These documents represent significant evidence of the complex interweaving of traditional German veterans' organizations with the National Socialist power structure during the pre-war period. They document the activities of SS-Gruppenführer Paul Hausser, one of the most influential figures in the formation of the Waffen-SS, within the framework of the German Reichskriegerbund (Kyffhäuser League).
The Kyffhäuserbund, originally founded in 1900 as an umbrella organization for German veterans' associations, was transformed into the NS-Reichskriegerbund (also: Reichskriegerbund Kyffhäuser) following the Nazi seizure of power in 1933. This organization was intended to consolidate the numerous veterans' associations in the German Reich under unified leadership and integrate them into Nazi ideology. With approximately four million members by the late 1930s, the Reichskriegerbund represented an important pillar of National Socialist mass mobilization.
Wilhelm Reinhard, who signed the first certificate dated January 30, 1938, was a key figure in this organization as SS-Gruppenführer and Federal Leader of the Reichskriegerbund. The recognition for “faithful work for the benefit” of the organization illustrates the close cooperation between the SS and traditional veterans' organizations. This collaboration served to legitimize the SS through association with traditional military heritage while simultaneously achieving ideological penetration of veterans' associations.
The second certificate from October 28, 1938, documents Hausser's participation in an Officers' Shooting Competition, where he achieved fourth place. Such shooting competitions were an integral part of military culture and served both skill maintenance and comradeship cultivation. Their organization by the Reichskriegerbund underscores its role as a paramilitary organization for maintaining soldierly virtues in civil society.
Paul Hausser (1880-1972) embodied like few others the transition from the traditional officer corps to SS leadership. After a successful career in the Imperial Army and as a Lieutenant General in the Reichswehr, he joined the SS in 1932. As Inspector of the SS-Verfügungstruppe from 1936 onward, he played a decisive role in transforming this political combat force into a military formation according to Wehrmacht standards. Hausser established officer schools, developed tactical doctrines, and shaped the organizational structure of what would become the Waffen-SS.
The Verfügungstruppe, from which the Waffen-SS later emerged, was in a crucial developmental phase in 1938. Hausser worked intensively toward the professionalization and military recognition of this formation. His participation in Reichskriegerbund events was part of this strategy to establish the SS as a legitimate part of German military tradition.
The period of certificate issuance – early and late 1938 – marks a significant year in German military history. The Wehrmacht experienced its first “peaceful” expansions with the Anschluss of Austria in March and the occupation of the Sudetenland in October 1938. The SS-Verfügungstruppe participated in both actions, underscoring its growing role as a military force.
The design of such certificates followed typical conventions of the time: large-format execution on high-quality paper, often with calligraphic elements and official seals. They served not only as confirmation documents but also as representational objects that underscored the significance of the awarded distinction or recognition. The fact that these certificates were preserved unfolded suggests they were valued and carefully maintained by their recipient.
After World War II, Hausser became a controversial figure. Although units of the Waffen-SS under his command were involved in numerous war crimes, he was never prosecuted. Instead, he became a leading representative of veterans' associations of former Waffen-SS members and played a central role in propagating the legend of the Waffen-SS as an “apolitical” fighting force, separate from the crimes of the General SS.
Historically speaking, such certificates document the systematic integration of traditional military structures and rituals into the National Socialist system of rule. They demonstrate how the Nazi regime instrumentalized existing organizations and traditions to legitimize and consolidate its rule. The Reichskriegerbund served as a link between the traditional military elite and the new National Socialist power structures, embodied by the SS.
These documents provide valuable insights into the mechanisms of power consolidation in the Third Reich and the role of military traditions in legitimizing totalitarian rule. They remind us of the importance of examining historical artifacts not merely as commemorative objects but as evidence of complex historical processes and power relationships.
