RBN Numbers; what do they tell us?

[BenVK]

0 = "used for military uniforms" or something similar

So according to you, If I undersood correctly? "0" or "1" at the start of the number SHOULD be the purpose of the item, i.e. military ?

Do you guys understand the importance of what you've discovered from these lists? I don't think you do.

[km-spain]

Ben, you are right but is not 100% correct.

"0", "1" and "9" is found on manufacture companies, main contractors or subcontractors, so you find this codes on military garments and equipment makers, but not only in those.

The rest of the numbers, that I have referenced below "2", ... I have never seen on military items, and after study this list is because they were used for other kind of companies IMO.

[BenVK]

Good morning guys.

I have just re-read this thread and I apologise for being slow to understand it last night. I had a few glasses of wine! I think I get it now and want to thank you for answering my stupid questions.

[Vincent S.]

No problem here Ben,

It's a pleasure to see people, such as yourself, are interested in this aspect of German Military Industry, so it was my pleasure to answer your questions.

Over here in Belgium we have a saying that goes:
"Er zijn geen stomme vragen, enkel stomme antwoorden", what commes down to
"There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers".

Take care (-and enjoy the wine)

Vincent S.

[90th Light]

So according to you, If I undersood correctly? "0" or "1" at the start of the number SHOULD be the purpose of the item, i.e. military ?

Do you guys understand the importance of what you've discovered from these lists? I don't think you do.

I think Ben has hit the nail right on the head here.

This is one of the best finds I have seen in a long time. Well done guys, really well done and thank you for sharing this. It is guys like you who bring the hobby alive for sure

Got stuck into these lists today and compared with some of my RB numbers. Very interesting to see how items made in different parts of Germany and Austria seem to have their own little area foot prints. The list does not seem to cover many firms in the Reich beyond Germany and Austria however.

The first number is a puzzle for me because although most I have fit into 0/xxxx/xxxx and 1/xxxx/xxxx plus 9/xxxx/xxxx, I also have 63/xxxx/xxxx and 64/xxxx/xxxx. Now "63" and "64" had me stuck because it is a long way off from 0 to 9. Well on page 138 I found a possible answer, there are five numbers starting with "62" ie 62/xxxx/xxxx. Seems "62" is a company to do with "Sack, Planen & Zelte" so that might explain why such a number starting with "63" & "64" can turn up on military items.

Also on page 136 are a very few numbers begining with "42" "47" & "48" so it starts to show that not every thing fits in between 0 to 9. I believe these numbers are industry type and not necessarily military but "0" & "1" are the most commonly encountered starting numbers being the most common type of activity for firms & companies. There was a lot more secondary industry than tertiary industry in Germany in the period 1939 to 1945 but today tertiary would out number secondary.

In fact pages 128 to 139 have many variations indeed. Not all numbers are in the form x/xxxx/xxxx there are variations such as x/xxxx or xxx/xxxx etc. Another thing is the odd number starts with a letter such as "Os", "B", "Bl", "Bi" or "D". In the odd case these letter codes occur in the middle such as X/BiXX/XXXX.

I can not explain these but I hope you can tell I am finding this very interesting indeed. Important at this stage to realise that we have a key but do not yet have all the facts such as why numbers can start with "62" and not some thing closer to "9" such as "12"

Again great find guys, Chris

[naxos]

Hi Vincent,

From your other thread comments:

0/0250 Berlin - agree, from 0/0250 to 0/0259
0/0350 Erfurt - Leipzig, Erfurt is 0/0343
0/0750 Stuttgart - agree
0/0850 Munchen - agree
1/1001 Wien (Not yet confirmed, awaiting further markings) - agree, from 0/1000 to 0/1025 Wien

Others, but I have many more:

0/0450 Hannover
0/0496 Hamburg
0/0550 Köln
0/0556 Aachen
0/0560 Wuppertal
0/0561 Solingen
0/0950 Nürnberg

In the list I hav also codes that started with 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 9 and all are from German makers.

Has anyone ever noticed that there is a direct connection between RBN numbers and post-war German postal codes (Postleitzahlen).

Take a pre 1993 German postal code, add a "0" in front and it is the location code of a RBN number.

Interesting is, that these postal codes based on the old RBN numbers were introduced in 1964 almost 20 years after the end of the war.

http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...20100826050643


.

[Johnny R]

Has anyone ever noticed that there is a direct connection between RBN numbers and post-war German postal codes (Postleitzahlen).

Take a pre 1993 German postal code, add a "0" in front and it is the location code of a RBN number.

Interesting is, that these postal codes based on the old RBN numbers were introduced in 1964

http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...20100826050643


.

Handy, I wonder how that developed?

[David Fettes]

Has anyone ever noticed that there is a direct connection between RBN numbers and post-war German postal codes (Postleitzahlen).

There is a minor connection however I am not sure what the postleitzahlen were during the 3rd Reich period. You may be onto something here.

[Johnny R]

There is a minor connection however I am not sure what the postleitzahlen were during the 3rd Reich period. You may be onto something here.

I am wondering if the Occupation government used it for whatever reason and it was then applied to telephone codes. Maybe they were used to identify production divisions for economic units in TR times? There must be a connection.

[teutonen(Jeff)]

Has anyone ever noticed that there is a direct connection between RBN numbers and post-war German postal codes (Postleitzahlen).

Take a pre 1993 German postal code, add a "0" in front and it is the location code of a RBN number.

Interesting is, that these postal codes based on the old RBN numbers were introduced in 1964 almost 20 years after the end of the war.

http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?...20100826050643


.

Naxos, You and Johnny R are a plethora of info on things related to uniforms. I enjoy reading your guy's input.

Johnny, did I spell "plethora" right? I am not use to usung big words.

[naxos]

There is a minor connection however I am not sure what the postleitzahlen were during the 3rd Reich period. You may be onto something here.

Here are the Postleitzahlen during the TR kept with minor changes until 1963.

Quite different from RBN numbers

.

[David Fettes]

See here http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_d...in_Deutschland

Close but no cigar.

[naxos]

Let's put my theory to test!

Take the location section of a RBN number minus the "0"

- then look it up under "Alte Postleitzahlen"

Here are some examples from above:
0/0250
0/0350
0/0343
0/0750
0/0850

Drop the zeros istead of 0/0750 take 750 now look it up under "Alte Postleitzahlen" and the result is: Karlsruhe area


Map of postal code areas - Note the first number is in the area of the RBN manufacturer codes - The prefix W and O stands for West- and Ost-Deutschland.

[David Fettes]

Have just tried it with Stuttgart, Munchen, Köln, Aachen and Nürnberg.... didnt work.

[naxos]

Have just tried it with Stuttgart, Munchen, Köln, Aachen and Nürnberg.... didnt work.

Hang on my friend - I'm just figuring this out as I type - have a look at my post above - but give me a minute until I'm finished posting an image.

There is certainly a connection between RBN numbers and 1964 to 1993 German postal codes.

Of course they are not always identical and the postal codes were more refined to incorporate all the small villages.

Have a good look at the postal code areas in the above map and you can see my point.