The (Secretly) Policeman's Other Ball

[Guest Rick Research]

This theatrically-lit self-caricaturing Classic Nazi:

vulpine predator's gaze, buzz-cut hair, monocle, festooned with awards in white tie and tails, Top Of The World "attitude,"

despite his "youthful" NSDAP functionary's lapel eagle, is actually a generation OLDER.

Hauptmann der Landwehr Paul Hartlaub had been an infantry Leutnant in the regular army at the turn of the century before inexplicably going into dL status.

This portrait was taken for Christmas 1938

I've had it from The Evil Ricky Collection for YEARS now, and it was only this cold wet afternoon that I thought maybe the Steglitz photographer might be a clue for some detail beyond the date he won his HOH3X in 1918...

[Guest Rick Research]

DOH!!!!

Berlin city directories online show him as Polizei-Major aD by 1925

1933--

right through to the Final Issue of 1943--

though no mention of what office he held in the Nazi party hierarchy.

[Guest Rick Research]

His HOH3X in 2nd place was gazetted in the Milit?rwochenblatt on 13 July 1918

His Hamburg Hanseatic Cross (3rd place) data remains locked on an antiquated format CD.

His Bremen Hanseatic Cross (4th place) data was lost by criminal negligence of U.S. Customs Philadelphia office last year when the Rolls were slashed open and thrown away there.

Sigh.

Note that he is wearing BOTH classes of 1921 Silesian Eagles "mit Schwertern" even though those were banned after 1933.

From other editions of thye Berlin directories, it is clear that his mother, widow Emmy n?e Schwenke Hartlaub, and an unmarried sister (I wonder if she looked like him? ) lived at the same addresses over more than 20 years.

Hartlaub appears to be a Bremen family name, perhaps explaining that connection.

But we'll never know where he was All Dressed Up for, Christmas of 1938, age about 61 and gazing cooly into the rosy future of the 1,000 Year Reich.

[Guest Rick Research]

The districts and Polizei-Bezirke of Weimar Berlin, ? from Hsi-huey Liang's 1970 "The Berlin Police Force in the Weuimar Republic," University of California Press, Berkeley:

[TerryG]

Great photo and very interesting info! Thanks.

[Glenn J]

Rick,

Paul Hartlaub's service in Infanterie-Regiment 21.

He was promoted to Oberleutnant d.L. on 12.10.14 serving in R.I.R 6. He was still with this regiment when promoted to Hauptmann d.L (shown below) on 8.1.16.

Regards

Glenn

[Guest Rick Research]

Thanks Glenn! He was 2 years YOUNGER than I would have expected from his initial commission date.

He must have gone over to Berlin police service on leaving the army-- having NO documentation for any similar career, I never suspected such a thing. Don't know, but will now check the Prussian Court & States and see if he was a "national" or a "city" employee-- or if, indeed, civil police were listed at all.