By staff
Title: Nazi-German Artifacts and Memorabilia, 1933-1945
Predominant Dates:1939 -- 1945
ID: RG-36/RG-36
Primary Creator: NSDAP, National Socialist German Workers' Party (1933 -- 1945)
Other Creators: Goverment of Nazi Germany (193 -- 1945), Nazi Party, agencies (1933 -- 1945)
Extent: 0.0
Arrangement: Materials are arranged by subject/creator, then by identifier, as assigned by the processor.
Subjects: National Socialist Ideology, National Socialist Symbols, Nazi-German banners, Nazi-German decorations, medals and awards, Nazi-German insignias
This Record Group is comprised of various Nazi-German awards, medals, decorations, insignias and like worn by the servicemen and civilians during the Nazi era. This Collection also includes a number of sub-collection relate to the attributes of the parade German uniform, namely knifes, daggers, saber, epaulettes, and like. There is also the sub-collection of various state and army Nazi flags.
RG-36.01, German decorations, awards, medals, and insignias
RG-36.01.01, 1918 Black Wound Badge. The lowest version of the Wound Badge, it was awarded to soldiers who were once or twice wounded in the line of duty and those who suffered from frostbite on the field
RG-36.01.02, A ribbon, Squadron Boelcke. Black with gold text in Fraktur font. This ribbon likely belonged to a pilot serving under Oswald Boelcke (1891-1916), a German fighter ace during the First World War
RG-36.01.03, Badges and pin with swastika. Black, red, white. The larger of the two bears the inscription “National-Sozialistische D.A.P.” (D.A.P. is an acronym for the “Deutsche Arbeiterpartei” or German Worker’s Party)
RG-36.01.04, Close Combat Clasp in gold. This award was instituted in 1942 to commemorate soldiers who had fought in hand-to-hand combat in close quarters
RG-36.01.05, Crimean or Krim campaign shield. “Krimschild” Bronze. This medal was issued to wounded soldiers who had served in the German army’s operations in the Crimean peninsula from September 1941 to July 1942
RG-36.01.06, Driver proficiency award in silver. Medal issued to capable drivers in the German military in bronze, silver, and gold versions
RG-36.01.07, Early SA (Storm Troops) belt buckle. Pre-War. Worn by SA members, the curved swastika is indicative of manufacture before the mid-1930s
RG-36.01.08, German African Corps buckle (DAK – Deutsches Afrika Korp). Worn by German soldiers in northern Africa, this buckle displays the inscription “Gott Mit Uns” or “God is with us”
RG-36.01.09, German Field Gendarmerie Gorget. Decorated with a swastika and bearing the inscription “Arbeit adelt” – “Work ennobles”
RG-36.01.10, German Military Epaulette, Wehrmacht. A tag attached to one of the items includes the name of SS Obersturmfuehrer Josten of the concentration camp Auschwitz
RG-36.01.11, Helmet, A page from old catalogue
RG-36.01.12, Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend) buckle. An eagle with a swastika is accompanied by the inscription “Blut und Ehre” (Blood and Honor)
RG-36.01.13, Insignia for a German military hat. Eagle with outstretched wings clutching a swastika
RG-36.01.14, Iron Cross, Second Class, with ribbon. Dated 1939. An Iron Cross on a red, white, and black ribbon bearing the year 1939
RG-36.01.15, War merit cross, First Class with swords (Kriegsverdientskreuz). Awarded to soldiers during the war, these medals signified wartime bravery and service which, though above the call of duty, did not merit an Iron Cross
RG-36.01.16, Iron Cross, First Class, pin back. Dated 1939. This Iron Cross was awarded for service during the Polish campaign of 1939 and was pinned onto a uniform rather than hung around the neck
RG-36.01.17, Iron Cross, Second Class, with ribbon. Dated 1939. The Iron Cross medal was a progressive award, meaning the Second Class medal was a prerequisite to obtaining the first
RG-36.01.18, Iron Cross, Second Class, 1939 Campaign. Dated 1813. The Iron Cross medal was established by King Wilhelm I of Prussia following the Wars of Liberation against Napoleon.
