1944 Black SS Diary

Product Description: This 1944 Black SS Diary is a desirable original. This is a small pocket calendar/diary intended for use by members of the SS. It measures about 5 by 3 inches, and is sized to be carried in the pocket of a field blouse. The calendar section has spaces for notes for all the dates in 1944. This one has not been written in, with no entries in the calendar. Inside the front cover there is a Himmler portrait and printed dedication. The rear part of the book is a reference section, with color plates as well as a fold-out map. Despite the lack of entries, this book appears to have been carried, as it shows wear with some minor tears, chipping and separation from the cover. This 1944 Black SS Diary is a nice complete and original accent piece for an SS display or collector.  The condition rates as excellent.

Historical Description: In the totalitarian fascist regime of the Third Reich, the traditional German bureaucratic attitude reached an extremely advanced stage. The various military, civil and political offices cranked out a staggering array of paperwork that impacted the lives of every person living under the regime. There were identity documents, of course, as well as travel permits, work permits, and authorizations of every kind. Mail was second in priority only to ammunition in the military supply chains, and exhaustive service records were kept in every unit and for every soldier. An individual might have documents showing membership in various organizations, as well as mundane IDs such as a drivers license, passport, and various other kinds of passes. Award documents certified bestowal of all kinds of badges and medals, and in many cases, for the recipients, possession of the document was more important than having the award itself. Paperwork of the Third Reich is its own massive field of collection and study, and the historical importance of these documents has only increased with the passage of time.