Original German Pre-WWII NSBO National Socialist Factory Cell Organization Flag Pole Finial Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice WWII German National Socialist Factory Cell Organization (Nationalsozialistische Betriebszellenorganisation – NSBO) Aluminum and stainless steel Flag Pole Finial or Topper (Fahnenstange Endstück).

The NSBO logo is a hand holding a rectangular headed hammer, which has a Swas (Swas) in the middle. This is joined to a large gear or wheel with NSBO marked on it. The letters as well as the hammer head are highlighted with black paint. The side of the hammer is maker marked ARENDT / SULZBACH OP. / ges gesch., indicating that it was a trademarked design of that company.

The finial is made of a cast aluminum emblem, attached with a cross pin rivet to a sturdy stainless steel pole socket. It measures 10 1/4 inches tall, and is 5 3/4 inches across at the widest point. There is some slight oxidation and wear, but it has a great aged aluminum patina. There are also some numbers scratched into the pole socket, but we do not know what these mean. These Flag Pole Finials are extremely hard to find, as most were destroyed or melted back down as scrap. This is one in very nice condition, ready to add to any collection!

The RBA, “Reichsbetriebszellenabteilung” (National-factory-cells-department), was founded in January of 1931 and was renamed the NSBO, “Nationalsozialische Betriebszellen Organization” (National-socialist Industrial-cells Organization), in March of that year. This organization acted as the NSDAP’s alternative to labor unions and communist worker groups in industrial factories. Officially a national organization, the NSBO was concentrated in the heavy industrial centers, with very little representation outside these areas. After all non-NSDAP trade unions were outlawed by decree on 2 May 1933, the NSBO became the only official workers’ organization in Germany.

This moment of glory, however, was short, for the German Labour Front (DAF) was established a few days later. More organized and better represented at national level, the DAF ended up absorbing the NSBO in 1934, and in March 1935 it ceased to exist.