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**carltiger** · 01-23-2013, 09:14 PM

Many will simply right off an example such as this with a one word reply ("fake!", for example), due to the nature of both the piece, and the market for such items. Personally, I would rather give my reasoning...

Numerous period images, along with examples displayed within several KL/Holocaust memorial museums, generally appear to have a horizontal band present around the base of the cap, i.e. the band. Although these items are by no means to be viewed as uniform in appearance, the lack of a period example with such neat vertical stripes located at the area in question, leads me to believe that this may be an old movie prop piece. Sorry, Clayton, but personally I do not believe that it is a genuine example.

Regards,

Carl

p.s. Brief visits to websites such as those ran by USHMM or Yad Vashem, display numerous period images of KL inmate's headwear in use.

**Ian Hulley** · 01-24-2013, 07:36 AM

The only thing I can add is that the only ones I've seen which are supposedly original all seemed to have been made from HBT (Herring Bone Twill) material.

Ian

**Clayton** · 01-24-2013, 11:05 AM

Hello All;

I really appreciate your help. Its off to the estand reproduction Bazaar for this one.

Thanks guys,

Clay

**Ian Hulley** · 01-24-2013, 04:57 PM

Don't be too hasty ... these things are very much a niche market and not many cap (or SS) collectors want anything to do with them or know anything about them. They were roughly made and not manufactured by a certain company in a certain style as 'soldier's' caps were so a great many variations will no-doubt have existed.

Ian

**carltiger** · 01-27-2013, 10:57 AM

Most uniforms were made in the textile workshops of some of the larger Konzentrationslagers, such as KL-Dachau, KL-Sachsenhausen or f.KL-Ravensbrück. The material differed slightly from workshop to workshop, with a mostly cotton or cotton/wool mix being utilised. Summer issued linen garments were also produced. Some, thinking of the expensive modern linen garments, have questioned that this material was actually used to produce prisoner's uniforms but indeed it was. The cool, wet Northern European climate allowed the material to thrive, hence the relatively low costs involved with a material that unlike cotton, did not need importing.

The coloured stripes would range from purple to light blue, with the alternating stripes being present in grey to near white. The stripes were always printed on both sides, and the quality of the garments was of a generally high standard.

Many jackets had pockets, patently garments with pockets would be preferred by the prisoners. Even "secret pockets" are known to have been stitched into some pieces, likely originating from prisoners with a contact in the workshop, who was able to supply them with a needle and thread.

The hierarchy that existed among the prisoners is well known, yet few realise that this was also partly reflected in the uniforms. It is known that some "prominents", as Primo Levi refers to them in his work "Surviving Auschwitz", wore uniforms with piping around the pockets or shoulder area.

No sizes are found on original pieces either, despite variations being produced. Although some trousers were manufactured with belt loops, these were somewhat redundant as prisoners were forbidden to own belts.

Stains: Interestingly, not all stains that appear on KL prisoner uniforms are related to their former forced labour duties. Whilst most are indeed a sign of work in a machine shop for example, some prisoners, as ever plagued by the constant harassment of lice, chose to sprinkle a little oil on their uniforms to act as a form of pest control.

During the 1960's, uniforms from the camps still were not regarded as artifacts, and were disinfected in mass quantities in addition to undergoing much repair work. Post war alterations also occurred. At Majdanek and Sachsenhausen, German prisoners were kept in the former KLs from 1945 til 1955, and they wore the KL uniforms, although any former insignia was removed. Today, very few genuine pieces have the insignia present. Those that do are typically marked with the former red triangle of political prisoners.

Attached are two images of prisoner headwear in use. Neither the image from Auschwitz, nor the group photograph taken at KL-Dachau, display pieces consistent with the item shown earlier.

Regards,

Carl

Attached Files

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Concentration Camp Inmate's Cap

Concentration Camp Inmate's Cap

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