The Arthur Eickhorn Presentation Dagger

Located on the southern edge of the Ruhr Valley of Germany is the small town of Solingen whose nickname has long been the "City of Swords." One of Europe’s oldest centers for the manufacture of cutlery and renowned the world over, it ranks in importance with Sheffield, England; Thiers, France; Toledo, Spain; and Nara, Japan. Chartered in 1374, Solingen cutlery has been famous since medieval times and is supposed to have been introduced by crusaders from Damascus. For the past several centuries, Solingen has remained the center of the German edged weapon industry. Even today the "City of Swords" remains one of the world’s key manufacturers of military and civic swords, knives and cutlery. Indeed, the current PUMA firm’s sales catalog states, "Just as Paris is associated with fashion and wines, Detroit with automobiles, Dublin with linens and lace. Amsterdam with tulip bulbs, so Solingen deservedly relates to cutlery.

The early Solingen smiths utilized the small family "cottage industry" approach to the manufacture of edged weapons where items were made by artisans in their own homes. Quality was definitely the name of the game as often the early masters toiled for several days on a single blade. The bulk of the finished products was produced either in the smith’s home or in small makeshift workshops usually located behind the homes. Needless to say, it was inevitable that the demand for Solingen-caliber blades would force a collective pooling of resources into a number of large factories (Waffenfabriken). One of the first large firms to emerge (and one which is still manufacturing quality cutlery today) was the Carl Eickhorn Waffenfabrik in 1865.

Arthur Eickhorn, son of founder Carl ,decided to take advantage of the unique skills possessed by a number of mastercraftsman employed by his father. Over a period of several years, Arthur Eickhorn was instrumental in personally designing a large variety of ornate edged weapons for many differentc ountries and special presentations. A 1967 letter from the Eickhorn firm substantiates that Arthur Eickhorn was involved in the special manufacturing of deluxe items for govemment heads and high-ranking military officers.

One magnificent creation of the eldest Eickhorn son has come into the possession of advanced collector Thomas W. Pooler of San Rafael, California, whose wife Susan graciously assisted in the writing of this article. Without a doubt, the Arthur Eickhorn Presentation Dagger described below represents one of the finest crafted products of "The City of Swords."

The handle, or hilt, of the dagger measures 5" from the gold-platedcrossguard to the crown. Two very beautiful pieces of mother-of-pearl form the grip. On both sides of the pearl grips are solid gold front and backstraps. These straps were probably made from a mold for another dagger, as they have been cut at the top to match the length of the grip. The underside of both straps is artfully inscribed.

The top of the dagger bears an eagle's head. The head itself measures 1.5" high by 2" wide. Extremely delicate oak leaves, instead of penciled feathers, have been etched to form the back of the eagle’s head. Lines of the eagle`s mouth are accurately drawn and extended to form the lower portion of the beak. The upper beak slopes down and ends in the classic hook. The craftsman has even etched in the chin feathers of the eagle. Measuring 1/8"in diameter, ruby gem stones have been placed in the head for eyes and they take on a sparkle with every movement of the dagger. The designer has gone to great lengths in detailing this head as there are tiny tear ducts and eyebrows on the eagle. The turn bolt or spannernut, on the dagger is actually a crown for the eagle, and it is divided into eight panels, bearing alternating patterns of crosses and miniature eagles. The very tip of the crown gives the appearance of eagle talons as the prongs are delicately arched, and appear to hold the crown in place.

The Damascus steel blade was the result of a tedious, skillful and time-consuming effort of an artist. One side of the blade bears the signature."Arthur Eickhorn - Solingen". There are few, if any, blades bearing the entire Eickhorn presentation signature and one on a Damascus blade is even more unusual. On the reverse of the blade, in lieu of the popular Eickhorn logo of a squirrel holding an acorn, is the Eickhorn family crest done in gold (rarely seen). The crest measures just .75" and is completely surrounded by avery delicate filigree design. Thes quirrel is sitting on a helmet which rests on the top of a shield divided into two segments. The upper portion contains oakleaves and acorns while the lower portion depicts a hunting horn, complete with a lanyard (see accompanying art work by Ronald Lang of San Francisco).

