Kreis level armband

[Hauptmann]

Hi all,

I believe what I have here is a Kreis level armband... but not positive as to the exact rank level within that group.

In my opinion it's about as mint as they come and complete with the RZM tag. No moth nips, no damage... nothing. Picked it up in an antique store over twenty years ago (yes, that magic number again ) for $45 if I remember correctly. No earthly idea what they would run now. It's one of only two armbands I still have from a slightly larger collection of armbands, pennants and such I used to have.

[attachmentid=50826]

[attachmentid=50827]

[Hauptmann]

[attachmentid=50828]

[attachmentid=50829]

[Hauptmann]

And some shots of my other armbands, pennants and such:

[attachmentid=50831]

[attachmentid=50832]

[attachmentid=50833]

There's a few of those that I sure wish I'd held onto. But we can't keep it all. Wish we could.

Dan

[Avitas]

Wow! Nice array of pennants and such Dan It really does look good to get a bunch of pieces together for a group family shot, instead of individual portraits all the time. As for the Kreis, I really am no expert but it looks well made and to be in really good shape. The white on the swastika is exceptionally white, which would be my only concern, but it could be in just really great condition. Hopefully an expert can help out a little more, but nice collection! (I especially like the RLB armband, very nice!)

Cheers,

Pat

[Laurence Strong]

Hi Hauptmann

The light blue piping around the edge would indicate the "Ortsgruppe" level, and my english copy of the "ORGANISATIONBUCH DER NSDAP" says that a plain armband with the colored piping was issued to Political Leader Candidates

Ortsgruppenleitung:

Each Kreis was again sub-divided into several Ortsgruppen (local groups) each led by an Ortsgruppenleiter and his staff, each controlling several Zellen (cells), each of which in turn controled several Blocks. The Blocklieter was thus responsible for 40 to 60 households, and kept an index (Haushaltskarten) about them all, assesing their attitudes to the Party and the state. Regular reports were sent to the Blockand so on thru the structure. Thus any unrest was dealt with at source and the NSDAP wielded absolute control throuhout the State.

IIRC the Kreis level would have white piping.

Here's an armband for an Ortsgruppenleiter

[Hauptmann]

Hi Hauptmann

The light blue piping around the edge would indicate the "Ortsgruppe" level, and my english copy of the "ORGANISATIONBUCH DER NSDAP" says that a plain armband with the colored piping was issued to Political Leader Candidates

Ortsgruppenleitung:

Each Kreis was again sub-divided into several Ortsgruppen (local groups) each led by an Ortsgruppenleiter and his staff, each controlling several Zellen (cells), each of which in turn controled several Blocks. The Blocklieter was thus responsible for 40 to 60 households, and kept an index (Haushaltskarten) about them all, assesing their attitudes to the Party and the state. Regular reports were sent to the Blockand so on thru the structure. Thus any unrest was dealt with at source and the NSDAP wielded absolute control throuhout the State.

IIRC the Kreis level would have white piping.

Here's an armband for an Ortsgruppenleiter

Hi Laurence,

Many thanks for nailing it down. My poor befuddled brain got it wrong. I knew I should have looked it back up in my refs but thought I'd remembered correctly.

Bad brain! Bad!!!!

Really appreciate the info.

Thanks,

Dan

[Hauptmann]

Wow! Nice array of pennants and such Dan It really does look good to get a bunch of pieces together for a group family shot, instead of individual portraits all the time. As for the Kreis, I really am no expert but it looks well made and to be in really good shape. The white on the swastika is exceptionally white, which would be my only concern, but it could be in just really great condition. Hopefully an expert can help out a little more, but nice collection! (I especially like the RLB armband, very nice!)

Cheers,

Pat

Hi Pat,

Many thanks! The first of the group shots was what I had up until a few years before we moved from North Florida. Only kept the HJ and the Orts. The second two... these were actually a set of photos from a box. It's the one I mentioned in my post on my cased WWII IC 1st. There's another photo that I haven't posted that had the 50 year Faithful Service medal. Sadly it's so small in the pic you can't see any detail. But the guy who had the box had all that stuff and more in it. He didn't want folks rummaging through it so he did the pics to show what was in there. Had a couple of fellow collectors with me, one of which was the one who knew a ton compared to me... the one who ended up with the 50 when all was said and done.

So right off the bat we split up the box and I got nearly all of my investment back. Then over time much of the rest of it was sold or traded.

I do wish I'd kept the black and white pennent with the eagle. I really liked that one alot and should never have let it go. No idea what it was for but I suspect something to do with the Polizei... perhaps Weimar. Knowing my luck something really rare and worth a ton now.

On the white on the Orts... when you see it in person it's just a "tiny" bit into off white with age. You have to remember that everyones color and monitor settings are set just a bit different. What one person sees is not what another does. Plus, the scanner or camera affects things as well.

I also did a bit of color correction before posting it. When it first scanned the deeper red was showing as rather washed out. I compared the band with the pic in front of me and adjusted it as best I could to get it right. But when I do this it's basically fooling with the white and black spectrums leaving the middle ground alone. And it ended up making the whites just a bit whiter than they are.

But it has aged exceptionally well. I can't remember how the shop owner had it but believe it was in a riker or something to keep it protected. I have it framed but in a stack of framed stuff and rikers and out of the light. I only take it out when I want to show it to someone. So that helps to keep the colors looking nice, etc.

I just can't say enough about it. I've handled quite a lot of them, both in what I had and in others I've seen and handled. The contruction on this is... well, fit for a political leader in such an organization who would have wanted the best if he could afford it. And luckily it was well stored and cared for to make it this far looking as nice as I think it does. I wish they all could look like this.

Hopefully on some not too distant day you'll be able to visit and see it in person. I think you'll like it even more.

Dan

[Bob Coleman]

Nice original piece. No doubt as to its authenticity.

[Hauptmann]

Nice original piece. No doubt as to its authenticity.

Hi Bob,

Many thanks! I never doubted it for a second but never hurts to have it reinforced... especially these days.

Dan