RG-36.01.19, Nazi eagles sewn to uniform. Several designs of eagles clutching swastikas
RG-36.01.20, Nazi flagpole topper. Metal (likely steel). A shovel embossed with a swastika flanked by two stalks of wheat
RG-36.01.21, Non-commissioned officer's steel buckle. An eagle clutching a swastika is accompanied by the inscription “Gott Mit Uns” (God is with us)
RG-36.01.22, Painted NSDAP (Nazi Party) Pin. Red, white, and black. The Party name surrounds a black swastika on a white background
RG-36.01.23, Police officer's dress buckle. A swastika is present along with the inscription “Gott Mit Uns” (God is with us)
RG-36.01.24, Russian campaign medal with ribbon. On the front, an eagle clutching a swastika. On the reverse, there is the inscription “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42” (Winter Campaign in the East 1941/1942)
RG-36.01.25, Russian campaign medal, front and rear view, 1941-1942. On the front, an eagle clutching a swastika. On the reverse, there is the inscription “Winterschlacht im Osten 1941/42” (Winter Campaign in the East 1941/1942)
RG-36.01.26, S.A. badge. A single sword is placed on top of a swastika, entirely surrounded by a laurel
*RG-36.27, SA badge with the inscription, Eigentum der Obersten S.A. Fuehrung, for the highest S.A. officials
RG-36.01.27, Second Class Iron Cross, with ribbon. Dated 1939
RG-36.01.28, SS badge for the SS Gruppe West of Frankfurt am Main, inscription Deployment on Section XI. Accompanied by a skull, crossbones, and an eagle with a swastika
RG-36.01.29, Tank Assault Badge. A tank beneath an eagle clutching a swastika
RG-36.01.30, Two Wound Badges, black and gold. The lowest version of the Wound Badge, the black version was awarded to soldiers who were once or twice wounded in the line of duty and those who suffered from frostbite on the field. The gold was the highest version available and was awarded to soldiers who had suffered extensive injuries during their duties (such as loss of limbs, sensory functions, and brain damage)
*RG-36.32, War Merit Cross First Class with Swords
Awarded to soldiers during the war, these medals signified wartime bravery and service which, though above the call of duty, did not merit an Iron Cross.
RG-36.01.31, War Merit Cross, rear side, 1939. Awarded to soldiers during the war, these medals signified wartime bravery and service which, though above the call of duty, did not merit an Iron Cross
RG-36.01.32, Wound Badge in silver. The intermediate version of the wound badge was awarded to soldiers who had received fairly substantial wounds in battle
RG-36.01.33, Wound Badge in black. The lowest version of the Wound Badge, the black version was awarded to soldiers who were once or twice wounded in the line of duty and those who suffered from frostbite on the field
RG-36.01.34, NSFK insignia (National Sozialistische Fliegerkorp or National Socialist Flying Corps). A winged man stands behind a swastika. The National Socialist Flying Corps was a paramilitary organization which existed before the outbreak of World War II and was technically forbidden under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles
RG-36.01.35, Nazi Pin. A black swastika is flanked by stylized wings and surrounded by a semi-reflective red circle
RG-36.01.36, Ich Hatt Einen Kameraden Medallion (I had a comrade). Iron. On the front side, there is a depiction of a German soldier with a cut branch. On the opposite side, the inscription “Am Schmuck der Ruhe Staetten Unserer Tapfern Half Wer Dieses Eisenzeichen Nahm”, meaning “Those people who have this medallion have helped those belonging to our soldiers”
RG-36.01.37, Nazi-era Medallion. Dated 1937. A child is standing on top of a swastika-bearing eagle. Wear has made it impossible to discern any other salient details
RG-36.01.38, Red Nazi armband with black stripes
RG-36.01.39, Triangular badge
RG-36.01.40, Red and white Nazi armband
RG-36.01.41, White cloth with eagle and swastika patch
