Original Item: Only One Available. This is an unusual original German WWII unissued roll containing seven BeVo woven M35 sports shirt insignia intended for personnel of the Deutsche Reichspost, the German national postal service. Rather than having been individually cut apart and sewn onto sports shirts, all seven insignia remain together on their original continuous strip of fabric.

During training, sporting competitions, recreation, and physical conditioning, members of the German armed forces commonly wore the M35 sports shirt. These shirts were fitted with a large embroidered or woven insignia on the chest identifying the wearer’s branch or organization. Similar sports uniforms were also used by various state and paramilitary organizations, whose members participated in organized physical training and events such as SA Wehrmannschaft defense sports competitions.

Producing detailed embroidery directly onto finished shirts was inefficient, so insignia were manufactured separately on long strips of material and subsequently cut apart for application to individual garments. This type of woven insignia manufacture became closely associated with the firm BeVo of Wuppertal. After being separated from the roll, the excess fabric surrounding each insignia could either be trimmed away or folded beneath the patch when it was sewn to the shirt.

This surviving roll contains seven white woven left facing Reichsadler eagles within distinctive gorget shaped borders on a blue background. The blue and white color combination identifies these as sports shirt insignia for members of the Deutsche Reichspost.

The complete roll measures approximately:

4 1/2 inches wide
53 1/2 inches long

Each individual insignia measures approximately:

6 7/8 inches wide
4 inches tall

The strip remains in excellent overall condition. There are a few small stains and some fraying at the ends of the roll, but the seven insignia themselves are exceptionally well preserved. Their survival together in an uncut roll provides an excellent illustration of how these insignia were originally manufactured and supplied before being applied to uniforms.

The Deutsche Reichspost developed from the unified German postal administration established during the formation of the German Empire in the 19th century. Following the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, the newly created North German Confederation brought the postal services of its member states under increasingly centralized control. After German unification following the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, the Deutsche Reichspost became the national postal authority for the German Empire, including the newly annexed territory of Alsace-Lorraine.

On January 1, 1876, the Reichspostamt was established as a government agency in its own right under Postmaster General Heinrich von Stephan. Although several southern German states initially retained separate postal administrations, these were gradually incorporated into the national system.

Following the German Revolution of 1918-1919 and establishment of the Weimar Republic, the former Reichspostamt became the Reichspostministerium. In 1924 the Deutsche Reichspost was reorganized as a state-owned enterprise responsible for postal and telecommunications services.

Following the NSDAP rise to power in 1933, the Reichspost continued as the German state postal organization. Its responsibilities expanded considerably as German controlled territory increased during the late 1930s and WWII. The postal system incorporated the Saar territory in 1935, Austria following the Anschluss in 1938, and the Sudetenland following the Munich Agreement. During this period, the Reichspost was also involved in developing new communications technology, including early public videophone services.

During WWII, Reichspost operations expanded into German occupied and annexed territories. Postal codes were introduced in 1941, while the Wehrmacht Feldpost handled military mail for members of the Army, Luftwaffe, Kriegsmarine, Waffen-SS, Reichsarbeitsdienst, and other personnel serving in the field.

As Allied forces advanced into Germany during 1945, postal operations became increasingly disrupted. The Reichspost ceased functioning with the collapse of the German government at the end of the war. Postal service was subsequently reorganized under Allied occupation authorities and eventually developed into separate East and West German postal systems.

Following German reunification in 1990, the state postal organization continued until the major postal, telecommunications, and banking divisions were separated during the 1990s, with the postal service ultimately becoming Deutsche Post AG.

Original sports shirt insignia are commonly encountered individually, but surviving factory strips are considerably more interesting from a manufacturing standpoint. With all seven Reichspost insignia still connected in their original unissued roll, this is an excellent example of German WWII BeVo insignia production and a particularly appealing piece for a specialized uniform or insignia collection.