The seven-inch blade comes sheathed in a scabbard of grooved black leather with hammered gold-plated fittings. Delicately etched into the fittings are three bands of oak leaves and acorns, two bands on the lower fitting and one band on the upper fitting between the hanger loops. These particular goldplated stirrups are anchored to the scabbard so as to provide no movement either in the rings or stirrups. This is one of the reasons the dagger is thought to be a sample as it would not permit freedom of movement when worn with a uniform. The blade opening at the top of the scabbard has been hand-done. Irregular lines and uneven cuts indicate this was a one-of-a-kind piece and not machine-made.

Unfortunately, the Eickhorn firm has no existing records on this particular piece, as the majority of all Waffenfabriken records were destroyed during the latter stages of World War II when Solingen was heavily bombed by the Allies. Nevertheless. this ornate dagger is truly a work of art and can honestly be rated as a choice collector's piece in anyone's militaria collection!

Thomas M. Johnson and Susan Pooler, "The Arthur Eickhorn Presentation Dagger", WARRIORS, Issue No. 2, c.1970

Hitler Youth Belts and Buckles

1937-1938

The new HJ leaders’ buckle and special leather gear was authorized for wear by the following with an entry dated April l, 1937: (a) Leaders with the rank of HJ-Bannfuhrer and upwards (including "Verwaltungsbannfuhrer" which were administrators/managers): being DJ-Jungbannfdhren HJ-Obcrbannfiihrerg DJ-Oberjungbannfuhren HJ-Gebietsfuhrer; DJ-Gebietsjungvolkfuhrer; HJ-Obergebietsfuhrer, as well as appointed Stabsfuhrer (mainly with the RJF).(b) Appointed leaders ranking lower than H.J.-Bannfuhrer, being leaders of a"Bann" unit (function being "Fuhrer von Bannen"), department leaders of an area (Abteilungsleiter der Gebiete), staff leaders from an area (Stabsleiter der Gebiete), RJF main consultants (Hauptreferenten der RJF), deputy department chiefs (stellv. Amtschefs) and leaders of area leaders’ schools (Leiter der Gebietsfuhrer schulen).

Initially, it was planned that adjutants for a "Gebiets- und Gebietsjungvolkfuhrer" were also to wear the leaders’ belt and buckle. But in the course of early 1937 this position was withdrawn from the list (the intricate rank and function system caused a re-organization in late 1938 (consult this note and note 26 for a better understanding of the situation)).

"HJ-Fuhrerkoppelschloss/Feldbindenschl0ss" description, 1936:

The Hitler Youth leaders’ buckle was round and made of tempered aluminum sheet or an aluminum sheet alloy (Al-Mg-Si DIN1713, called "legiertem Aluminiumblech"), which was first copper-plated and then matte-silvered or nickled with the appropriate design as the inset for the regular HJ buckle. Around the upper rope design is a raised, smooth 3.0mm wide edge which gives the disc an approximate diameter of 5.0cm. The relief details of the buckle are somewhat higher. The eagle has a robust look, especially its head, as well as the "Blut und Ehre"motto. The HJ diamond touches the lower rope design. The outer edge, the eagle and the HJ diamond were all highly polished. All HJ leaders’ buckles were stamped and show the design relief on the reverse, where the catch should always have the "M4/22" RZM c0de for the manufacturer C. Th. Dicke.

The fitting with the rotating prongs which fit in the holes of the leather belt to make it adjustable, is positioned at the left (as seen by the viewer). A leather tongue is also found on the reverse of the belt. On this style belt the buckle is sewn on the right side of the belt. When the buckle, however, is loose and includes the fitting with the rotating prongs, this is located on the left side and the keeper is sewn to the belt. The buckle was designed to carry a weight of 60kg.

"HJ-Fuhrerlederzeug" description,1936:

The manufacturing and material for this approximately 4.4cm wide black belt, with a 3.5mm thickness, is similar as that described for the 1933/1936 enlisted ranks belt. The applied paint had to be light and waterproof, and had to be scuff resistant. The earliest leader’s belts were backed with a mixed brown cloth or a felt-like material. The belt tip at left was somewhat rounded and on the reverse a natural colored leather tongue was sewn on. The size and position of this tongue is basically the same as for enlisted ranks, but in most cases was sewn on with twelve stitches which had a length of 5.0cm. The tip of the tongue is positioned approximately 1.5cm from the tip of the belt. Two 1.6cm wide leather slides are positioned on the belt, the back of which are joined by two stitches.

