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. As of 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.

This is very nice example of a rare German WWII NSDAP Ortsgruppe (Local Group) Level Political Leader's Visor Cap in an approximate size of 56. Very similar to the military issue Schirmmütze (Peaked Cap), these were usually referred to as a Dienstmütze (Service Cap) or Tuchmütze (Cloth Cap). The cap shows high quality fabrication, made from tan "whipcord woven" wool fabric, and a traditional high front. The cap has the typical triple piping around the circumference, the light blue for the Ortsgruppe level leader. The cap band is a lovely dark tan velvet material.

It is decorated with a well detailed cast metal gilt spread-wing NSDAP Reichsadler (national eagle) insignia on the front, and an open cast aluminum gilt oak leaf wreath surrounding a metal tri-color cockade on the velvet band. The cockade has a small swas (hook cross) in the middle, only seen on these party leadership caps. The eagle and the cockade are in good condition, showing some plating loss and oxidation, while the wreath still looks fantastic, due to the different base material.

It has a wonderful gold bullion cord "chinstrap", attached to the cap by gold-washed pebbled aluminum buttons, indicating that this cap is for an Officer / Leader. The visor / peak on this cap is dark brown finished "vulcanfibre", the standard material for NCOs and Officers alike, with a brown underside.

The cap is lined with light brown colored rayon fabric, with a fully intact diamond celluloid sweat shield stitched to the top. There is no size marking on the interior, but there is an intact ((RZM)) label under the sweatband, which identifies this as a Tuchmütze, and gives the Hersteller (Supplier) number 50 with issue number No 259404. The sweatband itself is made from brown finished pressed paper faux leather, which unfortunately has become dried out and stiff over the decades. It has torn through in several places, especially around the perforations in the front. We used a mirror to read the RZM tag, as the sweatband is too delicate to move for photography.

The cap is in very good exterior condition overall, with just some moth nips to the exterior piping, with a great condition velvet band and wool body. These caps are very rare, and this is the first example that we have been able to locate in some time. In fine condition, this cap is ready to display!