Original German WWI Veteran National Socialist State Veterans Association Visor Cap – NSRKB Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. 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‘ – RSRKB), 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.

This is a beautiful Schirmmütze (visor cap) with a unique twist to it. The insignia featured just below the Eagle is a WW1 veterans insignia. The insignia consists of an image of the Kyffhauser Monument with the date 1786 above it. Below the monument is the typical black “Iron Cross”. The year 1786 refers to a Warrior Association established in 1786 by fusiliers of Frederick II of Prussia’s army in Wangerin / Pomerania. The original purpose of the war veterans’ associations was to provide their members and former soldiers with proper burial arrangements. Former soldiers felt the need for commemorative tombs that would preserve the dignity of their former comrades-in-arms and honor them even after their death. This type of association received a considerable boost after Prussia’s victorious battles against the Danish (1864), Austrian (1866) and French armies in 1871.

We believe that this WW1 veteran continued his service with the Veterans Association after the change to the NSRKB under NSDAP rule. He was a proud patriot and wanted to ensure other veterans were being taken care of, a man of honor. The type of insignia used was usually given to members with at least 40 years in the organization.

The cap is a size 56 and the original size tag is still present on the inside of the cover. The manufacturer’s label is also still present and somewhat legible.

Kyffhäuser-Mütze
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This lovely example, in wonderful condition, comes ready for display in your Veteran Associations collections!

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.