Two 2.4cm wide slides with a sewn—on D-ring are slid on the belt for fastening the 2.4cm wide shoulder belt which is 2.5mm thick. The manufacturing style and material used was as described earlier. Between the sliding clasp and the snaphook on the shoulder belt, a small leather slide was positioned. This slide was 1.2cm wide and was sewn together on the back with two stitches. The earliest shoulder belts were also backed, and the fittings were not pebbled (as yet).

Early belts often had a small piece of natural colored leather, approximately 17.0 cm long and 2.0cm wide, sewn onto the inside middle-back of the belt. The ends of this piece of leather are almost as wide as the inside belt width. Over this, a smaller form of slide was fastened which prevented the shoulder belt from moving out of position. These belts were costly and for this reason most often a belt with adjustable slides was chosen. To protect the tunic from buckle-keeper damage, a "Rockschoner" (also known as"Schlossunterlage") was available. It consisted of a piece of leather (approximately 6.5 x 4.5cm) which fit over the belt. This protective device was meant for belts of enlisted ranks but was often worn by leaders of various organizations.

Per Reichsjugendfuhrer orders, some additional ranks were introduced and rank designations changed with the April 20, 1937 entry. These individuals were permitted to wear the leader’s belt and buckle: HJ-Hauptbannfuhrer and DJ-Hauptungbannfuhrer (formerly DJ-Gebietsjungvollgfuhrer). Simultaneously, all leaders (Bannfuhrer through Stabsfuhrer) were the HJ-Fuhrerkorps which was the official name for the leadership corps and staff (Note: this should not be confused with the HJ-Fuhrerschaf who were mid-level leaders). The mid-level ranks, Gefolgschafisfuhrer through Oberstammfuhrer, were not permitted to wear the leader’s buckle. This was changed, however, in late 1938. The Fuhrerschaft and Fuhrerkorps system was also changed once more at a later date.

The most striking change for the DJ organization was the abolishment of their buckle with rune device by an order published on June 4, 1937. The regular HJ buckle was to be worn instead, while the DJ buckle was allowed for wear until December 31, 1937. Manufacturers and retailers had already been informed of this regulation as early as late fall 1936. Those manufacturers who had large stocks of DJ buckles found it impossibleto sell them all before the December1937 deadline. It had not been the intention of the Reichsjugendfurung to cause loss of money or materials by means of scrapping the buckles. On the other hand the numerous DJ members were not forced to buy a new 4.5cm HJ buckle either. With some thought the solution was simple. A HJ inset could be soldered directly over the rune and then the buckle could be renickled. This process was carried out by three firms from Ludenscheid during the months of March and April 1938. Smaller size DJ buckles or those with varying runes were not to be part of this altering process. These smaller buckles were referred to as Kinder-kappelschldsser (buckles for children) and were never considered a regulation size.

The three firms to receive the above contract were:

HJ areas 1-9: EW. Assmann & Sohne.
HJ areas 10-17: C.Th. Dicke.
HJ areas 18-26: Overhoff & Cie

During the course of 1937 RZM standards for manufacturing buckles were somewhat lessened. This caused an uncontrolled growth in non-regulation buckles and lower quality, some of which were produced by various manufacturers who did not even have RZM permission. This came to a halt in November 1938 when the RZM issued an order stating that manufacturing permission must be granted only by the RZM.

Orders dated September 30, 1938 radically changed the recently initiated HJ and DJ uniform regulations. This was due to a general re-organization to be in effect on October 1. Specific orders listed what would be worn and when the enlisted ranks, plus low and mid-level leaders would wear the summer service dress, were the guard unit Wachgefolgschaft "Baldur von Schirach" and professional drivers in the service of the HJ organization. Additional orders were issued for the Naval -HJ (which included a so-called Fahrtenanzug worn by DJ members dur-ing a transitional period), extra summer and winter uniforms for the Motor—HJ known as Fuss- and Fahrdienstanzug (worn when on foot or when driving), and for the Flieger—HJ known as the Fussdress. The term Flugdienstanzug (dress for flying) was used instead of Fahrdienstanzug. All of the above orders did not, however, affect the wear of the HJ buckle with black belt and shoulderbelt.

