Foreign made German "Zivilmütze"

[NickG]

Here's an interesting foreign made German pattern "Zivilmütze" with oak leaf cap band
(as seen on some veterans cap as well as the DAF enlisted "Fest" caps).
I picked it up from a fellow WAF member on e-stand. It originally came with a ( I assume ) post war added WH cap eagle
(with repaired prongs)...which I removed for the time being...and I did add the German cap cockade...
Not yet decided how to restore the crown insignia... ANY suggestions?

[NickG]

Some more views!

[NickG]

I am contemplating to restore it with a Slovak "Volks-Deutsche" cap eagle
(as worn by the Freiwilligen Schutzstaffel of the Deutsche Partei in Slovakia,
but also by other Volks-Deutschen in Slovakia (patriotic German eagle= Deutsche Partei Slovakia),
provided I can find one reasonably priced!

[NickG]

And this is why! city = Bratislava = Slovakia.... so FOREIGN MADE!
It also lists "Pressburg" which is the old German name for Bratislava.
As a matter of fact the entire address appears in German, including maker's name and street address...
All listed in German spelling! Obviously a pro-German cap meant to be worn by a minority German in Slovakia!

[NickG]

Many Germans lived in Bratislava (in German: Pressburg) and they even held veteran's rally events there!
Depicted is a period poster announcing a gathering of the "Kriegerbund" veterans organization in that city in 1940!

[NickG]

Some period images of (minority) Germans in Bratislava (Pressburg) Slovakia, the visor cap's origin.
Credit goes to as tagged.

Top image comments: note shield with Swastika ( just like the Slovak visor eagle insignia)
Bottom image comments: Truck in front of the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Bratislava.
D.P. (truck banner) = Deutsche partei (in Slovakia) Note also German veterans in their "uniforms"
with the more appropriate Prussian Blue caps with wreath and eagle insignia.

Image captions as follows:

CIRCA 1940: Deutsche Jugend (=SLovak based HJ) collecting metal in the streets of Bratislava on the occasion of Hitler's birthday, Photograph, Around 1940 (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images) [Die Deutsche Jugend (DJ) sammelt Altmetall in den Strassen von Pressburg anllich des Geburtstages von Adolf Hitler, Photographie, Um 1940]

MAY 24, 1940: German population in front of the windows of the editorial office of german Newspapers in Slowakia, Bratislava, Photograph, 1940 (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images) [Deutsche Bevolkerung vor den Redaktionsschaufenstern der deutschen Wochen- und Tageszeitungen in der Slowakei, Bratislava (Pressburg), Photographie, 1940]

[NickG]

Two more period images (same credits) from Bratislava/Pressburg!
Note: D.P. (Deutsche Partei) party armband (again the Swastika on a shield) as used by Nazis in Slovakia + Slovak banner with Cross.
The German minority was very much Pro Hitler, and "Deutschtum" was something to be proud of...
so a locally made German style visor (zivilmütze) as a symbol of their heritage was definately something that was in demand!
No doubt very few such visor caps survived in post war pro communist (re-united) Czechoslovakia...anything German was removed,
including the population!
And that explains why the cap was found in the USA, no doubt emigrants...as most Volks-Deutschen in areas outside of the Reich
were unwelcome and left either freely or forcefully, many moving the the USA and Canada...

Captions:
APRIL 20, 1939: Pressburg (Bratislava) is celebrating the birthday of Adolf Hitler,
former Masaryk Square was renamed into Adolf Hitler Square, Photograph, Bratislava, 1939 (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images)
[Pressburg (Bratislava) feiert den Geburtstag Adolf Hitlers, Der Masaryk Platz wurde in Adolf Hitler Platz umbenannt,
Photographie, Pressburg, 1939]

CIRCA 1940: Decorated fruit stand for Hitler?s birthday in Bratislava, Photograph, Slovakia, Around 1940 (Photo by Imagno/Getty Images)
[Geschmackter Obststand in Pressburg am Geburtstag von Hitler in Pressburg, Photographie, Slovakei, Um 1940]

[antonivs]

That is a really good looking and unusual cap. The only place I have seen that Slovakian insignia before is here: http://www.germaniainternational.com/axis4.html . I am sure most members here will condemn them as fake but that is the only place I have ever seen it.

[NickG]

That is a really good looking and unusual cap. The only place I have seen that Slovakian insignia before is here: http://www.germaniainternational.com/axis4.html . I am sure most members here will condemn them as fake but that is the only place I have ever seen it.

Thanks for commenting. Yes that's crap insignia...That dealer has scary stuff!
HWeitze also has a VolksDeutsche-Slovak eagle on his site...Also garbage in my opinion...
He of course claims its a Slovak made variation... (shield rope is copied from sleeve eagle)

The visor would look nice with such a Slovak eagle on it! The other example is a first pattern with Slovak cross,
posted by another member obo somebody else who quit the hobby... so not sure where that eagle went. I need one!
See link:

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...ghlight=slovak

[Richard P]

As always, good research Nick...I sure hope it is what you think, the label is certainly on your side. Congratulations on what may be a sleeper.

Richard

[stonemint]

Nick, do you have the old Bender "Foreign Legions of the Third Reich" by Littlejohn? That might have something in it.

BTW, slightly off-topic, but here is an Axis visor I had never seen before. It is for the Bohemia-Moravia Police:

[NickG]

We're drifting a little bit from the Slovak theme but I'm glad you're showing that cap! WOW!
Nice sattelform German style Czech Gendarme visor with besides the typical German shape, also German bill and German chin straps...
Obviously an occupation made piece, not a pre-war carry over with a replacement B&M coat of arms insignia as often done during the
occupation. However I've NEVER ever seen these before with such a crown cockade...

For comparison purposes; here's an officers version that I recently sold to another member....
(displayed with enlisted Czech B&M police uniform...so a mis-match) ,
These police uniform are prewar czechoslovakkian and used during the occupation in B&M.
This visor is in the czech style with Czech officers cap cords, as opposed to the sattel form one with German bill.
Wunderbar!!!

I believe that the Slovak colors are reversed, red in the center!

[NickG]

From Czech back to the Slovak side! Here's a great image (credited as tagged)
of Karpaten Deutsche Partei members (Volksgruppenfuehrer Karmasin) wearing
the Slovak (SS) eagle on their caps!

[NickG]

Slovak German cap insignia! (credited as tagged)

[NickG]

The eagle...picture from an old e-stand offering!

Portret image was posted by WAF member Papi and shows
ES (Einsatzstaffel) member (ethnic Germans in Croatia) also wearing such an eagle!