Firefighters Officer Blue Visor Cap
CATEGORY: Version
SKU: 74.GOR.01.01.001.000
Estimated market value:
Estimated market value:
An extremely well-preserved Feuerschutzpolizei (Fire Protection Police) Officer’s visor cap, constructed of dark blue doeskin wool. The cap features reinforced side walls, fully lined on the exterior with a black doeskin wool cap band. A band of carmine-red piping fully lines the circumference of the crown, with additional bands of identical piping trimming both the top and bottom of the cap band. Pinned into the peak is a tri-colour cockade, consisting of a fanned, black-painted non-ferrous metal base topped by a polished and ribbed metal ring, with a red wool centrepiece. The cockade measures 25 mm in total diameter. Pinned into the cap band just underneath the cockade is an aluminum Ordnungspolizei insignia consisting of an oval oak leaf wreath overlaid by a German national eagle clutching a wreathed mobile swastika. The eagle insignia measures 55 mm (w) x 45 mm (h). The cap is flanked on each side by pebbled magnetic metal buttons, securing in place a decorative chinstrap constructed of multiple rows of twisted and rolled silver aluminum wire. It is adjusted with dual sliding knots of identical construction, and rests upon a protruding vulcanfibre visor. The visor presents with a glossed black finish on the obverse and in a brown matte finish on the reverse. On the interior, a light brown leather sweatband fully surrounds the side walls, measuring 50 mm in width and securely held in place by a row of machine stitching. A brown oilcloth liner fully encompasses the body of the interior, and bears a transparent plastic rhomboid moisture guard securely stitched onto the crown. Underneath the guard is a maker’s mark of “OTTO HENNIG, RIESA”, topped by the firm’s stylized script logo. Inserted into the moisture guard is a paper tag bearing a handwritten name of “ERWIN DIETZE, LANGHENNERSDORF”. Pinned into the sweatband at the back of the cap is an additional paper tag bearing a size mark of “55”. The cap measures approximately 238 mm (w) x 250 mm (l) x 160. It displays minor issues consistent with age and use, including some material fatigue and mothing of the wool throughout the crown, scratching of the visor, and desiccation of the sweatband. The cap is in an overall near extremely fine condition.
Before the NSDAP’s rise to power in 1933, firefighters and their regulations were overseen by the individual German states. Fire services were more or less run by the communities as they saw fit. Larger towns and cities featured professional fire services (Berufsfeuerwehr), while rural areas featured volunteer fire services (Freiwillige Feuerwehr).
Under Third Reich rule, fire services were to be unified on a national level and therefore placed under the control of the German Police. National socialist doctrine was infused and the fire services militarised in preparation for war and the anticipated bombing of German cities.
Between 1933 and 1938, the professional fire service was referred to as “Feuerlöschpolizei” (fire extinguishing police), while between 1938 and 1945, they were referred to as “Feuerschutzpolizei” (fire protection police) as a subdivision of the German Police.
Volunteer firefighters were classified as part of the Hilfspolizei (police auxiliary forces).
Firefighter uniforms had generally been made of dark blue material, predominantly in Prussia. This colour was still used during the 1930s, but then changed in 1939 when members of the professional fire service received a green uniform similar to that of the German Police. The uniform garments featured carmine piping and initially black, later dark brown (as of September 1942) collars, cuffs, and cap bands as identifiers. However, volunteer firefighters kept wearing dark blue uniforms with carmine piping until the end of the war.
A Werkfeuerwehr was an industrial fire brigade. Every large company protected its factories by employing their own private fire brigade. Members of these fire brigades wore uniforms very similar to regular firefighter uniforms, albeit with a few key differences concerning their insignia.
The initial visor cap used by firefighters is dark blue with a black cap band. It features carmine piping above and below the cap band and on the crown. Officers wore a silver-coloured chin cord while Enlisted Ranks wore a black leather chin strap instead.
Initially, the visor cap was worn with a tri-colour cockade above the cap band and a Prussian cockade on the cap band. This was changed in 1934 when the Prussian cockade was replaced by a metal Police eagle emblem.
Werkfeuerwehr members wore the visor cap with the same eagle insignia the Werkschutz (factory protection) used, an eagle with spread wings and a slanted shield with a black swastika on it in front of its chest. This was authorized in January of 1938 and first worn in September of that year.
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