German Iron Cross 2nd Class Ribbon. No medal attached. This ribbonl was found in a black case with these other medals: German Wehrmacht Long Service Medal (25 years); German Kaiser Wilhelm I Memorial Medal, 1897; German Honour Cross of the World War, 1914 - 1918 and the German Wehrmacht Long Service Medal (12 years). The Iron Cross (German: Eisernes Kreuz) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, and later in the German Empire (1871–1918) and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The Iron Cross was normally a military decoration only, though there were instances of it being awarded to civilians for performing military functions. The standard 1939 Iron Cross was issued in the following two grades: Iron Cross 2nd Class (Eisernes Kreuz 2. Klasse - abbreviated as EK II or E.K.II.) Iron Cross 1st Class (Eisernes Kreuz 1. Klasse - abbreviated as EK I or E.K.I.) The Iron Cross was awarded for bravery in battle as well as other military contributions in a battlefield environment. The Iron Cross 2nd Class came with a ribbon and the cross itself was worn in one of two different ways: From the second button in the tunic for the first day after award. When in formal dress, the entire cross was worn mounted alone or as part of a medal bar. Note that for everyday wear, only the ribbon itself was worn from the second buttonhole in the tunic. The Iron Cross 1st Class was a pin-on medal with no ribbon and was worn centered on a uniform breast pocket, either on dress uniforms or everyday outfit. It was a progressive award, with the second class having to be earned before the first class and so on for the higher degrees.