Hello, historians. I realize this is a very specific question but I hope you can give me some light on the matter. I'm a literature student, more specifically a student of German literature. For a college paper I'm to analyse a Kurzgeschichte, a type of short story very predominant in the post ww2 time. I chose "Das Eiserne Kreuz" (the iron cross) by Heiner Müller. It's an interesting story if you feel like a short read. Case and point, I was wondering something about the positioning in which the iron cross was worn. In the story, the man, who fought in ww1, wears an iron cross in his lapel ("only on special occasions", the story says). Being a literature student, I of course try to find symbolism wherever it could be hidden, and I was wondering if there was any type of specific symbolism to this particular place as far as wearing the iron cross goes. Also, I know the symbolism of the iron cross itself as bravery and courage, but is there anything else? Thanks!
When speaking about orders, its placement, unless specifically pointed to be highly unusual is rarely symbolic, as the rules are mandated by military regulations of civilian protocol, depending on type of the decoration we're speaking about. Here, we are speaking about Eisernes Kreuz (Iron Cross) issued during the Great War (EK 1914). This military decoration had three classes: Iron Cross 2nd Class (EK II), Iron Cross 1st class (EK I) and Grand Cross of the Iron Cross (GK). The 2st class medal (lowest in precedence) was worn on the ribbon, on the left side chest, although in practice, it was worn only as the ribbon attached to a second button, placing it in the middle of the chest (the actual medal was kept with personal items or sent home). The 1st class medal had a form of a lapel pin, and was also worn attached to the left side of the chest. The Grand Cross was worn on the ribbon around one's neck. The main character of the story wore the medal with his civilian clothes, and the left lapel (although my German is rather rusty and I'm not sure whether 'Rockaufschlag' is the same thing as 'Revers') roughly corresponds to the place where the cross would have been placed on the military uniform (although I admit that I do not know for sure if wearing military decoration in this manner was correct protocol in the Third Reich). I wouldn't say that the short mention of the order could be interpreted as anything else than the wish to express pride and remind the old glory days (possibly in opposition to a dire situation the main character find himself in). In my opinion, stating anything else would be over-interpretation.
It should be noted that EK II 1914 had two variants, one for combatants and the other for non-combatants (EK fur Nichtkämpfer . The medals were identical, with the only difference being the ribbon. In case of combatant decoration, it was black with two white side stripes, in the non-combatant version the colours were reversed. The latter could have been issued for significant contribution to the war effort, usually in military administration or medical services. EK II and EK I for combatants were issued for the exceptional bravery on the battlefield, usually meaning going above and beyond call of duty, usually while risking one's life. In this it resembles the British George Cross, American Silver Star or Russian St. George Medal. Unlike service decorations, Iron Cross was usually issued shortly after the action warranting it, usually withing two days, circumstances allowing. In case of NCOs and officers, they could have also been issued for exceptional tactical and strategic decisions.
The medal was very popular, although even approximate number of the orders actually issued is hard to estimate, as large part of the German military archives has been destroyed during Second World War. It is generally assumed that the Iron Cross 2nd class has been issued between 1.5 and 5 million times, with the Iron Cross 1st being issued between 80.000 and 290.000 times. Unlike these two classes, Grand Cross was extremely rare, as it has been issued only 5 times to the highest-ranking commanders (Emperor Wilhelm II, General Field Marshalls von Hindenburg, von Mackensen, and Ludendorf and Prince Leopold of Bavaria (who also held the aforementioned rank). It is sometimes said that the EK I was issued only to officers and aristocrats, but this is not true, as there were recipients of this decorations among common soldiers and NCOs, with the most (in)famous being Rudolf Höss, commandant of the Auschwitz Death Camp during the Second World War.
On an interesting note, not related to the story, as the protocol forbid awarding the Iron Cross of the same class twice, Second World War recipients of the EK who have already been awarded with the corresponding class during the Great War, were being presented with a special badge (Spange 1939) in the form of the German Eagle holding a swastika in a round laurel wreath and a band stating '1939'. This has been worn either on the order ribbon (EK II) or on the chest, above the order itself (EK I).