SS Reiter in the Zoo

[Friedrich-Berthold]

i am almost certain this is the U Bahnhof Wittenbergplatz.

Attachment 574754

the cone would represent the camera's approximate field of view, the "x" the camel and riders and SS men, and the drainage pipe visible in the background of the original photo is circled here as it appeared on the side of U Bahnhof Wittenbergplatz.

the building is symmetrical and the shot could have been taken from the other side.

the photograph i am using here was taken about 10 or 15 years before the one shown above.

Very keen eye of a professional. In 1975, said locale had a Troedelmarkt in it, where I bought a stripped field grey open collar SS uniform for about ten bucks. I should have kept it, but I sold it along with many other nice uniforms I found in a theater Fundus sale in Bad Godesberg of said epoch. All long gone.
Said place is not far from the Zoo, replete with its camels.
I have spent much pleasant time in the Zoo, in fact.
Berlin now has two zoos, the classic and the Ulbricht/Hoenecker zoo, which has its own poetry.
I have not been in Berlin for a year now, and the sense of loss is great indeed.
I am happy this old thread has revived with such a pleasing echo.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

Attachment 574717I know it is not strictly what we are talking about but just for comparison against your SS reiter tab , here is my SA reiter tab(it is on a complete and early type brown shirt) Leon.

Very nice. A comparison of SA and SS is always warranted. Thank you.

[jHAM]

Here are a few more photos to add to the theme of this thread. There are many images of uniformed SS members with collection bucket in hand for WHW, Das Schwarze Korps and who knows what else. It seems to have been a fairly common practice. Not a camel but how about a miniature horse lead by SS Reiter. These scenes are certainly not what one typically imagines of these men. Thanks to all.

[Duff]

For Tempelhof to see this, circle it, and repost a picture of the building - WoW is all I have to say... That is some serious Attention to Detail Sir!.........

[Woolgar]

Those guys look so benign in that photo!!

Nick

[Friedrich-Berthold]

For Tempelhof to see this, circle it, and repost a picture of the building - WoW is all I have to say... That is some serious Attention to Detail Sir!.........

For those of us who are Berliners of spirit and some experience, this locale is pretty prominent in what was and really still is West Berlin, that is Charlottenburg, and it is not far from the Zoo whence the camel surely came. Mr. Tempelhof is a pro.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

The SS was not really the state within a state and a thing walled off in its funny ghost castle in Westfalia and the barracks in Dachau. Himmler was at pains to form a social and political elite via various means, to include using the organization as a sign of political and social status, as well as money for the party and itself.
The SA had used the newspaper thingy as a fund raiser well before 1933, so all of this was a continuation, as was the winter charity.
Germans love to join clubs and associations of all kinds, and the SS was also that, in addition to being an apparatus of state terror, genocide, paramilitary fighting force et cetera and perga perga....

[Duff]

I will say this - there are certainly some people on this forum who consistently blow my mind with the knowledge they possess! You, Friedrich are one of those. I cant tell you how many posts I have read with your wisdom! It's crazy..... A wonderful asset to have - this forum and the intelligent members....

[tempelhof]

For Tempelhof to see this, circle it, and repost a picture of the building - WoW is all I have to say... That is some serious Attention to Detail Sir!.........

i thank you for the compliment, however as Friedrich-Berthold (and thank you for your kind words as well) points out, the recognition and posting of this building is not much of a feat to anyone fortunate enough to have had the great privilege of living in Berlin. that building is, as previously explained, smack in the middle of a very prominent part of the city. the building on the left of the photo which stands on the corner is the Kaufhaus des Westens. not visible but very nearby, are Kempinski's and many other famous locales and land marks.

having lived there, i probably came in and out of that building a thousand times.

[Friedrich-Berthold]

i thank you for the compliment, however as Friedrich-Berthold (and thank you for your kind words as well) points out, the recognition and posting of this building is not much of a feat to anyone fortunate enough to have had the great privilege of living in Berlin. that building is, as previously explained, smack in the middle of a very prominent part of the city. the building on the left of the photo which stands on the corner is the Kaufhaus des Westens. not visible but very nearby, are Kempinski's and many other famous locales and land marks.

having lived there, i probably came in and out of that building a thousand times.

And a fine thing it was then, in the epoch, and a fine thing, today. Berlin is a great city. Das KaDeWe is always amusing, even if it is too sweeping in its scope. I admire all the attractive young women busily eating on the food floor, in fact. It seems to me to be akin to heaven, really.

We strive to have a happy site here, with much knowledge and congenial atmosphere, and my friends here do all they can to make it thus. I thank them.