Original German Third-Reich RLB Luftschutz Membership 1st Pattern Visor Badge
SKU: 936
Original/Reproduction: Original
Availability: In-stock
Manufacturer: Ferdinand Hoffstätter, Bonn
Manufacturer Year: 1930's
Material: die-struck metal-alloy badge with a silvered finish and blue enamel detailing.
Condition: Excellent
Price: $100.00
Seller Type: WW2C
Seller ID: JMW
Code: PS50
Return Policy: 3-day inspection and return policy on used guns and accessories.
Description
This is an Original German Third Reich RLB (Reichsluftschutzbund) Luftschutz Membership 1st Pattern Visor Badge, preserved in excellent condition. This early-pattern insignia represents the Reichsluftschutzbund, the German air-raid protection organization responsible for organizing and training the civilian population in air-defense and emergency preparedness during the Third-Reich period.
The Reichsluftschutzbund (RLB) was established in 1933 and developed into a nationwide organization responsible for civilian air-raid protection. Members received instruction in such areas as blackout procedures, firefighting, first aid, rescue work, and protection against aerial attack. As the organization expanded, distinctive uniforms, headgear, badges, and insignia were adopted to identify its members and officials.
This example is the desirable 1st Pattern visor-cap badge, representing the earlier style of RLB headgear insignia. The badge incorporates the distinctive RLB organizational design associated with Germany's prewar Luftschutz system. Period insignia of this type was intended for attachment to the front of the appropriate RLB visor cap and today represents an interesting specialty within the broader field of German civil-defense and organizational headgear insignia.
The badge remains in excellent overall condition, displaying strong original detail and an attractive period appearance. Any minor signs of age or handling are consistent with an authentic period-manufactured piece and do not detract from its overall presentation.
Historical Significance
RLB material occupies an interesting area of Third-Reich collecting because it documents the extensive civilian air-defense preparations undertaken in Germany before and during the Second World War. Unlike conventional military insignia, RLB pieces are associated with the civilian infrastructure developed to prepare communities for the increasing threat of aerial warfare.
An attractive and increasingly collectible example of early RLB Luftschutz headgear insignia, particularly suitable for an advanced German civil-defense, organizational insignia, or visor-cap collection.
Item: RLB Luftschutz Membership Visor Badge
Organization: Reichsluftschutzbund (RLB)
Pattern: 1st Pattern
Period: Third-Reich Era, 1933–1945
Type: Visor Cap / Membership Insignia
Condition: Excellent
Authenticity: Original Period Example
