Original Item: Only One Available. This is a very nice WWII German flag, issued for the National Socialist League of the Reich for Physical Exercise (Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen - NSRL). The flag is made of printed wool fabric, with red field and a large white vertical stripe which contains the NSRL logo inside a large white circle. The logo is a rectangular Reichsadler (State Eagle), which has a canted Swas (Hook Cross) in the middle. The flag measures 48" in hoist by 56" in fly, and the header originally had seven 2 1/2" long loops for going around a pole, however the center one is missing. There is however a spring clip at the top, which would be used to keep the flag from falling down the flag pole. We noticed a stamped "Shield" logo at the bottom of the header, while the top has a Ges. Gesch. stamp, which is short for Gesetzlich Geschützt (Protected by Law), so this is a trademarked design.

Previous examples we have had of NSRL flags have been mostly unmarked, however this example has a unit marking in the upper corner of both sides, as seen on SA and other organizational flags. There is a black 7 1/2"H x 10 1/2"W on each side, which has a white rayon rope border and the following text chain-stitched in "Black Letter" type letters:

Gau X                
Kreis 9 Essen    
Turnerbund 1900
Überruhr

This looks to be a flag used by the "Turnerbund 1900" sports organization, which is now defunct, but looks to have lasted for much of the 20th century. It was located in the Überruhr of Essen, a city in Western Germany. This was apparently part of District 9 of Region X, though we have not been able to find much more information about it.

The flag is in very good condition, and still retains the colors well. As with just about all wool items from WWII, there is some damage from moth in the form of scattered small holes throughout the body of the flag. There is some age toning, but no major staining that we see, and it definitely looks to have been relatively well cared for.

Ready to research and display!

The National Socialist League of the Reich for Physical Exercise (German: Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen, abbreviated NSRL), was the umbrella organization for sports and physical education in NSDAP Germany. The NSRL was known as the German League of the Reich for Physical Exercise (German: Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen, abbreviated DRL) until 1938. The organization was expanded to Austria after that country's annexation by NSDAP Germany.

The NSRL was led by the Reichssportführer, who after 1934 was at the same time presiding over the German National Olympic Committee. The NSRL's leaders were Hans von Tschammer und Osten (1933–1943), Arno Breitmeyer (1943–1944) and Karl Ritter von Halt (1944–1945).