Simultaneously with the above orders a significant addition was also announced. Now, a brocade belt was authorized for wear by higher-ranked leaders. HJ leaders who wore aluminum wire embroidered shoulder straps were to wear an aluminum brocade belt and aluminum leader’s buckle. Those with gold wire embroidery wore a gold brocade belt with gold leader’s buckle. This HJ brocade belt may have been initially thought of as a form of award for services rendered to the organization in February 1938 when von Schirach announced special schooling for the HJ-Fuhrerkorps. During the next few months plans were initialized and in May and June of 1938 the brocade belt was informally wom by HJ leaders during visits abroad, notably in Italy.

Wilhelm P.B.R. Saris assisted by Jeff Hammond,"Hitler Youth, Belts and Brocades (1926-1945) Part II", The Military Advisor, 2001

bender-publishing.com

European Newsletter

You can always tell when it's summer in England; the rain gets warmer and there are a number of Military Auctions held in which large numbers of Nazi items are put up for sale to the highest bidder. To the onlooker this may appear to be a very fair means of both selling and buying items.

Most Auctions do a postal bidding service and this may be looked upon as first rate idea which gives collects who live too far away to attend in person a chance to acquire items.

From personal experience the author has found this service to be a dangeous and costly experience. Another practice which has crept into auctions of late with regards to Nazi items, is to use as a barometer amidst dealers, the prices which items fetch at current sales.

Let us begin at the point where you have been receiving auction catalogs for a number of months, and at last you have decided to make a number of bids on items you require. First, you might do well to look inside me front cover of your catalog and read the small print on conditions of sale. If you have no guarantee that the item is original and once you have bought it you have no redress if it is not. For better or for worse you are stuck with it. However, you have decided to bid for a Luftwaffe honor goblet. By research in your old catalogs you are aware that a similar goblet sold for $150 a couple of months back and you think that a postal bid of $160 will give you a good chance of acquiring it. You send off your bid and during the period while you are waiting to learn the result, you thumb through the catalog many times and look at the item listed (No. 374 LuftwaffeHonor Goblet). A choice item bearing the German Silver Hallmark with the inscription on the base, FURBESONDERE LEISTUNG IM LUFTKRIEG. It has an Iron Cross and eagles in combat near the rim and also in silver. In due course a letter arrives to say your bid has been successful. send $155 plus $15 for packing, postage and insurance and the item is yours. This you do and item No. 374 arrives. This is a moment in a collectors life when it is advisable for the wife, kids and any domestic pets to get as far away as possible from the collector, for when the package containing $170 worth of goblet is opened it has all the hallmarks, not of German silver, but of a fake. This is a moment which all collectors have in common at some time or another. Anticipation followed by disappointment plus depression leading to murderous rage.

Now let us attempt to trace the history of Item No. 374. It began eighteen months previous when a collector asked a friend who was spending his vacation in Austria to lookout for any Nazi items for his collection His friend, who was a noncollector, spent his vacation having a first rate time and on his last day remembered his promise thinking (must bring him something back). He purchased a W.W.I. goblet for $12. Upon his return he presented his friend with this battered item and a bill for $12... and almost lost $12 and a friend. A month later the friend traded the goblet in for some medals at a loss. The new owner of the goblet had a friend who worked in the jewelry trade and decided to advance the items history to W.W.2. It was beaten out and engraved and the previous engraving was covered with the raised silver plate upon which the eagles were engraved. The work set him back $35 and as he had paid $5 for the medals he traded for it, the goblet now cost him $40. The item was then sold as a "I believe it to be original" type item for $50. to a Nazi items dealer. However the jeweler craftsman that he was, was right proud of his work on the goblet and tended to talk about it until it became common knowledge in the trade and within the collecting fraternity. As a result, the goblet just would not sell. Then it was decided to put it up for auction. But first it was his policy to establish a high price for it. It was put in the auction with a reserve price of $100, and the dealer who owned it also entered a postal bid for it in an assumed name for $150. As always he attended the auction on the day of the sale, and with the help of friends bid the goblet up to just below his postal bid, leaving his assumed name bid to get the top price. The goblet now had an established auction price which appeared in the catalog. A few months were allowed to lapse and the goblet was once again entered in an auction. It was possible for the dealer to learn what the top postal bid was and the goblet was pushed up to just below the highest postal bid in the manner of the previous sale.

