What is it. Do you know?

[Wilhelm Saris]

Not much response until now. Yes I know, it is not easy!

Now a few hours later I post the letter-head for this aid-organization with its symbol
with a part of the text from the letter. As told before name and so are omitted. I am
sure for many of us this is a total unknown organization. Note the office being at
Stettin in Pommern. I know also from one located at Dresden and Munich, but there
will be more all over Germany.





In some ways KradSpam was right as the Hilfsbund der Deutsch-Österreicher may
have been a part from Der Kampfring der Deutschösterreicher im Reich . But the
shown letterhead from the Hilfsbund shows the symbol.

In Metapedia it is said:
(please consult de.metapedia.org/wiki/ for more information)
Der Kampfring der Deutschösterreicher im Reich (Hilfsbund/Deutsch-Österreicher) wurde
am 5. November 1933 unter Ernst Rauter gegründet, die Gründungsversammlung am 10. Dezember
in München abgehalten.

Below is shown an announcement from issue 64 from the Verordnungsblatt der Reichsleitung der NSDAP
from January 31, 1934. In this nothing was said about the Hilfsbund. The note mentions specificly the
announcement was confidential and was signed by Reichsleiter Philipp Bouhler from the Kanzlei des Führers!
In some ways one should see the Hilfsbund as a sort of secret organization.

[Wilhelm Saris]

The answer is given!

[HPL2008]

Something new is learned every day in this forum; thanks for sharing this information.

By the way, the document is also interesting for illustrating the practice of employing out-of-work A-SS members (in this case an Austrian "refugee") as security guards in SS uniform. (For the benefit of the non-German speakers: The document is about the SS man in question being transferred to a "Flugwache" [lit. "flight guard"] and the request of supplying him with a complete SS uniform: The Flugwache will not provide the uniforms; instead, its members have to procure them at their own expense.)

This is a little-known aspect of the SS' activities; at least the first time I had ever read about it was in Bastian Hein's 2012 book "Elite für Volk und Führer?".

According to the book, such SS-Wachen [SS guards] were first raised in 1933. Organized as very small, individual detachments, they guarded facilities that were considered to be endangered by communist sabotage, such as radio stations, airfields, fuel- and ammunition dumps or armaments factories. Although they wore SS uniforms on duty, these guards were officially in the service of and paid by the respective employer and were typically provided with free board and lodging in addition to their humble wages. Not much information on these guards and no comprehensive numbers on their overall strength are available, but in early 1938, the Oberabschnitt Südost (one of 14 OAs at the time) had 25 such guard units with a total strength of 412 men.

[Gunny Hartmann]

Thanks for the info!...

[Wilhelm Saris]

It is for me a pleasure to occasionally upload information, which is quite unknown to most collectors.
That's also a reason why many of my published articles (US or German magazines) also deal with
"strange and rare" units or organizations,for example the "Hanns Kerrl"-Lager, the Stahlhelm-
organization in the USA, specifically New York, the Forstschutzkommando, the German-Japanese
Youth Exchange badges or the Grosses Militär-Waisenhaus at Potsdam. Just a few to mention!

[youthcollector1]

Thank you for this contribution, it is truly what makes this forum great.

[Wilhelm Saris]

A face too the SS-Sammelstelle:
1935 photograph (from the well-known former Jost W. Schneider-collection),
showing he wearing of the rare cuffband "SS-Sammelstelle", worn by his leader
SS-Gruppenführer Alfred Rodenbücher (the original photo was signed by him).
He also was the leader for the Flüchtlingshilfswerk.



The great uniform-configuration, as all one can see as it should, especially the clear
lettering for the cuffband.

[Dean]

Great information and items to back it up, Wim. I really love the portrait photo, it is very clear in detail. I also noticed the used of the old adler and new totenkopf combo on his cap.
Thanks for sharing this with us, Sir.
Dean.

[Wilhelm Saris]

Yes, I also do like this uniform portrait-photograph.
The new eagle was not introduced yet (sanctioned March 23, 1936) and so the political eagle was positioned
with the new pattern of death's head (introduced when the SS became independent from the SA, but was
worn experimentally since early spring 1934).

[Wilhelm Saris]

In the Verordnungsblatt der Reichsleitung der NSDAP, number 83 from the end of October 1934 (page 204)
I found a note from Bormann about the "Kampfring der Deutsch-Österreicher im Reich" and the "Hilfsbund
der Deutsch-Österreicher e.V." (eingetragener Verein).
In the order 56/34 it is said the "Kampfring" was disbanded on orders of Hitler. To represent the social and cultural
interests of Austrians in Germany the "Hilfsbund" was created. This new union was also representing Austrian
refugees. As its leader professor Kaup from the Munich university was chosen.

Maybe this is of interest in relation to specific dates. It is for sure the "Hilfsbund" was disbanded after the
annexation of Austria. Have not found a date yet!