Original Item: Only One Available. The NSDAP or Nationalsozialistische Deutsche ArbeiterPartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), was originally founded in Munich as the DAP, Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (German Worker’s Party), on January 5TH 1919. When Adolf AH joined the DAP in the autumn of 1919 he was to reform what was basically a debating society into an active political party. Appointed as the first chairman of the party on July 29TH 1921, AH was to restructure it along para-military lines in a hierarchy.

This new NSDAP structure consisted of four ascending levels of government: the Ortsgruppenleitung (Local group leadership), the Kreisleitung (District leadership), the Gauleitung (Regional District leadership), and the Reichsleitung (National leadership). Each group was distinguished by a specific color of piping on the collar tabs and visor cap. From 1936 to 1939 in this scheme, light blue was for the Ortsgruppe level, black for Kreis level, burgundy red for Gau level, and gold yellow for the Reich level. After that the Kreis level changed to white piping.

The position of Zellenleiter (Cell Leader) was first created in 1930 as a mid-level political leadership title within the party local group organization. Originally known as Zellenwart, in 1933 after the NSDAP came to power, the rank of Zellenwart was replaced by a new rank known as Stellenleiter. It was the Stellenleiters, on the local level of the NSDAP encompassing German towns and cities, who held the positional title of Zellenleiter, and were often referred to as such in contrast to their actual political rank. Such persons answered to an official known as an Ortsgruppenleiter (Local Group Leader), considered the chief NSDAP member in a municipal region.

In 1939, the NSDAP completed revamped its political ranking system and created a plethora of new NSDAP political ranks and the title of Zellenleiter was adopted into its final form. Holders of the position now held a standard NSDAP political rank (normally Bereitschaftsleiter or Einsatzleiter) while also displaying a political armband denoting their position as a Zellenleiter.

This is a lovely NSDAP Ortsgruppen Zellenleiter (Local Group Cell Leader) Political Leader's Uniform Dienstrock Service Tunic, which is in very good condition. The camel brown wool twill tunic bears 1939-1945 Pattern Kragenspiegelen (Collar tabs) are piped in blue, with a gold Reichsadler eagle at the top over three rank "pips", which indicate the political rank of Einsatzleiter (Action Leader). This is one of several ranks created in 1939 to replace the Amtsleiter (Office Leader), and is correct for someone with the position of Zellenleiter.

The front of the jacket features four pockets, with the upper two pleated and the lower two flat, all with scalloped flaps. All of the gold colored Reichsadler buttons are present: four for closing the garment, one each for the four front pockets, and two at the top of the rear vent. All look to be RZM code marked on the back. The uniform tunic is fully lined with gold colored rayon twill, with soft gray cotton lining the sleeves. The inner left breast pocket still bears its original fabric RZM tag, which is is in very good condition, showing some wear from service. The tag identifies the tunic as a DIENSTROCK W / für Politische Leiter (Service Tunic for Political Leaders) and features the ((RZM)) logo as well as the ink stamped numerical designation of the Hersteller (manufacturer), which is too faint to read, over lot A No. 112067.

The left sleeve bears the correct Ortsgruppen Zellenleiter operational armband, constructed of a red wool/cotton blend cloth with a central black swas on a white rayon field, all bordered by twisted gold bullion. To the center is a band of gold bullion oak leaves with the top and bottom bordered by a band of gold bullion, and the outer edges also bear narrow bands of gold bullion, all held in place by yellow celleon threads. Light blue piping completes the outer edges, pinned into the center of the swas is a single brass pip with an NSDAP style German national eagle embossed in the center.

Over the upper left pocket there is a two place ribbon bar, indicating that the owner had received the Brown 3rd grade (10 Years) and Blue 2nd grade (15 years) NSDAP Long Service Awards. There is also an Iron Cross 1st Class 1939 Ribbon in the top two buttonholes, which could indicate that they were also in the military at some point and had performed well.

A fantastic uniform tunic offering that shows the great lengths that members of the NSDAP went to exert their own self-importance via ornate uniforms. Ready to research and display!

Approximate Measurements:
Collar to shoulder: 9.5"
Shoulder to sleeve: 23.5”
Shoulder to shoulder: 15”
Chest width: 18.5”
Waist width: 17"
Hip width: 22”
Front length: 30.5"

Orts Role in Municipal Government
After the founding of NSDAP Germany, the political rank of Ortsgruppenleiter was held by the chief NSDAP member in a municipal area. In many situations, town and city administration overlapped with the NSDAP political system, meaning that the traditional local government was overshadowed, if not entirely replaced, by NSDAP leadership. Traditional government titles did continue to exist, such as Bürgermeister; however, if these positions were not already held by a corresponding NSDAP official, city government was little more than a rubber stamp to NSDAP designs.

During World War II, the position of Ortsgruppenleiter encompassed a large amount of responsibility and power as it was these NSDAP officials who typically ran the city civil defense systems as well as the allocation of war rations and civil relief efforts. As Germany was invaded and defeat became imminent, NSDAP leaders in major towns and cities also became ad hoc military commanders in charge of mixed-unit German forces and Volksturm units.

Between 1930 and 1932, the political rank of Ortsgruppenleiter was denoted by a braided shoulder cord and a white collar bar worn on a NSDAP Party brown shirt. After 1933, the rank was denoted by two light yellow collar bars. The actual rank of Ortsgruppenleiter was phased out of the Party in 1939, replaced by a large number of expanded paramilitary political titles. The position of Ortsgruppenleiter was after this time typically held by a Party Member with the rank of Abschnittsleiter, paired as well with a political armband denoting the specific position of Ortsgruppenleiter.