RG-36.01.42, Black armband
RG-36.01.43, Red Nazi armband with sticker
RG-36.01.44, Red Nazi armband with pin
RG-36.01.45, Yellow Deutsche Wehrmacht armband
RG-36.01.46, Red and white diamond Nazi patch
RG-36.01.47, Yellow skull and crossbones handkerchief
RG-36.01.48, Blue National Socialist Party pin
RG-36.01.49, Personal black ammo pouch with state emblem
RG-36.01.50, Skull and bones pin
RG-36.01.51, Metal swastika with two irregular segments
RG-36.01.52, Cross inset with diamond (or ersatz gemstone)
RG-36.01.53, Nazi eagle brooch. An eagle with a swastika, likely placed on the front of an officer’s hat
RG-36.01.54, Belt buckle featuring an eagle clutching a swastika
RG-36.01.55, Einsatzsturm der NSDAP
RG 36.01.56, Red Nazi armband. Nazi armband with red cloth, white band all around middle of armband with black swastika on white diamond background. Dimensionns- 15 3/4” x 3 7/8”
RG-36.01.57, German Military Uniform Epaulet with one Eagle and four Buttons
A red epaulet with one gold, swastika-clutching eagle and four small silver-colored buttons, each depicting an eagle gripping a swastika
RG-36.01.58, Nazi Clasp
An ornate golden clasp featuring a swastika prominently displayed in the center.
RG-36.01.59, Ribbon
(From center) Black, White, Red
RG-36.01.60, Ring of Fabric (Possibly Armband)
A strip of white cloth with the letters “Ung. h.” and the number 46025.
RG-36.01.61, Small, black, leather-covered box
A sticker on the back has the words “Hauptmuenzamt Wien” (Official Mint of Vienna)
RG-36.01.62, Nazi Officer Hat
Unknown rank, though likely Wehrmacht
RG-36.01.63, Metal Nazi Medallion
A swastika is flanked by two stalks of wheat with possible relation to RAD (Reichsarbeitsdienst) (German Labor Corps.)
RG-36.02, Daggers, sabers, and parade arms
RG-36.02.01, Third Reich Paratrooper Knife. Eickhorn stamped "Butterfly" knife. This type of knife was invented pre-WWII and there are early examples of this type available. However, these were not issued to German troops during the war. RZM marked with M7/66/34/SS and SS-Streifendienst
RG-36.02.02, HJ Hike/Camp Knife (Fahrtenmesser)
RG-36.02.03, Dagger produced by Eickhorn
RG-36.02.04, Similar to combat bayonet (Seitengewehr). The bayonet was first introduced by the Imperial German Army
RG-36.02.05, Schutzstaffel Unslotted Stag Grip, Dress Bayonet (Seitengewehr) 3
RG-36.02.06, Schutzstaffel Unslotted Stag Grip, Dress Bayonet (Seitengewehr) 1
RG-36.02.07, Schutzstaffel Unslotted Stag Grip, Dress Bayonet (Seitengewehr) 2
RG-36.02.08, Most likely pre-WWII made dagger
RG-36.02.09, Nazi Solingen Dagger
RG-36.02.10, SS dagger donated by Rosenthal. Marked with “SS,” state emblem, and motto, “Meine Ehre heiβt Treue”
RG-36.03, Nazi-German flags
RG-36.03.01, Small Nazi banner. Red Nazi banner with white circle in middle with a black swastika on circle. Dimensions: 13 1/2” x 9 1/2”
RG-36.03.02, Nazi triangle flag
RG-36.03.03, Large Nazi flag. Large red cloth flag with swastika on white circular background
RG-36.03.04, Red Nazi podium hanging banner 1. Red cloth with swastika on white circular background, bottom lined with white fringe
RG-36.03.05, Red Nazi podium hanging banner 2. Red cloth with swastika on white circular background, bottom lined with white fringe
RG-36.03.06, Nazi triangular flag, paper
RG 36.74, Hanging red triangle Nazi flag. Red triangle flag with white circle ad swastika in center of flag on both sides, hanging on a wood pole held by orange rope
Accession number- 85.62
Dimensions- flag- 11 1/8” x 22 1/4”, wood pole- 12 3/4 “long, rope- 26”
RG-36.80, Red Nazi Armband (possibly party member arm band)
RG-36.87, Luftwaffe belt buckle
RG-36.89, Nazi Flag
Donated by Mr. Paul Ceidow in June 2012. Ceidow came to the United States from China at age sixteen. He served in World War II as sergeant stationed near Karlsruhe, Germany after having landed at Normandy. He does not recall the exact location where the flag was found.
