Dutch DDR-Collection

**Jan Klaassen** · 05-12-2015, 05:22 PM

Good evening ladies and gents!

As I enjoy hoovering around on this forum very much, I thought I'd just share some parts of my own (still growing) DDR-collection, too.
It all started out quite recently, actually. In 2009, I bought a green Bereitschaftspolizei-uniform on a whim, not knowing anything about East Germany or its organisations. Since then, I'm hooked. I love the hunt and I love to see my collection grow (also in quality).
If there's any specific wishes of items or organisations to show, I do cater to your needs ;-)

Currently my focus lies on the "grey area": service and parade uniforms of the NVA (Land, Luft, Marine, Grenztruppen and so on) - not on FDU's, women's uniforms and police-thingies.

**Espenlaub Militaria** · 05-12-2015 05:22 PM

We also buy and trade your items and full collections!

**Gunny Hartmann** · 05-12-2015, 05:30 PM

Well let's see photos of the Bereitschaftspolizei uniform please!...

**Jan Klaassen** · 05-12-2015, 05:35 PM

First, I'd like to introduce you all to some of my navy uniforms. I haven't taken pictures of all of them yet, so here's just a selection for your entertainment.

A 1969 overcoat for a Stabsobermeister Technische Laufbahn. Double chevron denoting a career NCO (this insignia was used between 1965 and 1982) and "tresse" denoting his position as "Hauptfeldwebel" (companies sergeant-major). A really rare bird me thinks, and one of my nices pieces.

On to 1978 with this uniform for a Kapitän zur See (equivalent of colonel) Seemännische Laufbahn. The uniform sports an impressive amount of paper ribbons and the badge for ships commanders on the right chest.

Rarely seen uniform, produced in 1990, for a Fregattenkapitän during the Wendezeit of 1990/91. They alterated the Volksmarine-uniforms in several ways, for example by removing the shoulder boards, adding Bundesmarine-rankstripes and removing two buttons. I have several (3) of these uniforms, one of them even came with provenance. An interesting niche, as far as I'm concerned.

A 1965-dated uniform for a Korvettenkapitän with a Medizinische Laufbahn (medical services on board). As this uniform is quite a bit older, the material used is clearly coarser than on later ones. Besides, you'll find two extra buttonholes on the lapels, whereas with later ones (see the 1990-example above), you don't get those.

- - ------- - -

by Gunny Hartmann

Well let's see photos of the Bereitschaftspolizei uniform please!...

Ah, well... Unfortunately, that was sold as it was too much of an odd duck in my collection...

**harryamb2** · 05-12-2015, 08:22 PM

very nice tunics

**Gunny Hartmann** · 05-12-2015, 08:26 PM

Yup nice stuff!....

**Jan Klaassen** · 05-13-2015, 02:57 PM

Another navy (Volksmarine) update!

Jacket made in 1990, worn by the Korvettenkapitän during the Wendezeit. This jacket has still got its shoulderboards and also retained the 10 buttons. Came from the original wearer.

Another one of those Wende-jackets, this time with only 8 buttons and without shoulderboards. The variation in 1990/91-tunics might suggest some uniforms might've been specifically made (or retailored) for the period in East German factories (like this one), while other officer might've continued to wear their own jacket (like above). I'm just not sure yet... Jacket from 1986.

Obermatrose, Marineflieger. Other speciality: Signaldienst. With Tellermütze from 1982. Regulatory light blue piping on the shoulderboards.

So, any wishes as to which NVA-unit to cover next?

**Jan Klaassen** · 05-15-2015, 06:56 PM

Let's get off the Volksmarine and onto land - welcome the Artillerie/Raketentruppen!

Actually, my oldest uniforms and items are in this niche...

First off, a 1964 heavy (!) winter overcoat for a private. I say heavy, I really do mean heavy - man, these things are huge! They are longer than later overcoats and have also been made of an extremely coarse and rough material. Wouldn't want to wear that, even when it's freezing outside! Even the 80's enlisted uniforms do not compare with the material of this overcoat.
It sports the older style (larger) private shoulderboards and "fake French cuffs", which were phased out somewhere during the late 60's...

Privately purchased tunics were probably rarely seen in the DDR (except for double breasted walking out dresses, which were solely purchased privately), but here's one example. It's for a Hauptmann of the artillery and is made out of a thin material: it's somewhat of a "summer" tunic. Besides, the liner is "not complete" - only half of the jacket has been lined, something usually seen on tunics worn during the warmer months of the year. It has a first-aid-pocket (typical of earlier DDR-tunics) on the inside. Together with this jacket lies a late 50's "schiffchen" for artillery officers, which saw its "bullseye"-cockade removed and replaced by the national emblem in 1961. The coloured piping, however, was retained on this example, while the officially only issued these up to 1961, too. A rulebreaker by the book, but it looks superb.

Lastly, another early Arty-officers tunic. This is a tunic for an Oberleutnant from 1957. Some features: first-aid-pocket, date stamps and so on are placed on a piece of white cloth on the inside pocket on the left side, two inside pockets to begin with and the "smaller" cuffs. This was a feature often seen on 50's tunics, which somehow dissapeared around the start of the 60's. Above the jacket lies a rare "M43"-style cap for artillery officers, still in its original (pre-1961) state, which is seldom seen. A large chunck of these caps would probably have been converted, just like the schiffchen above, to post-1961 rules - thereby destroying the original item (from a collectors' perspective). This one, luckily, has not been altered at all and is as original as when it left the factory in 1956. About 10 of these M43's are known to me all over the world (including many of the different "waffenfarbe" and Luftstreitkräfte) - with perhaps another 10 still on attics in Germany.