Estate of a Danzig Senior Customs Secretary, Recipient of the NSDAP Traditional Gau Badge Danzig-West Prussia “Old Fighter”

This estate impressively documents the military and civil career of a senior customs secretary from Danzig who served in both World War I and during the period of the Free City of Danzig and National Socialism. The collection includes awards, documents, and a photograph that together paint a complex picture of German and Danzig history between 1914 and 1945.

The military career began in the Jäger-Bataillon Fürst Bismarck (Pommersches) Nr. 2, a traditional unit of the Prussian Army. As an Oberjäger (senior rifleman), the bearer fought in World War I and was awarded the Iron Cross 2nd Class, one of the most significant decorations for bravery in the German Empire. The Iron Cross was instituted in 1813 by King Friedrich Wilhelm III and renewed in 1914. The award is documented in the military passport, which attests to the authenticity and official character of the decoration.

The Wound Badge 1918 in Black testifies that the bearer was wounded in military service. This decoration was introduced by decree on July 3, 1918, and identified soldiers who had been wounded once or twice, or who had become disabled through shell shock, frostbite, or gas attack. The existing entitlement certificate documents the formal claim to this award.

After World War I, the bearer continued his career in the customs service of the Free City of Danzig, which was placed under League of Nations administration by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. As a customs assistant in Danzig-Neufahrwasser, he received the Honour Cross for Combatants in 1934, also known as the Hindenburg Cross. This award was created by law on July 13, 1934, for all German front-line fighters of World War I.

Particularly noteworthy is the Faithful Service Honour Badge 2nd Class for 25 Years of the Free City of Danzig. This specific decoration was only awarded during the existence of the Free City of Danzig (1920-1939) and is rare today. It documents an exceptionally long period of service in the civil service of this short-lived political entity.

The NSDAP Traditional Gau Badge Danzig-West Prussia “Old Fighter” is a pin badge made of silver-plated bronze, marked by Paul Küst Berlin, a well-known manufacturer of NS badges. The designation “Old Fighter” was used for early NSDAP members who joined the party before the seizure of power in 1933 or who had rendered special services to the National Socialist movement. In Danzig, where the NSDAP was already strong in the early 1930s, this designation held particular significance.

The Danzig Cross 2nd Class was instituted on August 31, 1939, by Gauleiter Albert Forster, immediately before Danzig's incorporation into the German Reich. It was intended to honor “services to the liberation of Danzig” and was awarded in two classes. The decoration has great historical significance as a document of the final days of the Free City.

The NSDAP Service Award 1st Class in Bronze was awarded for ten years of faithful service in the party. It was instituted by decree on March 16, 1939, and documents long-standing party membership.

The service identification card for the senior customs secretary from 1940 shows that the bearer continued his career in the now Reich German customs service after Danzig's incorporation into the Gau Danzig-West Prussia. The advancement from customs assistant to senior customs secretary documents a successful professional development over more than two decades.

The discharge certificate from the Wehrmacht District Command Danzig from 1943 proves that the now elderly veteran was again registered for military service in World War II, presumably as part of the increasing mobilization of all available forces.

The medal bar and the ribbon bar with miniature show the customary wearing of decorations. The preserved photograph in customs uniform with decorations attached is a valuable contemporary document that documents the correct wearing style and external appearance of a senior customs official of the NS period.

This estate is historically significant because it makes the continuities and breaks in 20th-century German history traceable through an individual biography: from the German Empire through the Free City of Danzig to National Socialism.