Original German Pre-WWII Weimar Republic Ammunition Crate for “Whistle Cartridges” Dated 1926 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. The Weimar Republic, officially named the German Reich, was a historical period of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclaimed itself, as the German Republic (Deutsche Republik). The period’s informal name is derived from the city of Weimar, which hosted the constituent assembly that established its government. In English, the republic was usually simply called “Germany”, with “Weimar Republic” not commonly used until the 1930s.

Following the devastation of the First World War (1914–1918), Germany was exhausted and sued for peace in desperate circumstances. Awareness of imminent defeat sparked a revolution, the abdication of Kaiser Wilhelm II, formal surrender to the Allies, and the proclamation of the Weimar Republic on 9 November 1918.

This ammunition crate is for the most part identical to the WWI design, and could have been used for a variety of different types of cartridges. The labels on the box would indicate what is inside, and this has a faded label stating Pfeifpatronen in German black letter typeface. This translates to “Whistle Cartridges”, a type of flare cartridge designed to make a loud “whistle” sound when fired. Unfortunately the rest of the markings are far too faded for us to be able to identify exactly which type of flare cartridges would have been stored in the crate.

The case is in phenomenal condition for the age, however the leather retaining straps and hinges are quite brittle with one of the hinges being completely torn. The canvas carry straps are still solid and well attached, but still use caution if you decide to lift it by the straps.

A wonderful example of a WWI style Weimar Republic ammunition crate. Comes more than ready for further research and display.

Approximate Measurements: 7 ½” x 15 ½” x 14 ½”