Note that there were 3 departments: one for military; the second for civil; and the last for studentika caps. This could explain why the quality was so much better on the former rather than the latter two--only the best were assigned to Abt. 1.
“Show me the regulation, and I’ll show you the exception.”
The order appears to have been a small one, and appears to have been for Bahn-muetzen. This could be Strassenbahn, but who knows--anyone who can interpret this order, feel free to chime in.
“Show me the regulation, and I’ll show you the exception.”
Thanks. Once you learn German, you can go to Wuppertal, where I am sure there is an excellent infrastructure for local history, to include that of local trade, crafts and industries in which you might well find far more treasure than this very nice receipt. You also notice that the condition of sale and credit are included, issues that are constantly referred to in Uniformenmarkt.
The order here is for some 53 caps of varying type, some of which are plainly for the Reichsbahn. One says Bahn to denote railway, i.e. state railways. The other caps are referred to by a catalog or type number. I am not sure of these distinctions. In any case, 53 caps cost about 113 or so RM.
Wuppertal is east of Cologne. I am been through the place many times, but never did historical research in this kind of thing, but surely someone can or perhaps even has. You should ask Wim Saris who posts on the other site (not the lord of the flies site...) who is often in the Rhineland from his base in the Netherlands.
In any case, your receipt is nice. Too bad the person who wrote it up cannot reveal more. The order came from another firm, plainly.
Happy head wear.
Last edited by Friedrich-Berthold; 03-31-2010 at 04:04 PM.
Note that there were 3 departments: one for military; the second for civil; and the last for studentika caps. This could explain why the quality was so much better on the former rather than the latter two--only the best were assigned to Abt. 1.
The reason the quality of the military caps was higher in many cases, i.e. Extramuetzen, for the military is contained in the many, many articles I posted from UM as concerns the market for Extramuetzen. That is, one competed in a market for what was a non essential, quasi luxury item that was meant to set the wearer apart from the hum drum issue piece of uniform. Several of the articles in this thread speak to this issue in detail.
The caps for state agencies (i.e. post) were of a different nature, and fitted into a different market. The introduction of compulsory military service in 1935 meant a huge increase in the size of said market for such extra military caps, as well as those of the ever expanding officer corps. Also, since the military officer had a trend setting aspect to him granted social prestige from the old regime, there was also an imperative to make the uniform and the cap (as the highest expression of the uniform) an especially attractive object.
sapere aude.
PS Schuelermuetzen were not necessarily the caps worn by fraternities in universities, i.e. Uni. Koeln or especially Bonn (not far from Wuppertal) but would also have been for secondary schools of the time.
BTW, I did a little research on the buyer named on the invoice, Gerhard Wilmink of Plettenberg. They were a small furrier--here is a pic of the "Haus Plettenberg" where the DRB hats in the invoice would have been sent to (this pic is probably from the late 40's--note the split window VW):
“Show me the regulation, and I’ll show you the exception.”
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