Original German WWII Early National Socialist State Veteran’s Association EM – NCO 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 cap is a very nice example of an early pattern German WWII NS-RKB EM / NCO Schirmmütze (visor cap), in very good condition. It features charcoal gray wool construction with a black band and a traditional high forward crown. The cap also has matching light gray piping along the top edge and flanking either side of the band, one of several Corps Colors (Waffenfarben) used by the NS-RKB.

It is decorated with an early pattern well detailed silvered brass eagle insignia on the peak and and an open silvered wreath surrounding a tri-color cockade on the band. Later versions of these caps would have the distinctive NS-RKB eagle, but they were not instituted until around 1938. The dual-buckled black leather chinstrap, designating the wearer to be an enlisted man, is attached to black lacquered buttons on either side. The cap has a thick black patent leather visor, unlike most that we can see, and it has the usual finish crazing and checking we see. The brown leather sweatband is in very good supple condition and is unmarked.

The inside of the cap is lined orange lightweight “service cloth” style fabric. The top plastic shield is still completely present, though the paint markings have worn away, which originally said Feinstes Fabrikat (Finest Made), without any maker name or size.

A great example of the classic German WWII EM/NCO Visor cap, as issued to the NSRKB. Ready to display!

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.