RG-36.04, Nazi-German coins
RG-36.04.01, Reichspfennig Coin, dated 1932 (1)
RG-36.04.02, Reichspfennig Coin, dated 1932 (2)
RG-36.04.03, Two Reichspfennig Coins, Nazi Germany, dated 1937 and 1939
RG-36.04.04, Two Reichspfennig Coins. Nazi Germany. Dated 1939. Bronze-colored.
1.7 cm diameter
RG-36.05, Nazi-German paraphernalia
RG-36.05.01, Nazi paraphernalia, consolidated
RG-36.06, Lyle S. Bettger Collection
Provenance, Lyle R. Bettger, Atascadero, CA. June 26, 2012
Historic/Content Notes, The poster in this collection was torn from a storefront window in Munich, Germany on August 19, 1934 by Lyle S. Bettger. The date of the incident is handwritten on the reverse side, “Torn off store window in Munich, Germany on August 19, 1934.” Bettger and his band mates stopped off in Germany while providing entertainment on an Atlantic cruise from the U.S. to Europe. After a run in with German police, Bettger tore down the poster “due to anger toward the police and general contempt for the regime.” He then smuggled it from Germany. In the 1950s Bettger returned to Munich while shooting the 1954 film, Carnival Story. He returned to the same police station where his band mates had spent a night in jail during their 1934 trip. The station still stood, although completely destroyed, rat infested, and abandoned. Lyle noted the scene in the early 1950s stood in stark contrast to the intimidating environment of the 1930s.
Scope/Content Notes, This collection is comprised of a 22 x 31 inch poster of Adolf Hitler, as well as two photographs of Lyle Stathem Bettger and his son.
Organization, Photographs
RG-36.06.01, Adolf Hitler Poster (1). Torn from a store window in Munich, Germany by Lyle Stathem Bettger on August 19, 1934
RG-36.06.02, Adolf Hitler Poster (2). Torn from a store window in Munich, Germany by Lyle Stathem Bettger on August 19, 1934
RG-36.06.03, Photograph of Lyle S. Bettger, c. 1950
RG-36.06.04, Lyle S. Bettger and his son Lyle R. Bettger, c. 1995
RG-36.07, Oak Chest Poker Chips
RG-36.07.01, Photograph, Oak Chest of Poker Chips
RG-36.07.02, Photograph, Oak Chest of Poker Chips, Chips. Manufactured in Vichy France between 1940 and 1942. The poker chips are red, white, and blue and with swastikas and the French fleur-de-lys
RG-36.07.03, Photograph, Oak Chest of Poker Chips, Open
RG-36.08, Nazi-German rubber stamps
RG-36.92.01, General Government –
Two years anniversary of German power – Lublin – 26.10.1941. General Government was part of the territories of Second republic of Poland under Nazi Occupation. Lublin is the capital of the correspondent voivodship in East Poland, in the Garman administrative division it was named District Lublin
RG-36.92.02, SS-Totenkopfstandarte –
Dead Head Unit was responsible for the three major camps Dachau, Sachsenhausen, and Buchenwald. After the “Anschluss” a fourth Standarte (regiment) was established at the Mauthausen camp, which was called “Ostmark”
RG-36.92.03, Waffen SS –
SS combat army formation, generally in the form of a division
Waffen SS means military SS
RG-36.92.04, Administration of mail censorship - Gross-Rosen – R.L.
