This is a Waffen-SS cotton armband, introduced in 1941, & worn by civilian & auxiliary personnel serving the Waffen-SS during WW2. The Armband would distinguish them from military personnel & worn on the upper left sleeve.
Note: This piece is a replica of the original; it does not appear to have all the appropriate period manufacturing nor materials.
Description:
Made usually of white cotton or rayon w/black printed text. In otherwise good condition.
The Armband reads:
Im Dienst
der
Waffen-SS
English translation:
In the Service
Of the
Waffen-SS
Measurements (approximate):
Length: 7 1/2"
Height:: 4 1/2"
History:
The SS (Schutzstaffel) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe during World War 2. It began with a small guard unit known as the Saal-Schutz ("Hall Security') made up of NSDAP volunteers to provide security for party meetings in Munich. In 1925, Heinrich Himmler joined the unit, which had by then been reformed and given its final name. Under his direction (1929-45) it grew from a small paramilitary formation during the Weimar Republic to one of the most powerful organizations in Nazi Germany. From 1929 until the regime's collapse in 1945, the SS was the foremost agency of security, surveillance, and terror within Germany and German-occupied Europe. The two main constituent groups were the Allgemeine SS (General SS) and Waffen-SS (Armed SS). The Allgemeine SS was responsible for enforcing the racial policy of Nazi Germany and general policing, whereas the Waffen-SS consisted of combat units within Nazi Germany's military. A third component of the SS, the SS-Totenkopfverbände (SS-TV), ran the concentration camps and extermination camps. Additional subdivisions of the SS included the Gestapo and the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) organizations. They were tasked with the detection of actual or potential enemies of the Nazi state, the neutralization of any opposition, policing the German people for their commitment to Nazi ideology, and providing domestic and foreign intelligence.
—————————————————————
WW2 (Nazi Germany) - Replica
Waffen-SS Armband
$25.00 (Firm)
Introduced in 1941; worn by civilian/auxiliary
personnel serving the Waffen-SS. Distinguished
them from military. Worn on the upper left sleeve.
—————————————————————