This story illustrates the folly of postal bidding and of accepting auction prices as a buying guide. The author has in his possession a pile of junk bought as a result of postal bidding and misleading discriptions in catalogs. My last venture in that respect was a bid for 20 Wermacht helmets described in the catalog, "20 Nazi helmets good condition". I won them, worse luck, even now I still have nightmares when I think of the tea chest full of rusting relics which arrived on my doorstep. Seventeen arrived, 3 got lost in transit. Being a glutton for punishment, I wrote a letter to the auction about the 3 missing helmets, after all they did charge me postage, packing, and insurance. Packing was accounted for by throwing the helmets into a plywood tea crate with an old newspaper acting as a lid. Insurance apparently only covered the items while they were inside the auction rooms. Postage appeared to be the only item that was functional. On the insurance side, I received a hard-luck Jack—type letter. I still have one of these helmets left, so if any reader wants an original Wehrmacht helmet, devoid of metal liner, chinstrap, free of charge, I will sweep the rust into a match box and send it on.

F. Van Eycke, "European Newsletter", DAS HAKENKREUZ, 1969

About our Blog

Welcome...

In this section you will find a series of articles on the various aspects of Third Reich militaria collecting. These are intended to introduce the new collector to a preticular area of our hobby and to provide the experienced collector with a refresher course, or perhaps some new info. They are not intended to replace reference books in one's library, but are here to "wet the appetite" of the collectors, and encourage them to aquire the books or magazines they were taken from. Many of these sources are currently available from book dealers, or the publisher, and some are long out of print. In the case of the later, it might take some hunting to aquire them. Militaria shows, other collectors and this web site might be good sources.

Most of this info was aquired by scanning pages and running them through an optical character recognition (OCR) program. While this is the most efficient way of aquiring the text, it is not fool-proof and errors are encountered. We have proof read all of these articles and made the corrections we found. However, don't be surprised if you find a mis-spelled word or other error here and there. We could only do so much.... In the case of the photos that accompany the articles, some are from the article itself, while others are photos I added from other sources as I thought appropriate.

This feature of germanmilitariacollecibles.com will be an ongoing project. I will add more material as often as it is available and I have time to do so. If you are an author who has written something about German militaria collecting, and would like to share it with our readers, we would like to see it. You can email a copy to us. If we use it, and we will try to, you will receive full credit. Be sure you tell us your name, the title, where or who published it (if it was) and the date published. Also, if you have reference material you think your fellow collectors would be interested in and would like to share, please email me about it and we'll see what we can do. Especially good would be older articles from magazines and books. Of course you'll get credit for the contribution.

Bob Treend : info@germanmilitariacollectibles.com

SS Allach

Very little is known about porcelain manufactured at the SS factory situated at Allach, a small town a few miles outside Munich. Even within Germany itself today very few people have heard of its existence. To the best of the author's knowedge, only three post-war items have appeared in print; two small articles in 'Epoca' and 'Der Spiegel', and two pages in 'Schrihenreihe Der Vierteljahrshefte Fur Zeitgeschichte - Die Wirtschaftlichen Unternehmungen Der S.S.' 1963, and only three contemporary articles; one in the Norwegian S.S. paper 'Hirdmannen' of 22nd February 1941, and another in the German SS paper 'Des Schwarz Korps' of 6th April 1939, and another in the National Socialist official art magazine 'Kunst im Drittenreich'.

Even so, an ever-increasing degree of interest is now being shown, and it is in order to promote this interest in Allach porcelain that this study has been published. All known available information has been carefully studied and relevant excerpts included, as have been photographs of all known pieces. An illustrated catalogue of the items made was published, but has not been obtainable. The pieces shown are by no means the majority of those manufactured, but the most well-known are shown and, together with the others illustrated, present a good crosssection of the items manufactured. Eight of the illustrations are from the Haus Der Deutschen Kunst ( House of German Art) catalogues. Of particular interest is illustration No. 28 which is the painting by Joseph Vietze exhibited at the House of German Art in 1941, of S.S. Brigadefuhrer Reinhard Heydrich with the porcelain fencer in the background. Illustration No. 27 shows the''Fencer'' in the advertisement for Allach porcelain in the same catalog's.

