SS-Mann Dog handler (Totenkopf) photo.

[Gunny Hartmann]

I think it has to be a tended garden of some sorts, just to his left can be seen what appears to be a stake, a tubular stake or possibly a piece of bamboo
The cacti leaved plants in the foreground are succulent's and thrive in hot climates.

Whats interesting is the little house to the right in the back ground with its chimney

Looks like some fairly tall bamboo growing behind the mutt!...

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

The dressing up I mentioned - which hopefully is not the case here, relates solely to the text written on the reverse - especially the content and use of a second hand. I have my fingers crossed for you Leon...

Aah, I see where you're coming from now Carl, I thought you meant the image was altered! The second hand to me personally looks like some smart "a"5e" (probably many years ago) thinking he is clever by adding an insulting aside, but I am confident in the sutterlin script being correct and period. Leon.

[CARL]

Aah, I see where you're coming from now Carl, I thought you meant the image was altered! The second hand to me personally looks like some smart "a"5e" (probably many years ago) thinking he is clever by adding an insulting aside, but I am confident in the sutterlin script being correct and period. Leon.

I am too Leon and that is the important part of the text, not the (quite possibly) later added note.

Carl

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

I am too Leon and that is the important part of the text, not the (quite possibly) later added note.

Carl

Just as an aside Carl, please feel free to move or duplicate this thread into the Konzentrationlager sub-forum if you see fit to do so. Leon.

[Anderson]

I believe I can see a roof of a building, with chimney, at extreme right, middle of photo.

[Komoto]

Concerning the plants and date i would say he's from the Dachau camp and visiting the "Schlosspark Nymphenburg" in Munich. The plants would fit and while i'm not sure about 1944, i know from my own family pictures that this was a popular place to go to, at least for all kinds of soldiers, including SS while in Munich. When my grand uncle had some work at the Munich University with the Ahnenerbe and attended an Event there, he and my grand aunt also went there for coffee.
Now i have no idea if anyone working at Dachau would go in KL related uniform to such leisure places or if there were any regulations for that at all, nor do i know if the dog would tag along.

My point is: Whenever you see someone from the SS (or anyone for that matter) with tropical plants around like ferns and palm trees but not wearing any tropical uniform nor anything hinting at that.
Check out/Google the different "Palmengarten" of Germany which were and still are pretty popular. Here in Frankfurt is the most famous one but i doubt that the picture shows the Frankfurter Palmengarten, especially with that Insignia.

This might not be helpful but concerning SS around tropical plants, from my grand uncles diary (pre-war):
"The Rider folk and especially the always jolly Herr Weber with his Schnauzer spends a lot of time here i have been told."
I'm pretty sure he means SS-Birgadeführer Christian Weber because "Schnauzer" is exactly the type of moustache SS-Brigadeführer Weber had.
So SS in the Nymphenburg Park with the exotic plants around seems normal, but still not sure about someone with that tab.

Any experts here that might have documents of the KL Dachau people for 1944 that lists if any of them or a part of them went on a trip to the Nymphenburg Park? Seems crazy in 1944 but i have seen documents of the 6. SS-Division "Nord" doing a little "Skiing" Event shortly before Operation Nordwind in January 1945, so i guess anything is possible.

Hope i could help,
Konrad

[HistoryMan]

Concerning the plants and date i would say he's from the Dachau camp and visiting the "Schlosspark Nymphenburg" in Munich. The plants would fit and while i'm not sure about 1944, i know from my own family pictures that this was a popular place to go to, at least for all kinds of soldiers, including SS while in Munich. When my grand uncle had some work at the Munich University with the Ahnenerbe and attended an Event there, he and my grand aunt also went there for coffee.
Now i have no idea if anyone working at Dachau would go in KL related uniform to such leisure places or if there were any regulations for that at all, nor do i know if the dog would tag along.

My point is: Whenever you see someone from the SS (or anyone for that matter) with tropical plants around like ferns and palm trees but not wearing any tropical uniform nor anything hinting at that.
Check out/Google the different "Palmengarten" of Germany which were and still are pretty popular. Here in Frankfurt is the most famous one but i doubt that the picture shows the Frankfurter Palmengarten, especially with that Insignia.

This might not be helpful but concerning SS around tropical plants, from my grand uncles diary (pre-war):
"The Rider folk and especially the always jolly Herr Weber with his Schnauzer spends a lot of time here i have been told."
I'm pretty sure he means SS-Birgadeführer Christian Weber because "Schnauzer" is exactly the type of moustache SS-Brigadeführer Weber had.
So SS in the Nymphenburg Park with the exotic plants around seems normal, but still not sure about someone with that tab.

Any experts here that might have documents of the KL Dachau people for 1944 that lists if any of them or a part of them went on a trip to the Nymphenburg Park? Seems crazy in 1944 but i have seen documents of the 6. SS-Division "Nord" doing a little "Skiing" Event shortly before Operation Nordwind in January 1945, so i guess anything is possible.

Hope i could help,
Konrad

See this

SS-Mann Dog handler (Totenkopf) photo.

[Komoto]

That's an even better guess, if they have tropical plants there (which is likely), then i'd be 100% certain you are correct.

As i said in my post, whenever a photo of anyone Axis in non-tropical uniform or anything related confuses you, Germany and Austria (and probably France, Belgium and the Netherlands too) have many of those "Palmengarten" with tropical plants and palms all around. This is a case like that.

[FALLSCHIRMJAGER]

Hi Konrad, thank you very much for that very insightful information, very much appreciated. After some discussion with Carl, I am not convinced that the 1944 date on the reverse can be taken at face value. As was mentioned earlier in the thread, and you have picked up on, that is a very late date for a Standarte 1 member to be wearing this tab! The image itself has been UV tested and comes back fine (even the inner paper when slightly peeled), no glow and the Agfa Brovira markings are also fine, no issues with this being an original period print at all. It is just in my opinion from an earlier date, probably around 1940 as the Mann is wearing a wound badge and an EKII ribbon, but no General or Infantry Assault badge. I think that your evaluation of this image being taken "off camp" is spot on and would be more in keeping of the subject matter in my opinion as well as I doubt the Reich authorities would have allowed "nice posed" photographs to be taken around the KL systems sites.
Just to sum up, a genuine original photograph of a KL Dachau SS Mann with his guard dog circa 1940, taken off site somewhere like you suggest with in my opinion "post war" annotations added to the reverse.
Thanks again for your input one and all, most appreciated. Leon.