Butschek Austrian Legion photo album of noteworthy interest.

[HPL2008]

Does one of you know if this image of urban combat training was in Bavaria?

Apparently yes.

Looking at the album pages in their entirety (captions and all) in Mr. Butschek's thread over at the WAF, we can see that the album's original owner was still in Austria in May 1933, when he was arrested. During the summer of 1933, he was already with the Österreichische Legion at Lechfeld and then eventually had moved on to the Hilfswerklager Dachau by 1934.

The photographs showing the SS men engaged in urban combat training, running an obstacle course, shooting etc. while wearing the traditional brownshirt uniform are clearly from the time at Lechfeld near Augsburg.

These activities also match with the descriptions of the Austrian Legion's training activities as given in the Rothländer book. ["reine stoßtruppmäßige Ausbildung [...] Übungen für Hindernisnehmen und -bau, Sprengungen, Handhabung von Masch(inen)-Pistole und Mauserpistole (...) sowie militärische Verwendung mit kleinen und kleinsten Gruppen" (pg. 491f.)]

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Bravo, Andreas, you are my hero.

[HPL2008]

What kind of cuff title is that? I know there was an Oberabschnitt Donau, but it didn't exist at the time the photo would have been taken.

It did. Oberabschnitt Donau was established on 15th February 1934. [More precisely, the erstwhile SS-Abschnitt VIII - officially dissolved due to its illegality in Austria - was elevated/re-designated to be the new Oberabschnitt Donau.]

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Hi Walter..it would be beyond me to add anything more..as Im just a student here. Seasoned knowledge has answered the most difficult questions.

We can offer all bibliographical tips for the NSDAP, SA, SS etc in Austria, to include the period prior to its banning by the Dollfuss regime in 1933.

Eine kleine filmische Einspielung....

Martial Law In Vienna - YouTube

[Friedrich-Berthold]

It did. Oberabschnitt Donau was established on 15th February 1934. [More precisely, the erstwhile SS-Abschnitt VIII - officially dissolved due to its illegality in Austria - was elevated/re-designated to be the new Oberabschnitt Donau.]

Bravo. The Rothlaender book delineates the evolution of the SS in Austria in more detail than I have ever seen in even the classic works on the pre 1939 years of the SS overall.

There is so much wonderful scholarship by fine young people on the SS in German nowadays.

[HPL2008]

This ablum was apparently the property of a man named Slipek. A name free of foreign influence, as you will see.....

Somehow, I hadn't done the obvious yet: Looking up the man.

Sure enough, Theodor Slipek is mentioned in the Rothländer book as well (pgs. 499, 514 and 567). He was the Verwaltungsführer [administrative officer] of the SS-Sammelstelle Dachau from 1935 to 1938. In this capacity, he was also involved in investigating the clashes between the Austrian SS men and the civilian population in the Waischenfeld area.

And here is the data on him as assembled from the various SS-Dienstalterslisten:

Name: Slipek Theodor
Date of birth: 18th Sept. 1893
SS number: 2 357
NSDAP number: 92 368
Promotion dates:
- 20th Feb. 1931 - Sturmbannführer
- 20th April 1935 - Obersturmbannführer
- 13th Sept. 1936 - Standartenführer
Rank in the Waffen-SS: Sturmbannführer der Reserve
Duty assignments:
- z.b.V. 31. Standarte (as per SS-DAL of 1st Oct. 1934)
- SS-Sammelstelle (as per SS-DAL of 1st July 1935 and 1st Dec. 1936)
- Stab SS-Sammelstelle (as per SS-DAL of 1st Dec. 1937)
- Stab Oberabschnitt Rhein (as per SS-DAL of 1st Dec. 1938)
- Stab Oberabschnitt Alpenland (as per SS-DAL of 30th January 1944 and 9th November 1944)
Awards and decorations: Goldenes Ehrenzeichen der NSDAP, Ehrenkreuz für Frontkämpfer, unspecified Landesorden (WWI), Verwundetenabzeichen in schwarz (WWI), Kriegsverdienstkreuz II. Klasse mit Schwertern, Ehrendegen des Reichsführers SS, Totenkopfring der SS.
Other data: Full-time officer in the Allgemeine SS (as per SS-DAL of 30th January 1944 and 9th Nov. 1944), member of Lebensborn e.V.

Mr. Butschek also mentions another name associated with the album, one Hans Schwarzäugl. He is not mentioned in the Rothländer study. The SS-DALs have this on him:

Name: Schwarzäugl Hans
Date of birth: 25th Jan. 1903
SS number: 130 125
NSDAP number: 1 084 720
Promotion dates:
- 9th Nov. 1935 - Untersturmführer
- 20th April 1937 - Obersturmführer
- 30th Jan. 1939 - Hauptsturmführer
Duty assignments:
- Hilfswerk (as per SS-DAL of 1st Dec. 1936)
- SS-Sammelstelle (as per SS-DAL of 1st Dec. 1937)
- 52. Standarte (as per SS-DAL of 1st Dec. 1938)
Awards and decorations: SA-Sportabzeichen, Totenkopfring der SS.
Other data: member of Lebensborn e.V.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Bravo.

[Robert H]

Is this a Oberabschnitt cuffband "Donau" or a so called Politische Bereitschaft cuffband?
Remembers me from the style exactly from my friends Pol.B. title "Würrtemberg".

Nice to see a piped coffe can cap ...

[Friedrich-Berthold]

From the Delich treasure trove....

[d'alquen]

Robert,
I think it is an Oberabschnitt title. All the photographs of the Austrian legion at Dachau show a plain title and that group were arguably the PB Austrian element.
I believe it is just the early style of lettering which was seen, as you say, on Württemberg and many other titles of the period. Here is a photograph of the Allgemeine-SS Faust honour title showing that early script style of lettering.
The Oberabschnitt Donau was situated in Munich during that early period.
d'Alquen