This is a very fine uniform ensemble from the pre-war period, circa 1936/38, for a Generalmajor. Old-style service tunic with matching visor cap from the same ownership. The old-style service tunic was transferred by the wearer from the Reichswehr into the Wehrmacht. Manufactured from elegant field-gray gabardine with dark green collar. The button panel with 8 buttons and red piping. Sewn-in shoulder boards with heavy general's braid. The collar patches for generals in the large pre-war version with gold embroidery on red base, machine-sewn. The breast eagle hand-embroidered in gold metallic thread on reseda green, hand-sewn. On the chest, loops for a long ribbon bar, the Iron Cross 1914 1st Class, and 2 additional stick pins. Interior with dark silk lining, the left hip pocket with slit for wearing the saber or officer's dagger.
Together with the matching Wehrmacht visor cap for generals.

This is also an early pre-war production, circa 1936. Elegant early dish-shaped form, reseda green cloth in fine officer quality, complete with eagle and oak leaf wreath in early silver-plated non-ferrous metal version, gold cap cord and gold piping. Interior with brown sweatband with black velvet edge, brown silk lining, celluloid diamond with maker “Heinrich Zimmermann Hoflieferant ... München Türkenstr. 22”. Size 55. Lightly worn, with minor moth damage on the side, in fine condition.
A fine general's uniform worn over many years. When we acquired the uniform, the shoulder boards were sewn in incorrectly, probably an error from the 1930s. We have corrected the error and the shoulder boards are now sewn in according to regulations.

395363

Wehrmacht Service Tunic and Visor Cap for a Generalmajor

This uniform ensemble consisting of a Dienstrock alter Art (old-style service tunic) and Schirmmütze (visor cap) for a Generalmajor (Major General) represents a significant transitional period in German military history, when the Reichswehr of the Weimar Republic was transformed into the Wehrmacht of the Third Reich. Dating to approximately 1936 to 1938, this uniform documents both the institutional continuity and political changes of this era.

The Dienstrock Alter Art was introduced during the short-lived Weimar Reichswehr era. The Reichswehr was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic. After Germany was defeated in the First World War, the Imperial German Army was dissolved to be reshaped into a peacetime army. The official formation of the Reichswehr took place on January 1st, 1921. The German armed forces kept the name Reichswehr until Adolf Hitler's 1935 proclamation of the “restoration of military sovereignty,” at which point it became part of the new Wehrmacht.

The Heer as the German army and part of the Wehrmacht inherited its uniforms and rank structure from the Reichsheer of the Weimar Republic (1921–1935). There were few alterations and adjustments made as the army grew from a limited peacetime defense force of 100,000 men to a war-fighting force of several million men.

On June 29th, 1935, the new M35 Waffenrock was introduced for wear. However, the old style dress tunic was quite popular with older officers, which resulted in the wearing out period being extended to March 31st, 1941 for all officers. Officers were responsible for purchasing their own uniforms and could purchase them from armed forces clothing depots or privately purchase garments of higher quality. Many tunics were tailor-made or produced by gentlemen's clothiers using high-quality wool gabardine, doeskin or whipcord. Officers were allotted a clothing allowance through the army's Kleiderkasse (Clothing Account) system.

A characteristic feature of the officers' Dienstrock was that it kept its green collar. Variants included Reichswehr-era tunics carried over into Wehrmacht service, as demonstrated by this example from circa 1936-1938.

On February 17th, 1934, Commander-in-Chief Werner von Blomberg ordered the Nazi Party eagle-and-swastika to be worn on uniform blouses. The German army originally adopted a slightly modified version of the NSDAP's national eagle by order of February 17th, 1934, with instructions to have it applied to all steel helmets, visor caps, and tunics by May 1st, 1934. On this general's uniform, the breast eagle was hand-embroidered in gold metal thread on dark green and hand-sewn. For generals, the breast eagle was embroidered on badge-cloth (Abzeichentuch), originally Reichsheer grey but in late 1935 the Wehrmacht Heer changed the color to dark blue-green called flaschengrün (bottle-green).

The collar patches for generals were machine-sewn in the large pre-war design with gold embroidery on red ground. Prussian generals had worn ornate collar patches embroidered in a style called alt-Larisch, embroidered in gold bullion or golden synthetic Celleon on scarlet (Hochrot) backing.

The visor cap was manufactured by Heinrich Zimmermann of Munich, Türkenstrasse 22, identified as a Hoflieferant (Royal Court Supplier). Multiple sources confirm Zimmermann as a Munich-based military cap manufacturer during the Imperial and Wehrmacht periods. The oval wool crown of the visor cap was stiffened with wire into a curved “saddleback” shape with a high front. The insignia consisted of a national cockade surrounded by an oakleaf wreath on the band with the Wehrmachtsadler above. Officers wore braided silver or aluminum cords, in gold for generals. Band and crown edges were piped in Waffenfarbe (branch color).

Although the M35 Waffenrock remained the regulation service-dress uniform, soon after the outbreak of war officers in combat units of regimental commander rank or below were ordered to wear more practical other-ranks uniform for frontline service and save the “good” uniform for walking-out, office and garrison wear. Nonetheless, many officers ignored regulations and wore the Dienstrock at the front.

After 1945, many original Wehrmacht uniforms were captured as war souvenirs, retained by families, or entered the militaria collecting market. The manufacturer Heinrich Zimmermann operated in Munich as a court supplier during the Imperial and Third Reich periods. According to source references, some Wehrmacht items later appeared in theater and film productions.