Article about: Well, I did not say what kind of Gestapo disk. Issued by the Zweibruecken Staatspolizeiamt (State Police Office) "Gestapo Office". To my knowledge there is only one other known to
Well, I did not say what kind of Gestapo disk. Issued by the Zweibruecken Staatspolizeiamt (State Police Office) "Gestapo Office". To my knowledge there is only one other known to exist, a smaller size for motorcycles, residing in JoeW's collection. If one looks hard, these are usually slightly damaged from removal of the disk from the license plate, as was this example, @ 11:00 and 4:00. From my personal collection.
When I first obtained my license disk last April, JoeW and I discussed this thread, and he disagreed with Georges on the Axis Forum.
Joe (and I don't want to put words in his mouth) felt that if the disk were issued from an Verwaltungamt, the wording on the disk would be Polizeiverwaltung or even Staatl.Polizeiverwaltung as the stempel on the Schupo Dienstausweis below shows. In all cases where the term Staatspolizeiamt, Staatspolizei, Stapostelle, or Staatspolizeistelle is present, it always refers to State Police Office or Gestapo, as shown on the original document below shows.
While Joe found that there was no Gestapo Office in Zweibruecken proper, the disk states "fuer den Staatbezirk" or State District of Zweibruecken. There was a prison/labor camp just outside of Zweibruecken, where there certainly would have been a Gestapo Office within, with least several agents stationed there.
I am no authority on the German language or regulations, far, far from it, but I do trust Joe's experience with all things "Polizei" and until I see something of the contrary, I believe the disk to be issued from "Staatspolizeiamt" to mean just that, "State Police Office" or Gestapo, to be placed on vehicles/motorcycles used by the Gestapo. Could I be wrong? It's possible, but at least now, not probable. It just makes no sense why the terms Landrat, Polizeidirektion, Polizeiprasident as was done on 99.9% of all other Dienstseigel, but with this one, using the term "State Police" to actually mean a town or district admin. office.
Another example where Staatpolizei stands for "Gestapo"
Chart from period literature showing the different signs placed outside of Orpo, Kripo and Gestapo control centers, or Leitstelle (outside of buildings).
This is a seal (metal disc) from a civilian German license plate during WW2. There were two sizes issued: Large diameter seals for car plates and with a smaller diameter for motorcycle plates.
Here on my website about German license plates is one more seal like this shown, I have a few in my collection: Kennzeichenwelt - Siegel und Stempel
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