First half 20th C, USA, Wrought Iron Cross from a German Immigrant Cemetery

This iron cross belonged to German immigrants from Russia and dates backs to the first half of the 20th century. The Cross consists of a base decorated with flora and a plaque with an inscription mentioning the deceased. The inscription reads “Hier ruht Kristof He... uitg. Schneider in Orlling geb 5 October 1864 gestorben 10 August 1916”. On top of the note a Rosas and Jesus on the Cross. The Iron cross was a religious symbol, and although some German protestants used it, it was mostly the Catholics that honored their loved ones with this symbol. The heydays for the Iron crosses were between 1870 and 1930. The deceased who received such crosses were descended from families who originally lived in Germany. Catherine the Great required good farmers, so she lured German farmers to her country, offering them free land. After decades of working on Russian ground, the former Germans got dissatisfied with their lives, and many of them ended up immigrating to North America, where these types of crosses can be found.