Original German WWII Early NSDAP Ortsgruppe Local Group Level Political Leader’s Visor Cap with 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.

This is very nice early pattern example of a rare German WWII NSDAP Ortsgruppe (Local Group) Level Political Leader’s Visor Cap in an approximate size of 56. 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” cotton fabric, and a traditional high front. The cap has the typical triple piping around the circumference, the light blue for the Ortsgruppe level leader. The cap band is a lovely dark tan velvet plush material.

As this is an early pattern cap, the insignia and appointments are a bit different than later issued caps. It is decorated with a well detailed silvered spread-wing NSDAP Reichsadler (national eagle) insignia on the front, and there is not any oak leaf wreath on the front. It does have the metal NSDAP tri-color cockade on the velvet band, which has a small swas (hook cross) in the middle and a red translucent enamel surround, only seen on these party leadership caps. The eagle and the cockade are in good condition, showing some minor plating loss and oxidation.

It has a wonderful silver bullion cord “chinstrap”, attached to the cap by 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 brown cross hatched underside.

The cap is lined with cream colored rayon fabric, with a fully intact diamond celluloid sweat shield. There is no size marking on the interior, but there is an intact ((RZM)) label under the sweatband, which identifies this as a Tuchmütze, and gives the Hersteller (Supplier) number 27 with issue number 072367, a very low lot number for this supplier. The sweatband itself is made from natural finished leather, which is still in very good condition, though it is a bit dried out and does have a tear on the left hand side.

The cap is in very good exterior condition overall, with some light scattered staining on the top of the crown. The interior does show some staining towards the rear on the cream colored lining. There is just a bit of light wear on the exterior, with mothing we can see on the piping or the body. The velvet band is in very good condition are are the insignia. These caps are very rare, and this is the first example that we have been able to locate in some time. In fine condition, this cap is ready to display!