Original German Pre WWII DRKB Kyffhäuser Veterans Association Officers Visor Cap with Soldatenbund Eagle – size 53 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. The Soldatenbund (Registered Soldier’s League) was an early Veteran’s association founded in 1936, which proved to be very short lived. Two years later in 1938 it was merged with the DRKB Kyffhäuserbund as part of the NSDAP-ification of that organization, forming the National Socialist Veteran’s Association, which would be the only approved veteran’s organization until the fall of the NSDAP in 1945.

This cap is a very nice example of an early pattern German Pre-WWII Deutscher Reichskreigerbund Kyffhäuser (DRKB Kyffhäuser) Veteran’s Association Officer’s Schirmmütze (visor cap), which has the specific cap eagle of the Soldatenbund on the front of the crown. We not not sure exactly why this is there, but it definitely looks to be original, possibly signifying that the member had been a member of the group before it was merged into the DRKB, which was itself later taken over by the NSDAP and renamed the NS-RKB Kyffhäuser e.V. in 1938. We have seen some other examples which were later “updated” with the “NSDAPified” insignia of the group, but this one has not been. This cap looks to date from probably just before the official renaming took place, and definitely has some great research potential.

This example is in very good condition, showing light use during service. It features dark navy blue construction with a black ribbed rayon band and a traditional high forward crown. Of note is that the cap band is BeVo style machine embroidered, with Swas’s and Kyffhäuserbund shields woven into it, which can be hard to see in the photos. The cap does not appear to have any type Corps Color (Waffenfarbe) piping.

It is decorated with a Silvered aluminum Soldatenbund cap eagle on the peak, which features the Reichsadler National Eagle surmounted by crossed swords and an Iron Cross. The cap band is fitted with an open cast aluminum oak leaf & acorn wreath, surrounding a metal tri color cockade with a felt insert, much like seen on Heer Army visor caps. The bullion chinstrap designates the wearer as an officer, though we unfortunately have not been able to find much about the rank structure during the transitional period. Of note is that the chinstrap has black stripes woven into it.

The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, exhibiting light wear and finish crazing consistent with age, and is black on the underside. It has faux patent leather trim stitched to the edge, which is fully retained. The sweatband in this example is heavy brown oilcloth faux leather, which looks to possibly use wool fibers as a backing. at the rear of the cap is a small size label reading 53.

The inside of the cap is lined with lightweight blue “service cloth” style fabric, which is in very good condition. The top plastic shield is still completely present, and embossed in silver is the complete name of the organization at the time the cap was made, over a shield bearing the image of the Kyffhäuser monument:

Deutſcher
Reichskreigerbund
Kyffhäuſer
(geſ.-geſchützt)

There is also a tag under the right side sweatband, which gives further information regarding the cap:

D.R.K.B. „Kyffhäuser“
Mütze                 
Herstellerfirma Nr: 190

Overall condition of the cap is very good, showing only light wear and o damage from mothing. 

A great example of a Pre WWII German Veteran’s association visor cap. Ready to research and display!

The Kyffhäuserbund (English: Kyffhäuser League) is an umbrella organization for war veterans’ and reservists’ associations in Germany, founded in 1900 to unify the various veteran’s groups in Germany. It owes its name to the Kyffhäuser Monument (German: Kyffhäuserdenkmal), a memorial built on the summit of the 473 m high Kyffhäuser mountain near Bad Frankenhausen, in the state of Thuringia in central Germany. It was not a political affiliated organization, and was open to all German war veterans.

When the National Socialist party came into party however, as with all national organizations, the group was absorbed under the NSDAP umbrella. In the name of Gleichschaltung (Co-Ordination or NSDAPfication), the Kyffhäuserbund was after the NSDAP takeover of power in 1933. Five years later, its name was altered to NS-Reichskriegerbund ‘Kyffhäuser’ e.V. (National Socialist Reich Warriors Association ‘Kyffhäuser‘ – NSRKB), becoming the sole and exclusive organization representing the Veterans´ interests in the Third Reich. The organization would then be disbanded in March of 1943 and its members would be drafted into Volksturm service in 1945, as the fall of WWII Germany approached.

The German Schirmmütze Visor Cap:
The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.