Original German WWII Early NSDAP Kreisleitung District Political Leader’s Visor Cap with Black Piping 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 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 material.

It is decorated with a well detailed early pattern cast metal gilt spread-wing NSDAP Reichsadler (national eagle) insignia on the front, with a metal tri-color cockade on the velvet band. The cockade has a small swas (hook cross) in the middle, only seen on these party leadership caps. There also is no wreath around the cockade on caps from this era. All are in very good condition, with their plating partly retained.

It has a wonderful bullion cord “chinstrap”, attached to the cap by silver-washed pebbled aluminum buttons, indicating that this cap is for an Officer / Leader. The visor / peak on this cap is brown-finished leather, which now has a fantastic pattern of checking on the top, where the finish is thicker. The underside shows a lot less checking.

The cap is lined with striped yellow cream colored rayon fabric, which shows light staining, and the diamond shaped celluloid sweat shield at the top is most missing. There looks to have been a maker mark underneath, which is now illegible. The sweatband is real leather with a natural finish, and is still quite supple, showing light staining from use. There is unfortunately no RZM label under the sweatband, but we can see a marking where it used to be.

The cap is in very good condition overall, with just a few moth nips to the exterior piping, with a great condition velvet band and wool body. There is some light staining 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!