Original German WWII Early NSDAP Kreisleitung District Political Leader’s Visor Cap with Black Piping and RZM Tag Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. The NSDAP or 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 AH 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, AH was to restructure it along para-military lines in a hierarchy.

This new NSDAP structure consisted of four ascending levels of government: the Ortsgruppenleitung (Local group leadership), the Kreisleitung (District leadership), the Gauleitung (Regional District leadership), and the Reichsleitung (National leadership). Each group was distinguished by a specific color of piping on the collar tabs and visor cap. From 1936 to 1939 in this scheme, light blue was for the Ortsgruppe level, black for Kreis level, burgundy red for Gau level, and gold yellow for the Reich level. After that the Kreis level changed to white piping after a period of only 13 months.

This is nice example of a rare early pattern German WWII NSDAP Kreisleitung (District leadership) Level Political Leader’s Visor Cap. Very similar to the military issue Schirmmütze (Peaked Cap), these were usually referred to as a Dienstmütze (Service Cap) or Tuchmütze (Cloth Cap). The cap shows high quality fabrication, made from tan “whipcord woven” wool fabric, and a traditional high front. The cap has the typical triple piping around the circumference, black for the district level leader until 1939. The cap band is a lovely dark tan velvet plush material.

It is decorated with a well detailed aluminum spread-wing NSDAP Reichsadler (national eagle) insignia on the front, with a metal tri-color cockade on the velvet band with a red enamel background. Surrounding this is a large aluminum oak leaf wreath. The cockade has a small swas (hook cross) in the middle, only seen on these party leadership caps. All are in very good condition, and they interestingly look to possibly have always been a silver color, as we cannot see any signs of the gold wash we usually see on these.

It has a wonderful gold bullion cord “chinstrap”, attached to the cap by gold-washed pebbled aluminum buttons, indicating that this cap is for an Officer / Leader.The visor / peak on this cap is dark brown finished “vulcanfibre”, the standard material for NCOs and Officers alike, with a checkered light brown underside. The top has a lovely pattern of fine checking and crazing, only possible due to the great age of this cap.

The cap is lined with cream colored rayon fabric, which shows light staining, and the diamond shaped celluloid sweat shield at the top is mostly intact. There looks to have been a maker mark underneath, which is now illegible. The sweatband is real leather with a brown finish, and it is still quite supple, with only a bit of staining from use.

Under the sweat shield there is an intact ((RZM)) label, which identifies this as a TUCHMÜTZE, and gives the Hersteller (Supplier) number 20 with issue number 486989.

The cap is in very good condition overall, with just a few moth nips to the exterior piping, with a lovely condition velvet band and wool body. There is some light staining and wear on the outside, as expected for a cap that saw use in service over 80 years ago.

These caps are very rare, and this is the first example that we have been able to locate in a while. In fine condition, this cap is ready to display!