Hitler Youth Buckle – Assmann

Product Description: This Hitler Youth Buckle is an extremely appealing example of a desirable variant. It’s an early production, top quality piece, made of nickel silver. The front of the buckle is clean, with bright original luster and only minimal wear. There are some minor surface scratches, but all of the original detail remains intact. The reverse of this Hitler Youth Buckle shows a light, uncleaned patina. The catch on this one is a large variant style, made of a brass alloy, that is originally factory affixed to the buckle. The roller bar and prongs assembly is complete and sound, with no repairs, and is made of steel, with slight rust peeking through the bright plating. This buckle is nicely marked near the catch with the commercial style stylized “A” maker mark of the firm of F. W. Assmann in Lüdenscheid, as well as the RZM emblem and the Assmann maker code “17.” It’s also stamped with “Ges. Gesch.” indicating a legally protected design. This is a choice Hitlerjugend buckle, that remains in excellent condition.

Historical Description: The belt buckle was an important part of the regalia worn by all uniformed military, civil, political, and paramilitary organizations during the Third Reich. The belt (“Koppel”) was part of the uniform and would always be worn while on duty. The belt buckle (“Koppelschloss”) was generally specific to each organization, with many organizations having separate belt buckles for officers and for enlisted personnel, sometimes with different colors and finishes to further denote specific purposes. The buckles were adorned with various mottos and designs specific to the organizations for which they were intended. Many designs used the German national eagle emblem, in a variety of forms. Belt buckles were worn with uniforms ranging from finely tailored officer parade uniforms, to the issue uniforms of enlisted soldiers in combat. Generally speaking, most German belt buckles of the Third Reich were made with two prongs on the reverse, to allow the buckle to be worn and adjusted on a belt. The buckle had a catch that would mate with a hook on the belt, when worn. The earliest Third Reich buckles were often made of brass, or nickel silver. Later, aluminum became very common, and was used on private purchase as well as enlisted buckles of the German military, with or without a painted or plated finish. After WWII began, most enlisted military buckles were steel. Nazi belt buckles were popular souvenirs for Allied troops who served in Europe. Some types were made by the millions and remain quite common today. Others were made in limited numbers and are very rare.

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