Reichsluftfahrtministerium Besteck Tafelsilber

[Bob Lyons]

Hi all,

I just obtained this nice set of Luftwaffe RLM Cutlery (Besteck) from Bill Shea in the US, and thought I would show it here... hope you like it,
the photos are from the Ruptured Duck's website...

The RLM Besteck set are all nicely marked “WMF” - "Württembergische Metallwarenfabrik" - Geislingen an der Steige. (although a couple of the maker's
markings on the back are a bit worn and hard to read).

Also the knife is also marked “Nirosta” :_

Nirosta = Trade name, shortened from German nichtrostende Stähle (“rustproof steel”).

Cheers

Bob

[Bob Lyons]

And this is what their factory looked like in 1880...

Bob

[Bob Lyons]

And a nice early shot of the Geislingen Bahnhof.... (also from the internet).

[MAP]

Very nice Bob. Will compliment you Luft collection well.

Have you given them a test run yet?

[Bob Lyons]

Ha Well I was wandering around in the old RLM building in Berlin last year Michael, sadly no silverware lying about when I was there.

One of the main doors was open so I wandered in and took a photo of one of the central courtyards in the place...
(and no, I didn't get thrown out).

Bob

[bittaker]

Good presentation, Bob. And nice to know you weren`t thrown out or arrested : )
Stig

[MAP]

The fun thing is about this hobby is that after you posted these I spent 1/2 hour researching the RLM. This building has had a number of lives over the years. I'm sure tucked away, in some hidden basement storage room, there are lots of goodies

[Bob Lyons]

From Berlin Then & Now by Nick Gay:

“Remarkably given the nature of this target, most of the building survived the war intact.
The ironwork in the front is original and some of the facing stone also survived. The first
Communist East German Government was inaugurated here in October 1949. Later the
government moved to a more central building. The southern end of the building bordered
the wall, and in 1965 the roof of the building served as a jumping off point for a spectacular
escape by a family of three, who used a cable and harness to slide to freedom. Today
the building has been totally refurbished for the federal Ministry Of Finance. In 2007 the
building was used as a backdrop in the filming of “Valkyrie”, a dramatization of the story
of anti-Nazi resistance fighter Count Graf von Staufenberg".

Bob

[MAP]

Ahhhh, now it makes sense

I saw recent photos with it decked out in full NSDAP banners. Figured it was for a movie but wasn't sure which one

[Bob Lyons]

Berlin is still a fascinating place to visit, with superb history right up to the present.

The Technical Museum in Berlin is an absolute must to visit if you like Luftwaffe items, and it has one of only two Bf 110's with a wartime history behind it.

Bob