The small porcelain factory situated at Allach was originally concern which was founded in 1935, two years after Hitler's accession to power. In 1936 it was taken over by the Personal Staff Department of the Reichsfuhrer S.S. Heinrich Himmler, and was connected with that department of the Personal Staff headed by S.S. Obersturmbannfuhrer Prof. Diebitsch, which dealt with 'all artistic and architectural questions which interested the Reichsfuhrer'. Fully established as an S.S. economic concern, it was incorporated into the Hauptamt Verwaltung Und Wirtschaft (Main Department for Administration and Economics) in 1939.

Between 1936 and 1939 it was connected with the firm 'Bohemia Ceramic Works', and also held more than half the shares in 'Porcelain Radiators GmbH'. The factory was one of Himmler's favourite concerns, as by the production of beautiful and decorative art pieces, he felt he could influence and better German taste. This would also be achieved through the products of the household crockery and utensil section of the factory. Himmler was particularly fond of the Allach project, and his opinions were shared by his friends in the 'Freundkreis Der R.F.S.S'. In a letter to S.S. Hauptamtchef Pohl, Himmler declared that Allach was, to him, 'one of the few things which are positive' and which gave him pleasure.

As mentioned earlier, the Allach factory was primarily intended for the production of decorative and artistic pieces, to include especially commissioned items for Himmler. But ordinary plates, vases, mugs, etc., were also made in a separate section of the factory. together with jars and other utensils for hospitals and canteens. However, this study is only concerned with the porcelain S.S. pieces, and not the ceramic part of the factory. It is recognised throughout the world that porcelain is one of the best artistic materials to express form and feeling in small pieces ('the noblest ceramic material') , and the German porcelain factories of Berlin, Meissen and Dresden have led the world since the Baroc period when porcelain factories were first founded by the German Princes. Following in this tradition, Himmler decided that the pieces produced at Allach would reflect the art form and feeling of the Third Reich, and of the SS in particular. SS Obersturmbannfuhrer Diebitsch, who became director of Allach, said on opening the new Allach showroom in Berlin at Leipzigerstrasse 13 on 1st April 1939: ' ''No people live longer than the documents of their vurture's. These words of the Fuhrer are a cultural motto for us. We know that all we may produce will be critically examined by those who come after us, and we do not want these later generations to give a poor verdict on our works'.

This was to be a prophetic statement, for SS porcelain is today almost impossible to obtain, but that which is obtainable is of the finest quality.

It was, as we have seen, the definite intention of Himmler to promote 'artistically worthy' hand-made porcelain and ceramic products, 'and to work towards that good example of the high standards of this branch of industry'. For the design work of the pieces the finest artists were recruited: Professors Diebitsch (the director of Allach and SS Obersturmbannfuhrer) , Karner, Wagenfeld, Feaster and Thorak, etc. The director of the State Porcelain Gallery in Dresden. Prof. D. S. Fichter, also worked at Allach. Many of the finer pieces are signed by Prof. T. H. Karner and by Ottmar Obermeier; two of the foremost potters who worked at Allach.

In the course of time the factory grew. When room at Allach was no longer sufficient, the plant transferred to nearby Dachau in1937, and was set up in a building in the area of the SS training camp, but outside the confines of the prison camp proper. At the end of 1940 the ceramic section went back to Attach, which had in the meantime been enlarged. The factory then had two plants: the porcelain works at Dachau under R. Dippy, the Sales Manager, and the ceramic works at Allach under the Secretary, Herr Nagy. The Technical Director was Herr Director Hechtfischer of the 'Bohemia' Works, a first-class porcelain connoisseur. Artistic advice was also obtained from Elenore Pohl, wife of SS Hauptamatchef Pohl, as she was a qualified designer. In both works initially only about thirty workers were employed. The employment of the neighbouring camp workers had to be authorized by the Reichsfuhrer, Himmler. ''A few prisoners from Dachau were first employed in 1941, and this number grew to over a hundred in 1943.

