A couple of Cultural items

[Steve T]

Steve,

lovely SS cultural pieces!

I really wonder how one can detect the bigger one as being fake or not.

I have no idea if different sizes from different materials of the 1936 Quedlinburg event were made.

Maybe other collectors know more?!

Thanks Thorsten

About the possibility of the silver ones being real, no, doubt it, they are not real tinnies, they are a worthless lump of heavy brass! Proof to the contrary would be welcome

I've always been of the opinion the silver plated ones are fakes. I bought my silver one many years ago for just a few dollars as a fake off a gun/militaria table in California. They don't match the documented picture of the badge and Germania International have them for sale even now. That would be enough to make most peoples minds up in the absence of any real fact.

[JoeW]

The SS-Family book was first introduced by Fritz Weitzel within "his" SS-Oberabschnitt West with headquarter in Düsseldorf.

Finally it was for the whole SS within the Reich and there are different versions of the book known - one with a foreword stating that Fritz Weitzel was killed in action in summer of 1940.

That issue was printed in Prag and is dedicated for the SS-families in Böhmen and Mähren.

Interestingly enough: the pics showing the Jul-und SS-Ecke (Yule- and SS corner) and the SS cultural items in that issue from late 1940 are described in the same way BUT instead of only mentioning Düsseldorf as the city where the Deutsches Heimatwerk shop is located and the SS cultural pieces can be ordered and received from also the Deutsches Heimatwerk shops in München and Salzburg are mentioned!

Why?

Practical reason: because these cities were the nearest to reach for the SS-families in Böhmen und Mähren.

Historical reason: since the first outcome of the SS-Family book in Düsseldorf the Deutsches Heimatwerk developed and opened shops not only for example in Berlin and München but since Austria being part of the Grossdeutsches Reich (formerly Deutsches Reich) also in Salzburg.

Thorsten,

I must thank you for pointing out the Prag edition of Weitzel's book. Do you have an orignal copy of that edition? Does either of the editions have better photos than the web version? I still cannot discern the complete inscription on the wedding plate that you have found. Barely are letters of the word Scholle visible. That is all that Schild found.

The publications of the two editions seem local nature. Weitzel published his in OA West with no indication of quantity. He sent a copy to Daluege, but do we know if distribution ever reached out past OA West? Likewise the Prag edition seems to have been confined to SS Abschnitt XXXIX.

The bread platter is partially visible in the video that we discussed several months ago in this thread on the subject of wedding/christening cups. And it appears to be similar to the one in the SS Calendar designated as a gift from the SS for all SS Men being married. The calendar was published a few years before the Feigelein wedding. I don't see how this oval one can be considered anything other than an illustration of the bread plate given at weddings.

[Thorsten B.]

Thank you, Joe!

One has to take into account that OA West was one - if not the biggest - SS OA anyway, the whole regions of Rhineland and Westphalia were incorporated as well as parts of Lower Saxony.

Apart from that Weitzel was also responsible as HSSPF not only for OA West but also OA Nord - so the character according to these facts cannot be identified as being of regional character.

I have no copy of the Weitzel book from Böhmen-Mähren - I used the info presented in the web where one can see and download that version.

[CWP]

Some (perhaps) related material to share. This January/February 1942 issue of "Blaetter fuer Volkstum und Heimat im Regierungsbezirk Hildesheim" has an article anout the Lebensbaum (Tree of Life) motif in the beams of buildings in the Oberwesergebiet.

[CWP]

The article has some illustrations of this common pagan motif from the 17th through 19th centuries.

[CWP]

I know that this subject of tapestries has perhaps been beaten to death but wanted to share this picture of one of the displays representing rural farms in the 1800s, presented at the Schleswig-Holsteinische Freilichtmuseum, which include curtains with the now-familiar traditional pattern with the unicorns as featured previously in this thread.

[Steve T]

Joe,

The bread platter is partially visible in the video that we discussed several months ago in this thread on the subject of wedding/christening cups. And it appears to be similar to the one in the SS Calendar designated as a gift from the SS for all SS Men being married. The calendar was published a few years before the Feigelein wedding. I don't see how this oval one can be considered anything other than an illustration of the bread plate given at weddings.

I'm guessing you mean this for the last sentence? ('a' not 'the') 'I don't see how this oval one can be considered anything other than an illustration of a bread plate given at weddings' 'the' could be taken as meaning only that particular design.

