Original Item: Only One Available. The Ordnungspolizei, abbreviated Orpo, meaning "Order Police", were the uniformed police force in NSDAP Germany from 1936 to 1945. The Orpo organization was absorbed into the NSDAP monopoly on power after regional police jurisdiction was removed in favor of the central government ("Reich-ification", Verreichlichung, of the police). The Orpo was controlled, nominally by the Interior Ministry but its executive functions rested with the leadership of the SS until the end of World War II. Owing to their green uniforms, Orpo were also referred to as Grüne Polizei (green police). The force was first established as a centralized organization uniting the municipal, city, and rural uniformed police that had been organized on a state-by-state basis.

The Schutzpolizei des Reiches or the Schupo was the state protection police of NSDAP Germany and a branch of the Ordnungspolizei. Schutzpolizei is the German name for a uniformed police force. The Schutzpolizei des Reiches was the uniformed police of most cities and large towns.

This is a very good condition condition German WWII Schutzpolizei Schirmmütze Visor Cap, with a lovely sloped "Saddle Form" shape. It looks to originally have been constructed this way, as it has this shape even though the crown stiffener is still present. The front peak of the cap is also quite high, especially when compared to other visor caps we usually see. It is fabricated from the correct police blue green wool gabardine, with a brown "badge cloth" band and a traditional high front. The visor cap has matching Hellgrün (Light Green) piping along the top edge and flanking either side of the band, which is the Truppenfarbe (troop colors) for the Schutzpolizei (Protection Police).

It is decorated with a metal tri-color cockade on the peak, and an aluminum Civic Police eagle in the middle of the band. The cockade shows a bit of oxidation, with the red felt insert still vibrant, and the eagle look great. It also features two vent eyelets on either side of the crown, usually only seen on police caps. As this is an officer's visor cap, it has a silver bullion chin strap, which is attached by silvered pebbled buttons on the sides of the cap. The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, exhibiting light wear on the edge, and is checkered green on the underside. The top of the visor has a lovely pattern of checking and crazing in the black enamel.

The inside of the cap is lined on the top with beige oil cloth, while the sides are lined with "service cloth" type material. The top still has a fully intact celluloid "diamond" sweat shield, with complete stitching. The maker name and size are printed in gold, and are still easily visible.

Lieferant Albert Kempf
Alkero
WUPPERTAL-RONSDORF
Uniformmützenfabrik

61 ½

We have had several other visor caps by Albert Kempf under their "Alkero" brand, and they were a well-respected company, often supplying the police. The cap is fitted with a natural leather sweatband, which unfortunately now is quite torn, having become very delicate over the decades. There are tears on the perforated front area, as well as along the lower rim on both sides.

Condition is very good, with the main issue being the sweatband. There are just a few tiny moth nips on the cap, and the colors are extremely well retained. There is also very little sign of use, even on the sweatband, so it looks almost like an unissued cap that unfortunately had the leather sweatband succumb to dry rot.

Offered for sale in very good condition with a beautiful shape, and ready to display!

The Ordnungspolizei encompassed virtually all of NSDAP Germany's law-enforcement and emergency response organizations, including fire brigades, coast guard, and civil defense. In the prewar period, Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, and Kurt Daluege, chief of the Order Police, cooperated in transforming the police force of the Weimar Republic into militarized formations ready to serve the regime's aims of conquest and racial annihilation. Police troops were first formed into battalion-sized formations for the invasion of Poland, where they were deployed for security and policing purposes, also taking part in executions and mass deportations. During World War II, the force had the task of policing the civilian population of the occupied and colonized countries beginning in spring 1940.

The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.