Before the war, it was intended to have a new factory built at Allach, where the items could be properly displayed. It also appears that other showrooms were to have been built at Berlin,and later in Posen, Warsaw and Lemberg, of which the total building and equipping cost of three to four hundred thousand Reicbsmarks was out of proportion to the economic prospects of the concerns, and for which supplies of porcelain from the small furnaces at Allach would not have been adequate. (During the course of the war, these plans were abandoned.) It must therefore have been planned to expand the Dachau Plant extensively.

The total turnover of Allach was quite limited: in 1941 it amounted to 560 000 R.M.; in 1942 850 000 R.M.; and in 1943 706 000 R.M. Of the decorative pieces, which are the most important, since they were of the very finest quality, about half were delivered to the Personal Staff Department of the Reichsfuhrer S.S. who had had them commissioned for special presentation use. These were not for sale, although the remainder of the products could be bough by the general public. Items for general sale included the Bust of Hitler, the Fencer, various animals, and also the mounted figures, which included no less than five variations of Frederick the Great. The special presentation pieces were for high-ranking SS and police leaders, as well as specially selected SS men. Some of the outstanding presentation pieces for high personages nominated by Himmler include the following figures: Finnish Bear; Standard Bearer ( see illustration of this piece on the cover of 'the SS 'F.M.' magazine, illustration No. 20) ; Police Officer; and various plates (see illustrations Nos. 77 to 90) . An outstanding 'pair' in this class is the 'Siebenburgische Trachtenfiguren' series, illustration No. 36 which shows two figures in folk costume, together with a presentation card signed by Himmler on 'the occasion of a colleague's birthday'. Certain items were special 'one-off' pieces, as exemplified in the prize plate for the police competition of 1938 ( illustration No. 85). Pieces for the rank and file S.S. included the Jul-Teller (illustrations Nos. 77 to 82) Jul-leuchter and Geburts-leuchter, 'Yuleplates', 'Yule and Birth Candlesticks', respectively. Yule candlesticks were given at Yuletide, 21 st December, and of these Himmler said 'I would have every family of a married SS man to be in possession of a Jul-Leuchter. Even the wife will, when she has left the myths of the church, find something else which her heart and mind can embrace'. Birth candlesticks were given to an SS family on the birth of their fourth and any subsequent child, together with a citation with the words 'In an eternal chain, you are but one link' and 'To you, your parents, your kindred and your people', signed with the facsimile signature of Himmler. The Jul-leuchter was in the form of an earthenware cone with Runic designs.

Two types of Jul-Teller (Yule plates) exist, one for presentation to the SS, and the other for purchase by the general public. The SS plates are in pure white porcelain and bear a National Socialist symbol or emblem. This is in accordance with the field of thought in Germany which feels that pure white porcelain is more desirable than coloured porcelain, and it is for this reason that the presentation pieces are white. The plates available to the public have a coloured design of various winter flowers, applied by transfer. They also have a runic border of the 'Life'rune.

Although practically all pieces were glazed some of the presentation pieces incorporating a badge in their design had the badge left unglazed. The presentation plate showing the N.S. Reichskriegerbund (Ex-servicemen's Association) badge (illustrationNo. 79) , is an example.

A particularly original trademark was designed, which was composed of the two SS runes, one superimposed over the other, (see page 12)

This mark appears in blacks or green, sometimes within an octagon, and will be found on all pieces manufactured at Allach. Sometimes the name Allach also appears. Both the porcelain and ceramic sections used the same mark. Most of the pieces were white, but a few were coloured. A magnificent example of a coloured equestrian figure can be seen in illustration No. 2, which black and while photography cannot do it justice.

SS Allach Porcelain today is almost unobtainable and, when available, commands very high prices. Perhaps the fact that it is eagerly sought after is its finest tribute. It is hoped that by this necessarily limited study, its best points can be the better readily appreciated by those interested.

Michael J. Passmore and Tony L. Oliver: "SS Poecelain Allach", 1972, T.L.O Publications

The "Party Day of Peace"

An Award for the Rally that never was.

