A couple of Cultural items

[Naval Enigma]

All German married couples were presented with a copy of MK ............. did wonders for Hitler's royalties!

The SS were trying to wean all their members away from Christianity and back to paganism. The Bible was not their favourite book.

I am aware of a number of SS members renouncing their church memberships. I didn't realize or had forgotten that giving an MK to newlyweds was a universal practice. A smart practice -- It's a suitably dull book so as not to interfere with the conjugal duties.

I wonder if the average 08/15 standarte member was interested in or cognizant of the neo-pagan aspects of the SS. For some I'm sure it was the Friars Club with black uniforms, for others it was nothing less than the dawn of a new civilization. I find the redneck, homespun quality to the cultural items interesting.

It reminds me of early American quilts and other folk art. The SS art is typical totalitarian saccharin. It is an expression that cannot synthesize and grow, but merely copy the past.

[Michael Fay]

I am aware of a number of SS members renouncing their church memberships. I didn't realize or had forgotten that giving an MK to newlyweds was a universal practice. A smart practice -- It's a suitably dull book so as not to interfere with the conjugal duties.

I wonder if the average 08/15 standarte member was interested in or cognizant of the neo-pagan aspects of the SS. For some I'm sure it was the Friars Club with black uniforms, for others it was nothing less than the dawn of a new civilization. I find the redneck, homespun quality to the cultural items interesting.

It reminds me of early American quilts and other folk art. The SS art is typical totalitarian saccharin. It is an expression that cannot synthesize and grow, but merely copy the past.

all salient points indeed, and delivered with a most piquant sense of droll humor. To counter-poise "redneck homespun goodness" with the still-born bleached out aspects of "saccharin totalitarian art " is a joy to behold.
I myself consider Himmler's preferances to be on the redneck side-(so to speak), whilst Hitler's architectural visions and the NSDAP official look of art to be the totalitarianist saccharine type.

[Michael Fay]

I am aware of a number of SS members renouncing their church memberships. I didn't realize or had forgotten that giving an MK to newlyweds was a universal practice. A smart practice -- It's a suitably dull book so as not to interfere with the conjugal duties.

By the way, noticing your moniker...I thought you may be interested to know that it wasnt just those swanky black suited silver rune flashing political soldiers who gave up the confessional Church. The Kriegsmarine was also renouncing Christianity, and their Navy Chaplains were kvetching about it.
I once had a correspondence with a history professor who did research on this.

[der-hase-fee]

Andreas,

This is the day-badge which you wanted to share with us here via your link, right?

You are refering to the fact that the used motif, the naked rider armored with sword and shield depicting a swastika on this day badge from 1938 is identical to the used carved motif depicted on one of the SS MK boxes you presented one time.

That rider motif has been used as a decoration made of metal for special MK versions as well as on one SS hero´s chest shown on the website of Kris Lindblom.

But that is not the point here:

I am refering to the common known example of the SS MK box which - for my taste and common sense - has lately surfaced just too often to be entirely good.

Respect, I actually did not expect you to make the connection. My bad.

Also, thanks for clarifying the point you are trying to make. No problem with that either; I misunderstood you declaring any SS MK box as bad.

I don't think that some bogus science is needed for an accessment of the MK boxes:

The MK box with the rider is unique, at least to my knowledge. As you are saying, period use of the motif is known. I am extremely confident that this box is genuine before 1945. Comparing its construction and the workmanship, it is very similar to the SS MK boxes I have / had access to. That's at least good enough for my little world.

[der-hase-fee]

No.

Michael Fay's assessment would be accurate, if he had said "SS MK boxes".

[Thorsten B.]

Your piece with the rider is for sure a very fine original piece of the period, I have no doubt about that.

I have just problems with some of the common wooden SS MK boxes - due to their known status of rarity just too many moved into the market, you know?! ;-)

What I wanted to make clear and presented is the fact that it is NO problem to separate fakes from the real beauties with the described scientific method and so finally with the assessment coming along with such an - in my opinion cheap - independent check of any wooden cultural piece.

[maestro]

SS MK box for Grieving Family

Michael could you kindly comment on your box you posted for grieving family.. i've not see one like it before.. any further information would be appreciated.. i have the other!
~Darius

[Naval Enigma]

By the way, noticing your moniker...I thought you may be interested to know that it wasnt just those swanky black suited silver rune flashing political soldiers who gave up the confessional Church. The Kriegsmarine was also renouncing Christianity, and their Navy Chaplains were kvetching about it.
I once had a correspondence with a history professor who did research on this.

No I wasn't aware of this. I had believed the Kreigsmarine was a bastion of pre-Nazi values and a thorn in the side of the party. I'm sure the Hitler Youth membership of military age men helped "prime" them for their renunciations.

I am sure many a U-Boat crewman reconnected with the Almighty when the depth charges started cracking his hull!

[Robin Lumsden]

I am aware of a number of SS members renouncing their church memberships .............. I wonder if the average 08/15 standarte member was interested in or cognizant of the neo-pagan aspects of the SS ........... SS art is typical totalitarian saccharin ......... an expression that cannot synthesize and grow, but merely copy the past.

I've had to consult the 'Good Book' of Dr. Johnson !!!

Suffice it to say .................. this man was not just the chap who ran controversial camps.

He was the high priest of a new religion.

[Thorsten B.]

And often enough his tummy bothered him

[Robin Lumsden]

Caption competition !!

[Michael Fay]

Michael Fay's assessment would be accurate, if he had said "SS MK boxes".

Yes, MK box=SS MK box ...of which I am comparing to the much larger and utilitarian chest that clothes or family keepsakes could be stored inside as shown in the book "SS=Familie"

As far as I can tell Thorsten is saying no to my assertion that the Family chest of the Ancestors is not always from SS and that civilians also had them.

So I am saying the "MK boxes " of the SS were ALWAYS associated with the SS.
However, the larger folkish carved chests as shown in the "SS Familie book" were never ONLY somthing the SS had, as others also had them, made them, and were old family heirlooms

[Michael Fay]

link for Darius

Michael could you kindly comment on your box you posted for grieving family.. i've not see one like it before.. any further information would be appreciated.. i have the other!
~Darius

Darius,
here is link to my original thread on this box. After awhile the thread becomes a thread on SS MK boxes in general, but
at the very end of the thread is new information pertinant to it.

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...d.php?t=237387

[Thorsten B.]

Michael,

I agree in so far as one picture in the SS-Family book depicts indeed a traditional common chest which is due to it´s outward appearance and construction a piece from around 1770-1820.

Here is the pic I am refering to:

[Thorsten B.]

BUT:

The following and really relevant pic shows the Yule chest made by the DHW and is far away from being just another folkish chest.

It is - in combination with the Julleuchter and a DHW wall tapestry (of which different patterns were available and the depicted example is only one of them) - THE religious and cultural key object of the entire SS.

Nothing more and nothing less.

It´s these pieces that will certainly gather more and more worldwide collector´s attention in general now and in future - not to speak about the development of prices.

In my opinion a complete original SS Yule- and Family corner is at least as interesting and culturally important as for example a complete original DE Standarte.

But there are significant differences:

The surfaced number of De Standarten in comparison to a Yule- and Family chest is 10:1.

Do I need to say more about it??