new work on Allgemeine SS in German

[Friedrich-Berthold]

For instance, the work describes the transition of the Allgem. SS from its pre 1939 role to that of wartime in great detail, to say nothing of an excellent chapter on training and ideology in the Allgem. SS. Also, the author highlights the relationship of the Allgem. SS and the SSTV, and much more.
The author has tracked down the records in their scarcity of local SS units, among which, for instance, is Standarte 81 in the south west, and includes aspects of the organization from the unit level as found in few places otherwise. These are minor details to those interested in the conventional Waffen SS biography, but they7 interest me greatly as such detail is found no where else.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The bulk of the local level SS unit records has vanished, with only a handful of such archival holdings found in such places as Marburg and Ludwisgburg. Nor did the SS secure the records of its operation in its early years in a consistent way.
These facts have an impact on the question of uniforms, I guess, in the sense that knowledge of how the procurement and such operated in the early years is no where to be found at the local level.
The papers of the central SS organizations are better preserved, as he author has used them, as has been the case for decades.

[BenVK]

For instance, the work describes the transition of the Allgem. SS from its pre 1939 role to that of wartime in great detail

That is the period that remains a relative mystery to me and have read very little about it except facts and dates.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

That is the period that remains a relative mystery to me and have read very little about it except facts and dates.

Hein goes into it in more detail than as found in say Lumsden, the latter, of course, recycles older works and has never done much primary research.
In any case, it is all pretty picayune, but since I have several black uniforms of these people, it interests me. Hein also does a lot to explain the collective biography of these men, whereby their violent and pretty thuggish nature prior to 1933 and thereafter is noteworthy.
That is, Allgem. SS members were not beyond random acts of more or less illegal violence against whomever they deemed enemies of the regime. Hein includes accounts of these cases which are fairly telling, I think.
He also describes the character of the FM organization, the authorship of the SS Leithefte and many other items of interest.
The collective biography aspect is very good and fits within this new SS scholarship. That is, the author gives many cases studies of such persons, even small fry, which reveal the character of the whole.

[BenVK]

But what organised them from a bunch of thugs into 50 odd thousand members of an elite gruppe? Surely just not Himmler' appointment?

[BenVK]

Oh well, once again I retire to bed with questions unanswered. To sleep: perchance to dream...

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The whole of the book speaks to the question of how a very small group of violent men became the SS of the propaganda image and the memory of same. In fact, Hein's treatment is surely more thoughtful and analytical than previous accounts.
He also does discuss the uniform, especially its lack of uniformity, its high price, and the difficulties as late as say 1934 in getting all kitted out.
He has evidence on this account that fits perfectly with the material I have found in the RZM circulars, to boot. There are also other scholars in Germany who have addressed the SS uniform, which I have to dig out now.
All pieces of the mosaic. Chapeau to those who extend knowledge, even if it is not in a coffee table book randomly cobbled together from a handful of collections.
I doubt the book will be translated, since such is very costly, but I approach these things in an old fashioned way.
All the same, well worth forty Euros.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Here is part of the table of contents in order to get a sense of the author's purpose. This work is not a collector for militaria afficiandos, but a work of academic history concerned with recent trends in the social history of the 20th century. The latter topic has interested me for as long as I have been a professional in this field, and really before. I will photograph the last page of the table of contents, as well as some of the sources, i.e. the archival sources this author has employed.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

I also bought the book on the Allgem. SS in Vienna, which is even more weighty than the work by Hein.
Moreover, I bought several new works on social history and Nazi Germany of merit and interest.

- - Updated - -

There is also the catalog of an exhibition on the German police, which I was also able to find after some delay.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

This volume I bought on the last trip, it is the catalog to the exhibition in the Wewelsburg and is also of great merit.