This remarkable artifact represents one of the rarest and most symbolically charged relics of the Third Reich: the personal Autostander (vehicle standard) of Hermann Göring in his capacity as Generalfeldmarschall and Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe (Supreme Commander of the Air Force). Such a piece embodies not only the highest level of textile craftsmanship of the period but also the extraordinary concentration of personal and military power wielded by one of the most dominant figures in the Nazi hierarchy.
Historical Background: The Blomberg-Fritsch Affair and Göring’s Promotion
The circumstances that gave rise to this standard are rooted in the turbulent events of the Blomberg-Fritsch Affair in February 1938. When War Minister Werner von Blomberg and Army Commander Werner von Fritsch were forced from their positions amid scandal, Adolf Hitler seized the opportunity to assume supreme command of the armed forces himself and to reorganize the subordinate commands heading the three main branches of military service. Göring had sought the post of War Minister but was turned down. As compensation, he was promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall on 4 February 1938 – the highest military rank the Wehrmacht could confer at that time.
This promotion was simultaneously an honor and a calculated political maneuver on Hitler’s part, designed to appease Göring while consolidating his own grip on the military apparatus. Göring had already served as Commander-in-Chief of the Luftwaffe since March 1935, making him one of the most powerful individuals within the National Socialist power structure.
Function and Use of the Autostander
Personal standards served within military ceremonial as a visible indicator of the presence of their holder. They were carried by a standard-bearer at all public occasions and mounted on official vehicles to mark the commander’s presence. This square vehicle pennant, measuring approximately 31 × 31 cm, was compact enough for vehicle mounting yet sufficiently elaborate to befit the rank and station of its bearer.
Design and Craftsmanship
The standard is a very elaborately rendered work of art, showcasing the finest embroidery talents of the period. On a base of red silk cloth, both sides feature exquisite hand embroidery executed in a mixture of bullion, aluminum, brocade, and yarn threads. The front displays a large Luftwaffe eagle in gold before a silver laurel wreath, below which appear the crossed Generalfeldmarschall batons, and beneath those the Pour le Mérite. A golden border with woven swastikas runs around the perimeter, and a golden standing swastika occupies each of the four corners. The reverse features a large laurel wreath with a gold-embroidered swastika at center, with the Luftwaffe eagle in gold at each of the four corners. The internal sewn-in metal frame remains intact; only the celluloid protective cover is missing.
The Pour le Mérite – An Echo of the First World War
Of particular significance is the depiction of the Pour le Mérite on the front of this standard. This highest Prussian decoration for valor had been awarded to Göring in May 1918 as a fighter pilot ace during the First World War. Its prominent incorporation into his personal standard underscores the identity Göring carefully cultivated throughout his life – that of a combat-proven hero and warrior, a persona he leveraged relentlessly for political advantage within the Nazi regime.
Period of Use and Replacement
This model of Göring’s personal standard was used from his promotion to Generalfeldmarschall on 4 February 1938 until his elevation to Reichsmarschall on 19 July 1940. The latter promotion came in the wake of the German victory in the Battle of France, when Hitler bestowed upon Göring the newly created rank of Reichsmarschall. With this elevation, the red standard was superseded by a new design on a light blue field, which featured a gold German eagle grasping a wreath surmounted by two batons overlaid with a swastika.
Göring’s Downfall and the Fate of Nazi Symbols
Hermann Göring’s story ended in disgrace and death. On 22 April 1945, Hitler stripped Göring of all his positions, expelled him from the party, and ordered his arrest. Before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg, Göring was condemned to death by hanging. He evaded execution by ingesting poison on 15 October 1946.
Nazi symbols, including standards of this nature, were abolished by the Allied Control Council on 20 September 1945, and possession or display has been forbidden in several countries since that time.
For collectors and historians alike, such an object constitutes a primary document of extraordinary rarity – a tangible witness to the spectacle of power and personal authority cultivated during one of the darkest chapters in European history.
