Among the most distinctive pieces of headgear in nineteenth-century German military history, the Bavarian Raupenhelm – literally “caterpillar helmet” – stands as an icon of a martial tradition that endured longer in Bavaria than in any other German state. This example, a Model 1842 helmet for enlisted men and NCOs of the Bavarian cuirassiers in the configuration worn from 1864 to 1879, represents the final chapter of a helmet lineage that originated in 1801 when the Bavarian army first adopted the distinctive fore-and-aft horsehair crest that gives the helmet its evocative name.
Construction and Design
The helmet consists of a heavy steel skull (Stahlblechglocke) surmounted by a tall brass comb (Messingkamm) topped with a horsehair crest (Rosshaarraupe). Brass scale chin chains (Schuppenketten) are suspended from lion head fittings (Löwenkopfaufhängungen), also in brass. On the left side sits a Bavarian cockade in the national colors of white and blue. At the front of the comb, the royal monogram “L” beneath a Bavarian crown identifies this helmet as dating from the reign of King Ludwig II of Bavaria, who ascended to the throne in March 1864 and reigned until his death in 1886.
As a piece of state arsenal equipment (ärärisches Kammerstück), helmets of this type typically bear chamber stamps (Kammerstempel) found beneath the lion heads or on the interior of the skull, identifying the issuing regiment and year. Documented examples show stamps such as “147” and “1CR5” (1st Cuirassier Regiment, 5th Company). Officers wore similar helmets but with finer materials, including nickel-silver or gilt fittings and bearskin crests rather than the wool crests of enlisted versions.
The Bavarian Cuirassier Regiments
This helmet was issued to the enlisted ranks and non-commissioned officers of Bavaria’s two cuirassier regiments: the 1st Royal Bavarian Cuirassier Regiment “Prinz Karl von Bayern” and the 2nd Royal Bavarian Cuirassier Regiment “Prinz Adalbert von Bayern”, the latter based in Landshut. The cuirassiers wore this helmet alongside a cornflower blue tunic and a steel cuirass (breastplate), presenting a striking appearance that recalled the heavy cavalry traditions of earlier centuries.
The Model 1842 was adopted following Prussian influence when helmet reforms spread across the German states. However, Bavaria maintained the Raupenhelm style – with its leather or metal skull and fore-and-aft horsehair crest – far longer than other German states. Helmets that originally bore the monogram “M” for King Maximilian II (reigned 1848–1864) were frequently adapted after 1864 to carry the “L” monogram of Ludwig II.
Service in the Franco-Prussian War, 1870–1871
Both Bavarian cuirassier regiments participated in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870–1871 as part of the Bavarian contingent within the German III Army. The 2nd Cuirassier Regiment saw action in all combats against the Armée de la Loire, including engagements at Guillonville, Orléans, and Beaugency. The 1st Cuirassier Regiment sustained no losses during pursuit operations at Beaugency on 6 December 1870. Both regiments participated in the Battle of Beaugency-Cravant on 10 December 1870, one of the significant cavalry engagements of the Loire campaign.
A revealing detail about the state of equipment during mobilization: reservists called up for the Franco-Prussian War were still issued older Model 1842/1848 helmets bearing the “M” monogram of Maximilian II, as stocks had not been fully converted. A helmet of this type was found on the Beaugency battlefield, dated to December 1870 – tangible evidence that both monogram variants saw active service during the war.
The End of an Era
On 29 November 1878, the decision was made to abandon the Model 1842 cuirassier helmet. Effective 1 April 1879, the Bavarian cuirassier regiments were redesignated as Schwere-Reiter-Regimenter (Heavy Cavalry Regiments) and ceased wearing this distinctive headgear. King Ludwig II resisted the adoption of the Prussian-style Pickelhaube until his death in 1886, after which Bavaria finally conformed to German imperial patterns and adopted the spiked helmet.
This Example
The present specimen is described as condition 3. The interior liner is not preserved, and the lower segment of the neck visor is missing. The surviving segment has been drilled for wall mounting. The skull has been cleaned, the Bavarian cockade on the left side has been re-lacquered, and the horsehair crest retains traces of paint. Despite these losses, this helmet remains a powerful relic of Bavarian heavy cavalry tradition – a tangible connection to the cuirassiers who rode into battle during the Franco-Prussian War wearing this unmistakable silhouette of brass and steel crowned by its caterpillar crest.
For collectors of Imperial German militaria, the Bavarian Model 1842 Raupenhelm in the Ludwig II configuration represents one of the most evocative pieces of nineteenth-century cavalry headgear – a helmet that documents the final years of Bavaria’s independent heavy cavalry tradition before its absorption into the standardized patterns of the German Empire.