Pictured with this article is one of the more unusual award medallions prepared by theThird Reich. It was never given to anyone. It celebrated a non-event.

This slver medallion weighs 7 ounces and is 9.5 cm in diameter. (Don't confuse this piece with the ''tinnys'' of similar design). It was found in a black, hinged case with gray velveteen interior and labeled ''Carl Poellath, Schrobenhausen''. Professor Klein's (the designer) trademark ''RK'' can be seen on the medallion just above the ankle of the reclining female fgure. This piece is now in my collection.

The story of the Nazi Party Rallies in Nuremberg has captured the imagination of all who witnessed them, and generations later, of those who read about them and experienced contemporarily footage including the classic ''Triumph of the Will''.

Each year in Nuremberg, for about ten days, tens of thousands of Nazi Party faithful gathered for a combination sports fest, Heer and Luftwaffe maneuvers and motivationional session, all rolled into one. The blood-red, white and black flags by the thousands, the martial music, the uniforms of practically everyone involved, left all present in a grand state of euphoria precisely the effect desired by Hitler and his comrades. Nine hundred and fifty thousand of Hitler's followers attended the 1938 Party Rally. They expected almost two million for 1939, the rally titled ''The Party Day of Peace''. It was scheduled to begin on September the second, and was to be a truly grand rally. By early August 2,500 participants had set out on an ''Adolf Hitler March'' to attend the rally. All summer thousands of laborers worked on the grounds, finishing a new concert hall and completing a wide avenue linking the Luitpold Arena and the Marzfeld to the great stadium.

Five large restaurants had been set up to feed the workers. According to the VOLKISCHERBEOBACHTER of August 15, 1939, a special force of 26,000 SS men had been delegated to keep order, help with traffic, and keep everyone in line.

More than a thouand streecar conductors were yanked from their jobs in Vienna, Hamburg, Berlin and Breslau to run the special streetcar lines in Nurmberg - they even went underground near the rally area. Four hundred flags were made, each bearing the heraldic figure of the city of Greater Germany.

In late August, special camp for a least 350,000 visitors were set up. Workers built a special train station and opened twenty-eight special post offices.

It could all have been happening on the moon, because just a little more than 500 kilomiters away World War II was about to start on September first.

In Nuremberg, however, everything was ready. But with only 6 day to go, the German news bureau abruptly announced: ''According to the press office of the NSDAP, the planned party rally from September 2 to 11 this year will not take place. Whether the meeting will be held later depends on political circumstances.

They folded the flags, struck the tents and as the streetcars stood silent Hitler crashed across the border into Poland. So much for the "Day of Peace".

The Nuremberg one sees on the films and in the pictures looks quite different today. The Luitpold hall and field were destroyed by Allied bombs; only the memorial to war dead survived and still looks almost exactly as it did when Hitler and his colleagues stood in front of its central flame and saluted. When you stand in the remaining field, as I did last year, you become disoriented, as most of the pictured landmarks are gone. The Luitpoldhain its most famous picture perhaps for the Standartenweihe) is only a smallish park, surrounded by shrubs and trees. In recent years, to help the confused visitor, a signboard has been erected near the site of the Luitpold hall (and those tall flags) explaining what happened there and orienting the viewer with a large map of the entire Party Rally area as it was in the 1930's.

The familiar Zeppelinwiese, of course, was changed at the end of the war. The long columns atop the stands were destroyed, along with the huge swastikas on top, leaving only the seating area and the reviewing stand. All are in poor condition. When I was there last year there were soft drink cans and trash lettering the stands. A schoolmaster stood where Hitler once reviewed his troops and instructed a class of about 30 high students, who were seated in the stands, on the history of the area. I stood for about 3o minutes listening in awe to his frankness. He pulled no punches. Where tanks had rumbled on the field fifty-five years earlier, several simi-trailers practiced parking between red pylons.

If you can and one of these medallions, obtain it if you can, as you will own a particularly unique item. It was designed by Professor Richard Klein and was produced in gold, silver and bronze and would have been awarded in the sports competition. As things turned out, it was never awarded to anyone.

Mickey Huffman, "The 'Party Day of Peace' ", Der Gauleiter, 1991