Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very attractive original German WWII Waffen-SS right-side collar tab associated with the 22. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division, commonly known to collectors and in postwar literature as the “Maria Theresia” Division. The tab is constructed from black wool badge cloth wrapped around an internal lacquered buckram stiffener, with the folded edges secured by stitching on the reverse. The front features the unit’s distinctive floral emblem finely machine embroidered in silver-gray thread.

The embroidered device is the cornflower (Kornblume), consisting of a large open blossom accompanied by leaves, stems, and a smaller bud. This distinctive design is immediately associated with the 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division and is considerably more elaborate than the runic and numerical devices encountered on more familiar Waffen-SS collar insignia.

This example displays particularly nice detail throughout the embroidery. The individual petals, center of the flower, and unopened bud are all clearly defined, with the silver-gray thread contrasting sharply against the black background. The black wool shows only minor age and storage wear, including some scattered surface fibers and slight irregularity along the outer edges. Overall, the face remains very well preserved and presents extremely well.

The 22. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division was authorized in April 1944 and organized in Hungary around a cadre drawn in part from the 17th SS Cavalry Regiment of the 8th SS Cavalry Division “Florian Geyer.” Much of its manpower consisted of ethnic Germans from Hungary, generally referred to in period terminology as Volksdeutsche, many of whom entered Waffen-SS service following agreements between the German and Hungarian governments. The division trained and organized in Hungary before being committed to combat there during the latter half of 1944.

The unit became heavily involved in the fighting surrounding Budapest, where it served during the Soviet encirclement and subsequent siege of the Hungarian capital. The division was largely destroyed during the collapse of the Budapest pocket in February 1945, making surviving insignia associated with the formation an especially interesting representation of the final campaigns fought in Hungary.

The familiar “Maria Theresia” designation refers to Empress Maria Theresa, ruler of the Habsburg lands and Queen of Hungary during the 18th century. The cornflower became the emblem traditionally associated with the division. It should be noted, however, that modern historical references differ regarding the precise official status of the Maria Theresia honor title, with some researchers noting that surviving official documentation consistently refers simply to the 22. SS-Freiwilligen-Kavallerie-Division.