Reichsvereinigung ehemaliger Kriegsgefangenen

[paulj]

A rare flag of the Reichsvereinigung ehemaliger Kriegsgefangenen, Ortsgruppe Eschweiler circa 1933. The ReK was created in 1919 as an organization for former prisoners of war. It leaned right politically and in 1933 was nazified as part of the Gleichschaltung process. It then became affiliated with the Kyffhäuser Bund. It later faded away entirely as the recognition of POWs did not fit into the NS ideology of Germanic superiority and military virtue.

The wool flag measures 54 x 42" and has small metal rings for attaching to a pole.

Also illustrated is the ReK pole top that was offered in a German auction last year.

[oldflagswanted]

Now yours ???

A rare flag of the Reichsvereinigung ehemaliger Kriegsgefangenen,
Ortsgruppe Eschweiler circa 1933. ... wool flag measures 54 x 42'
and has loops for attaching to a pole. ..

Hello paulj:
Very nice, thanks for showing. Is that flag now in
your superb collection? Just curious about the fate
of such exotic flags that survived WW2.
.......OFW

[paulj]

[QUOTE=oldflagswanted;8722740][B][SIZE=2]Hello paulj:
Very nice, thanks for showing. Is that flag now in
your superb collection? Just curious about the fate
of such exotic flags that survived WW2.


Yes, it's a recent acquisition. To be honest, before I stumbled on the flag, I had never heard of the organization. In the course of researching it I found the auction that had sold the pole top last year.

Here's a photo of a ReK Memorial event in 1934. In the foreground are flag bearers of both the ReK and Kyffhäuser Bund,

[kyles bullets]

Very interesting flag! Wonder where the pole top now resides since the auction

[all1knew]

can't say I've ever seen that one before!

William Kramer

[paulj]

Also interesting to note that the Reichsvereinigung ehemaliger Kriegsgefangenen motto, "Recht, Einigkeit, Kameradschaft" reflects the "R E K" initials of the organization's name.