Nightwatchmen buckle

[maxrsx]

Tomorrow I will try to make good accurate photos and I will place them.

[yellow12]

Markus, What makes you think this is an earlier buckle?? Why can't it just be a Berlin guild ??

Bill

Hello,

in my eyes both variations are berlin guild .......

But the later variations also make with crank catch .

It's just my opinion .......

[Kurt D]

What makes you think this is an earlier buckle?? Why can't it just be a Berlin guild ??

Bill

Bill

"REICHSEINHEITSVERBAND DES DEUTSCHEN BEWACHUNGSGEWERBES E.V. BERLIN", translating roughly to Reich Unified Federation of the German security industry, was the industry's top trade body and came into being in 1933 as part of the Nazis' "Gleichschaltung" of the German economy. This was one of 51 Reicheinheitsverbände, representative of the various trades, that together formed the "Reichsgruppe Handwerk" of the Reichswirtschaftskammer, this last being directly subordinate to the Reichswirtschaftsministerium, the Reich Ministry for the Economy. This Reichseinheitsverband, being headquartered in Berlin, was therefore the representative of all German security companies, and not a local guild.

On the question of whether all pre-1945 buckles have to have the inscription, I have a picture of a watchman wearing one without inscription. That man is wearing a uniform clearly adapted from Weimar-era police dress and the photo is clearly not post-war.

Kind regards
Kurt

[Ben Evans]

On the question of whether all pre-1945 buckles have to have the inscription, I have a picture of a watchman wearing one without inscription. That man is wearing a uniform clearly adapted from Weimar-era police dress and the photo is clearly not post-war.

Kind regards
Kurt

Nice one Kurt so from this I presume this was in effect a body of guards that looked after "all" factories all over Germany and not just in one location?

[maxrsx]

Maker mark careless is visible only first ge. I think of course belt buckle fake.

[Ben Evans]

Why do you think the buckle is fake? You have had several confirmations of yes from several experienced buckle collectors? The buckle is indeed original, if you think it is fake send it to me, I would have it in my collection without question. Also use your eyes and compare yours with the examples that have been shown.

[Kurt D]

so from this I presume this was in effect a body of guards that looked after "all" factories all over Germany and not just in one location?

Ben, it was the trade association representing all German private security companies. The companies were compulsory members of the association.

I do not think the buckles without inscription should be called fakes. The question is whether they are necessarily post-war.

Kind regards
Kurt

[lach470]

I'll add some pics of my example with the writting.....you can see the Ges.Gesch and the CTD trademark quite well on this one. Not a crank catch example though....but good to look at the maker markings that have been discussed.

[maxrsx]

I do not like a dim indistinct mark of the manufacturer. The mark of the manufacturer on all buckles so is very badly visible? Certainly not.

[GIZMO8Z]

Not to go off topic, but I have a question:

I have recently learned that when the SS came into Zhytomyr, Ukraine, My great-grandfather was pressed into service for them. Because of a severe case of arthritis, they made him a watchman and issued him a uniform (I believe there is a painting of him in the uniform somewhere...). Is it possible that he could have worn one of these buckles?