Gross-Rosen was a concentration camp in Lower Silesia, Germany. It became a province of Poland after 1945
RG-36.92.05, Police chairmanship in Danzig.
Danzig in pre-Second World War time was a Free City under the auspices of the League of Nations
RG-36.92.06, SA (Storm Detachments) of the N.S.D.A.P – 41 – location – Berlin. NSDAP is an abbreviation for Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers’ Party)
RG-36.92.07, Criminal court – Breslau (Wroclaw after 1945) – 183/4
RG-36.92.08, SS Dirlewanger Brigade
SS Dirlewanger Brigade also known as SS Sturmbrigade “Dirlewanger” was an infamous military unit of the “Waffen SS”. This unit committed many war crimes. It consisted mainly of convicted poachers
RG-36.92.09, Waffen SS – Berlin
RG-36.92.10, Gren. Rat. 517
RG-36.09, Personal and official documents
RG-36.09.01, Soldbuch zugleich Personalausweis (SS ID booklet). Issued to Karl Meyer
RG-36.09.02, Urkunde booklet. Sports society membership booklet
RG-36.09.03, NSDAP membership booklet, Ludwig Hadler
RG-36.09.04, Certificate of Retention and Customs Declaration. Issued to John P. Jennings. Dated 5 November 1945.
RG-36.09.05, Addition to NSDAP membership booklet. Blank
RG-36.09.06, NSDAP membership booklet Karl Fritzsch
RG-36.10, Miscellaneous artifacts
RG-36.10.01, Red Star with hammer and sickle pin. A Red Star likely worn by a Russian soldier is embossed with a bronze hammer and sickle
RG-36.10. 02, Decorative belt buckle with the inscription “PALESTINE”
RG-36.11 Nazi-German Cutlery
RG-36.11.01, Fork and Knife Stamped with Nazi Insignia (Eagle and Swastika)
National Socialist Ideology
National Socialist Symbols
Nazi-German banners
Nazi-German decorations, medals and awards
Nazi-German insignias
Repository: Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust
Access Restrictions:
No restrictions
Copyrighted materials, credits to and references to the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust are required
Digital copies might be available upon request
Use Restrictions: Copyrighted materials
The Hitler Youth Knife (German: Hitler-Jugend-Fahrtenmesser) was a knife sold to and carried by boys of the paramilitary youth organization of the Nazi Party that existed from 1922 to 1945. The Hitler Youth wore knives as part of their uniform, which was very similar to the uniforms worn by the Sturmabteilung or SA. The knife was also given to those who performed exceptionally well in minor exams.
The Hitler Youth knife is mostly based on Mauser Gewehr 98 bayonets, except that it does not have a fuller (groove), and it is designed to be a dagger rather than a bayonet. Hitler Youth knives typically have an enameled swastika emblem on the obverse grip, and a Reichszeugmeisterei inscription on the blade. In early 1937, the motto Blut und Ehre! (Blood and Honor!) began to be etched on early knife blades, but this practice was abolished and later knives were produced with plain blades.
There are large numbers of fake and reproduction Hitler Youth Knives. After the war, an unknown quantity of Hitler Youth-style knives were shipped to the United States, made from mostly surplus parts, with the swastika emblem on the handle of many knives replaced with a fleur-de-lis emblem, similar to that used by the Boy Scouts. Knives of this style are still made for recreational use. Authentic models include a small leather swatch that prevents metal on metal contact between the handle and sheath, and have steel rather than alloy scabbards. Some fake scabbards also have a raised lip at the throat, unlike genuine ones.
The Hitler Youth Knife (German: Hitler-Jugend-Fahrtenmesser) was a knife sold to and carried by boys of the paramilitary youth organization of the Nazi Party that existed from 1922 to 1945. The Hitler Youth wore knives as part of their uniform, which was very similar to the uniforms worn by the Sturmabteilung or SA. The knife was also given to those who performed exceptionally well in minor exams.
Steel knife with metal hilt marked RZM M7/28 1942 and black plastic grip with inlay; anodized scabbard with leather strap.
