N030181 ORTSGRUPPE LEVEL, BLOCK LEADER'S ARMBAND. (Kampfbinde)
BACKGROUND: The NSDAP, Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (National Socialist German Worker's Party), was originally founded in Munich as the DAP, Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (German Worker's Party), on January 5TH 1919. When Adolf Hitler joined the DAP in the autumn of 1919 he was to reform what was basically a debating society into an active political party. Appointed as the first chairman of the party on July 29TH 1921 Hitler was to restructure it along para-military lines in a hierarchy of four levels of government consisting of the Reichsleitung, (National Level), the Gauleitung, (Provincial/State Level), the Kreisleitung, (District Level), and the Ortsgruppenleitung, (Local Level). The NSDAP had utilized the basic identifying swastika armbands as early as 1922 to be worn by party members at all rallies or political functions. Shortly afterwards, (circa 1923), Political Leader's began wearing a new pattern armband with additional stripes that indicated functional positions within the party. In 1939 a second pattern of Political Leader's armbands were introduced which denoted administrative or operational functions and level of government. Of Note: In late 1934 items manufactured for the NSDAP, came under the quality control of the RZM, Reichzeugmeisterei, (National Equipment Quartermaster) and as a result were marked with the RZM logo when appropriate. Of Note: The RZM was official founded in June 1934 in Munich by the NSDAP as a Reich Hauptamt, (State Central Office), and was based on the earlier SA Quartermaster's Department. The functions of the RZM were not only to procure and distribute items to Party formations, but also to approve chosen designs and to act as a quality control supervisor to ensure items manufactured for the Party met required specification and were standardized.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Nice quality, second pattern, multi-piece wool and rayon construction Ortsgruppe level, operational armband. Roughly 13cm tall, 53cm long, armband features a heavy red wool base with central, white, ribbed rayon circular field with canted, black rayon tape swastika to center. Both the white circular field and the swastika are bordered in gilt wire threads and swastika has a gilt washed alloy political style rank pip to center. The armband has a central, machine woven, horizontal strip of repeating gilt 10mm flat-wire oak-leaves, with gilt wire piping borders to both top and bottom edges. Top and bottom of armband is bordered in light blue rayon piping with a secondary gilt wire piping. The armband represents an Blockleiter (Block leader) at the Ortsgruppe level.
GRADE ****1/4 PRICE $495.00
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