Gestapo ID - The Other Half of the Story

Over the years a number of articles have appeared in DG and and other militaria related books and periodicals concerning the Gestapo Warrant Disc (Gestapo Erkennungsmarke). These well researched and informative articles have examined virtually all aspects of the warrant disc from the orders which promulgated it, to its size, color composition, even the chain it was carried on and what type of leather tab the chain had.

However as insightful as these articles were, they told only half the story for, in addition to the warrant disc, Gestapo agents also carried a second type of identification, an identity card (Gestapo Dienstausweis). Little is known about the Gestapo ID card, not unexpectidly so. Knowing the Allies revulsion for the Gestapo, its agents could have had little doubt as to their fate if they fell into ''enemy'' hands. At war's end hundreds of Gestapo men and women tried to hide themselves among the populace in an attempt to escape retribution. For many this simply meant a change of cloths and moving to an area where they were not known. In the end however, most were captured after having been turned in by their own countrymen.

One of the first and most important things an agent going into hiding had to do was to rid himself of anything which would identify him, or her (there were also female agents) as having worked for the Gestapo. Warrant discs presented a problem as they couldn't easily be destroyed and many were simply discarded or perhaps they made an attempt at defacing them. This explains to some degree why, thought not common, original Gestapo warrant discs can be found in militaria collections today. The Gestapo ID card, on the other hand, presented no such problem and could and was easily destroyed, which accounts for the extreme scarcity of original documents today. Ease of destruction and the probable fatal consequences of being caught in possession of one goes a long way in explaining why original Gestapo identity documents, when they turn up at all, tend to be blank unissued cards, found in Gestapo offices. One of the first works to seriously examine the Gestapo ID card was a short book about German Police documents, ''Ausweis-Dokumente der Deutschen Polizei 1936-1945'' by Klaus D. Patzwall. While the book didn't describe the documents in any detail, it did cover the orders which promulgated them and governed their issue and showed examples which, not surprisingly, were blank issue cards. Since that time very little has appeared in print concerning this rare document. Don Bible, an acknowledged expert on the subject, in his book ''Warrant Disc of the Gestapo and Kripo 1934-1946'' and later in his article in DG, makes but a mentioning the Gestapo ID card existed. Nonetheless over the past few years some information has come to light. For example, it is now known that when arresting a suspect, a Gestapo agent would display his warrant disc as his authority to take someone into custody. The agent showed his ID card only in those rare instances when it was necessary to identify himself to superiors as a member of the Gestapo. It can be imagined that the number of times that an agent would be obliged to display his ID card would be few.

About five years ago a Gestapo ID card and warrant disc with matching serial numbers surfaced in South Africa, the war booty of a former British Army Major. After passing through a number of hands these items now reside in a private collection in America. Along with the Gestapo ID card and warrant disc was a note describing the date and place where the Gestapo agent was captured. Research into the combat unit to which the British officer belonged places it at the right place at the right time. In addition, the war diaries of the unit's superior formation state that the Major's unit captured a large number of Gestapo agents in the days and weeks after the end of the war. Third, at that time, the Major was serving as the unit's intelligence officer, so it is quite likely that he would have been actively involved in the interrogation of a captured Gestapo agent. Unfortunately the former British Army officer is no longer alive to confirm the provenance of the items, however, research, as much as it ever can, has established this Gestapo ID card as genuine.

The Gestapo ID card consists of a single piece of white medium weight card stockmeasuring 10cm wide by 7.5cm high. It is printed on both sides. The card has a background pattern consisting of tightly interlocking circles which produces a ''chain-mail'' effect. This background pattern which is red, completely covers both sides of the card except for two small places on the front. The left half of the front has space in the center for a photograph of the agent to be affixed. In the example, the photograph has been attached to the document using two rivets, each with a solid ring front and a split ring back. Below the photo is a box, for the signature of the bearer. This signature box is not covered by the circle background. Underneath the box is the inscription " Unterschrift des Inhabers"(Signature of bearer). The top left corner of the photo space is the other spot not covered with the circle pattern. There is a white circle for an authentication stamp to be placed partly on the card and partly over the photo. The photo has been authenticated by having a stamp placed over the upper right and lower left corners. The stamp is small, about the size of a quarter, round and in black ink. The design consists of a thin outer rimc ontaining a medium sized national emblem in the upper center. Around the inside of the upper rim, reading from seven o'clock to five o'clock is the wording: "Der Reichsfuhrer SS und Chef Der Deutshcen Polizei". At the bottom center, at the six o'clock position, is the number "3". Below the national emblem, in the center and reading horizontally, on three lines is the wording, "D. Chef d. Sicherheitspolizei u. SD" (The Chief of the Security Police and of the SecurityService). The background pattern makes it difficult to read the printing on the card which is probably why the area for the authentication stamp, with its tiny printing, and the area for the bearer's signature, were left free of the pattern. Inaddition, the background pattern serves as a security feature making it virtually impossible to alter the pass undetectable. The right half of the obverse consists of several fill-in-the-blanks lines. At the top, in lager letters, are the words, "Dienstausweis Nr." followed by a solid black line on which the Gestapo agent's serial number is to be entered. Below the serial member, in parenthesis, is a statement giving the date of validity of the ID card, "(gultig bis 1.1.1945)". To the right of the validity date, in very large and heavy print, is the last two digits of the year of issue. Below the validity line is the word "fur" (for) underneath which are two solid lines on which to enter the name and rank of the Gestapo agent. Roughly in the center of the page is the statement "bie der Staatspolizeileit-stelle in" (is assigned to the StatePolice Office in) followed by a solid line to enter the locaton of the office. The bottom third of the right half is taken up by an authentication block consisting of the place of issue (Berlin) followed by a solid line for entering the date of issue of the ID card ending in the preprinted year of issue (1944). Under the place/dateline is, in large letters, the pre-printed title of the authenticating official, "Der Chef der Sicherheitspolizei und des SD" (The Chief of the Security Police and the Security Service). Since its a safe bet that the Chief himself didn't sign these cards, the signature which appears on the card is that of some less exalted official. The reverse of the Gestapo ID card is completely covered by the chain-mail background pattern. In the center of the card is printed in bold black letters a statement authorizing the bearer to draw a weapon and amunition and to carry them in the performance of his duty, "Der Inhaber dieses Dienstausweises ist zum fuhren auch von eigenen Waffen sowie zum Erwerb der dazugehorigen Munition berechtigt". The Franz Glatz Gestapo ID card has had its length of validity extended by having a statement typed on the reverse, "weiter gultig bis zum 1.3.1945", and the place and date the extension was authorized, "Villach den 1.1.1945". Below these statements is a dotted line for the signature of the authenticating official. A large authentication stamp has been placed partially over the extension statement. This stamp is different from the one on the front of the card. It is a larger, about half-dollar size, and consists of a thin outer rim with a large national emblem in the center. Though faint, it appears that the wording around the inside of the upper rim is, "Staatspolizei-leit-stelle" (State Police office) from about nine o'clock to about three o'clock. At the six o'clock position inside the lower rim is the word "Villach", which is the location of the Gestapo office.

The fearful fate awaiting those who were caught with one of these documents is born out by an addendum to the note written by the former British Army Major. The addendum baldly states that Gestapo agent Franz Glatz was executed by hanging shortly after his capture.Who executed Glatz? Well, that's another story.

Bruce Eric Kipp, "Gestapo ID-The Other Half of the Story", Der Gauleiter, 1995