[JoeW]

I think I had it phrased the way I wanted Steve. I believe Thorsten stated that the oval design in the calendar photo was a special production for high rank SS members, presumably because it appears to be identical to the one in the Fegelein video. I don't think a comparison of the two plates can be made. But whether it is identical to the calendar illustrated plate or not, the one in the calendar photo was identified in the text as the bread plate given at SS weddings. The text does not say it is an example of a bread plate given, so I take the description literally. Schild in his article points out the specific text on that plate:

,,SEID DES BROTES DER HElMATERDE IMMER WURDIG / DANN LEBT EUERE SIPPEE EWIG'',

But he believes round plates bearing the word Scholle are also Wedding plates because of the illustration in Weitzel's book.

[Steve T]

I think I had it phrased the way I wanted Steve. I believe Thorsten stated that the oval design in the calendar photo was a special production for high rank SS members, presumably because it appears to be identical to the one in the Fegelein video. I don't think a comparison of the two plates can be made. But whether it is identical to the calendar illustrated plate or not, the one in the calendar photo was identified in the text as the bread plate given at SS weddings. The text does not say it is an example of a bread plate given, so I take the description literally. Schild in his article points out the specific text on that plate:

,,SEID DES BROTES DER HElMATERDE IMMER WURDIG / DANN LEBT EUERE SIPPEE EWIG'',

But he believes round plates bearing the word Scholle are also Wedding plates because of the illustration in Weitzel's book.

OK, thanks for the clarification of your understanding with respect to the plates.

[Thorsten B.]

Chris,

Thank you for sharing your nice booklet!

Many of the shown tree of life decorations on old half-timbered farmhouses are located in the neighbourhood where I was born.

The ones in Höxter, Beverungen and Löwendorf I know personally and took my first pics of them when I was ten years old.

[Capt. R]

My SS Family book has an inscription in the front which places location of its gifting at Herne, Germany and is dated 21.12.1940.

The SS-Family book was first introduced by Fritz Weitzel within "his" SS-Oberabschnitt West with headquarter in Düsseldorf.

Finally it was for the whole SS within the Reich and there are different versions of the book known - one with a foreword stating that Fritz Weitzel was killed in action in summer of 1940.

That issue was printed in Prag and is dedicated for the SS-families in Böhmen and Mähren.

Interestingly enough: the pics showing the Jul-und SS-Ecke (Yule- and SS corner) and the SS cultural items in that issue from late 1940 are described in the same way BUT instead of only mentioning Düsseldorf as the city where the Deutsches Heimatwerk shop is located and the SS cultural pieces can be ordered and received from also the Deutsches Heimatwerk shops in München and Salzburg are mentioned!

Why?

Practical reason: because these cities were the nearest to reach for the SS-families in Böhmen und Mähren.

Historical reason: since the first outcome of the SS-Family book in Düsseldorf the Deutsches Heimatwerk developed and opened shops not only for example in Berlin and München but since Austria being part of the Grossdeutsches Reich (formerly Deutsches Reich) also in Salzburg.

[Jack83]

Not sure if this has been posted before, but thought you might find it interesting. It's an internet version of the SS Family Book in English. I don't have an original one to compare it with but looks like it might be pretty accurate.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/13666287/The-SS-Family

[Matthäus Klein]

...SS family book

..where can i get one
..Capt. R.. very nice indeed

[Michael Fay]

I think I had it phrased the way I wanted Steve. I believe Thorsten stated that the oval design in the calendar photo was a special production for high rank SS members, presumably because it appears to be identical to the one in the Fegelein video. I don't think a comparison of the two plates can be made. But whether it is identical to the calendar illustrated plate or not, the one in the calendar photo was identified in the text as the bread plate given at SS weddings. The text does not say it is an example of a bread plate given, so I take the description literally. Schild in his article points out the specific text on that plate:

,,SEID DES BROTES DER HElMATERDE IMMER WURDIG / DANN LEBT EUERE SIPPEE EWIG'',

But he believes round plates bearing the word Scholle are also Wedding plates because of the illustration in Weitzel's book.

Hello Joe,
figured I might add, as we discussed already, all that can be seen by the naked eye with a magnifying glass is the letters "HOLLE" in the SS=Familie book.
In the three original "SS= Familie" editions I have, that is all that can be discerned. All else is just a darker area that may be further lettering or may be not. While I am reasonably sure Herr Schild was correct in surmising it was the word Scholle...all that can be seen is HOLLE.
So the connection of the plates to SS is actually even more tenous than ever.

[Steve T]

I've had a look at mine too. I don't have a good magnifying glass, what I have is too powerful, I see just dots!

I photographed it then made a JPG so not the best image as its been reproduced/compressed but you can make out 'DIE SCHOLLE' (then then its obstructecd by the tree) then 'UNS'. Maybe some copies are a bit better than others.