Being such a simple symbol I’m sure the Iron cross existed long before the nazies used it as the American equivalent to the medal of honor…but I’d like to know what else the cross has been used for.
Also, how come I see the Iron cross used as a label for skater’s clothes? Or bikers tattoos? I understand a lot of Hell’s Angels are racist bastards, but it doesn’t seem like that’s their use of the cross.
Welcome to the SDMB, conczepts.
Apparently, the cross comes from the Maltese Cross, from the Knights of St John. The Luftwaffe adopted it as a symbol, and then it became a military medal. Some info here.
On 8 September this year, a protest was held at Centennial High School against rules barring the display of the cross.
Actually the cross was originaly the symbol for the Knights Templar.
Later it was adopted by the German Teutonic Knights (Much to the displeasure of the Templars).
Later it was finally adopted by the Luftwaffe.
Check out “Dungeon, Fire and Sword” by John R Robinson to see just how ‘displeasured’ the Templars were about the whole thing. 
Ice Wolf, you’ve got the order wrong. It was created in 1813 as a Prussian military decoration, and eventually was adopted by the Luftwaffe. It also continued to be used as a military award by Hitler, which is why it can be a neo-Nazi symbol in some contexts.
Here’s a link to the Anti-Defamation League’s info on the Iron Cross as a Neo-Nazi symbol.
Ice Wolf: Thanks for the welcome, I’ve actually been on the SDMB for a while under the username “commie_sho”, but I didn’t want to be mistaken for a communist anymore. 
Thanks for the above corrections.
conczepts, just as an aside – if you just started up another username account, that wasn’t the right way to go about it. The rules say that it’s best to contact the Admins, and ask that your name be changed.
That way, you also get to keep your post count.
Are you talking about the Iron Cross or the Swastika ? SOmehow I got the idea you were thinking about the swastika, but confusing it with the Iron Cross.
AFAIK the swastika is an old North Indian symbol, I suppose the Nazi’s chose to use it because of their supposed Aryan links. I have seen it in non-Nazi use is e.g. in illustrations for Rudyard Kipling’s books about India/Pakistan, like Kim, Tales of the Hills, Jungle Books etc
I know the difference between an Iron cross, a Swastika, swavaustika, manji etc.
A few different cultures came across the swastika/manji independently from what I understand? It makes sense, the first time I saw it, I was struck by the beauty of it…it rivals the “swoosh”! Too bad it’s so taboo.
Previous threads on related topics include:
Not quite taboo. I was taken aback to see “swastikas” all over Korea until I realized they were backward. They are the standard symbol for a Buddhist temple. It turns our historically both the forward and backward swastika has been used to identify temples. However, recent convention seems to be to use the backward representation to limit the link to Nazism.
Actually, the Swastika in South and East Asia has no “correct way” in regards to orientation. I’ve seen it both ways in Indian art, and as well in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese art. One of the walls of an old Chinese and Japanese Antiques shop (now closed) has Chinese window grilles made of ceramic that have the swastika in them.
I’ve noticed that with Indian Swastika, the arms that are run paralell to each of the four inner arms tends to be curved a bit, and some also have four dots among the symbol. I’ve also read the Swastika is second only to the Om in importance in Hindu symbology.
Anyway, the Maltese cross looks like four V shaped arrowheads aligned with their points at the center. A lot of people get that cross and the Iron Cross mixed up.
