattants. Again, there was a provision for honor seniors who could forfeit their pay. March 17th, 1863, was designated founding day of the Iron Cross by Frederick Wilhelm IV. Letters went out to all holders of the Iron Cro~s and to many foreign dignitaries. These letters were invitations to a founders national festival at the house of the King. About 1800 Iron Cross holders accepted and were received with the great hospitality of the capital. The celebration included a cornerstone laying on a memorial to Fred- erick Wilhelm III, the founder of the Iron Cross. A festive parade and dinner were held in the castle and the rooms were occupied as never be- fore. Toasts were given and simultaneously in all the rooms of the cas- tle, a greeting by the King was read by the generals. It was suggested that those iron crosses which had been returned upon the death of the owner to the General-0rdens Commission be used to cast a huge Iron Cross to decorate the previously mentioned memorial. By 1868 only 991 of the original Iron Cross holders remained. The cross was the key to unlocking almost any door in Prussia by this time. Almost all high civil service and cabinet jobs were held by Iron Cross recipients. No Iron Crosses were issued in the wars between 1815-1870.

REGIMENTAL FLAG DECORATIONS The regiments which saw combat in the Liberation War had their standards and flag poles decorated with the Iron Cross. Those regiments not Prussian which fought alongside the Prussians in the Freedom War had their standard poles decorated with a black "bow tie" with long stream- ers, which contained Iron Crosses in commemoration of the battles fought.

VLADIMIR G. V0N RYCHTBR WROTE "THE KULM CROSS" "In 1910 the Russian magazine The 01d Coin (No. 9) published a brief resume on a lecture, ’A Sketch on the Development of Medals Commemorating Military Campaigns and Events’ which was delivered by Captain of the Guards E. Kozakevieh in St. Petersburg. Kozakevich, who was considered the contemporary expert in this field, mistakenly maintained that the Badge for the Battle of Kulm was instituted by Russian Emperor Alexander I. However, the German work on decorations and medals by Colonel yon Heyden (Meinningen, 1897) tells us that the Prussian Iron Cross was in- stituted in two classes by King Frederick William III on March 10, 1813, and the Kulm Cross on December 4, 1813. From the Russian point of view there was no difference between these two decorations. "It is beyond doubt that in the beginning the Prussian king awarded the real Iron Cross I class to certain units of the Russian Guards. In the battle of Dresden on the 14th and 15th of August, 1813, Napoleon brought utter defeat to the Allied armies. The latter began a disorderly retreat into Bohemia over the only existing road (one that was barely passable). To pursue the Allies, the French sent only one corps, that of Vandamme. And only because of the exceptional heroism of a detachment of Russian Guard units under the command of Count 0sterman-Tolstoy, who smashed Vanda~ne’s corps, were the Allied armies saved. Victories at Kulm, Katzbach, and Dennewitz had great significance; the morale of the Allies increased while the French spirits dropped. These victories of the Russians led to the ultimate defeat of Napoleon at Leipzig. "The Prussian king, witness to the selfless bravery of the detach- ment of Lt. General 0sterman-Tolstey’s at Kulm, personally rewarded the Guards with the Order of the Iron Cross, the highest Prussian military award of that time.

"In May of 1815, 443 officers’and 11,120 soldiers’ crosses for Kulm were sent from Berlin to St. Petersburg, and in connection with this oc- camion the magazine The Russian Invalid August 27, 1816, published the following: "On the 24th day of this month badges of the Iron Cross were re- ceived here. His Majesty the King of Prussia had royally condescended to assignate these for award to those members of the Guard units who with exceptional courage fought at Kulm on the 17th day of August 1813. "For the occasion of awarding these decorations the commander of the Guards Corps, General of the Infantry Count Mildoradovich, gave the fol- lowing order: "’The Emperor and the Allied Monarchs, together with all Europe, evaluated in full fairness the unmatched courage shown by the Russian Guard units in the famous battle at Kulm on the 17th day of August 1813. But His Majesty the King of Prussia, wishing particularly to make His respect for the singular exploit of these troops, has condescended tO award them the decoration of the Iron Cross... To you, the deserving of- ficers and valiant soldiers 6f the Guards, who fought on the 17th day of August, belong these new badges of distinction! Let them increase the number of those decorations on your chests, which by toil and blood you have earned in battles for saving the Fatherland, for the glory of the Russian name, and for the freedom of Europe!’ "The crosses were given out at a special parade to the surviving 7,131 participants of the victory at Kulm. However, the number of cros- ses which was sent amounted to the actual number of men who were engaged in the battle--nearly 12,000 men. The losses then were more than 50~ killed and wounded. "The Kulm (Iron) Crosses which were bestowed upon the Guards immedi- ately after the battle were made by the Guards themsel .... Such badges were cut from white buckles and smaller crosses cut from leather were then superimposed upon the white metal background. Holes were screwed through the edges for sewing the crosses onto the uniform on the left side (as the Iron Cross I class was worn). The crosses which were sent to St. Petersburg three years later were factory-made; however, they were not made as well as the Iron Crosses given to the Prussian army. Accord- ing to some sources, some crosses had sharp barbs on the inside, for pin- ning them onto the uniform. The officers’ Kulm Crosses were of silver covered with black lacquer and the soldiers’ were of white iron. .... "At the auction of the collection of Colonel yon Heyden in 1898 one each of these crosses, marked "very, very rare", was sold at the high price of 81 and 71 marks respectively. In our times non-counterfeit Kulm Crosses are no longer to be found. An officer’s Kulm cross was in the Hohenzollern Museum in the Men Bijou Castle in Berlin. This castle was destroyed during the air-raids in 1944. Apparently no other such cross had been found in any of the remainin~ German collections. (For this information I am grateful to Dr. K. G. Klietmann of Berlin.) "In Russia the Kulm Cross served as a model for the co~nemorative badges of some Guard units. The series of medallions which were executed by famous sculptor, Count F. Tolstoy, included a medal in commemoration of the victory at Kulm. And in 1835 the Austrian Emperor Ferdinand erect- ed a monument neat Eulm. A special medal was struck to commemorate the consecration of this monument~ The obverse of this medal has an inscrip- tion in Latin which ~m~ans: ’To the courage of the Russian Guards at Kulm, 1813.’ The reverse has another inscription in Latin: ’FERDINANDVS AVSTRIAE IMPERATOR EX DIVI PATRIS FRANCISCI AVG. SENTENTIA EXTRVI IVSSIT MDCCCXXXV’ (Ferdinand Emperor of Austria, according to the plans of his august father, Franz, of good memory ordered to erect this monument, 1835.) ’" BREAKDOWN OF THOSE WHO RECEIVED THE KULM CROSSES OF PRUSSIA BY RANK Generals Staff Officers Officers Non-Commissioned Corporals Men Total Officers 9 44 371 1,168 404 10,070 12,(