Waffen-SS Single Collar Tab for an SS-Unterführer of the 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division "Maria Theresia"

This collar tab (Kragenspiegel) represents a rare artifact from the 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division “Maria Theresia,” one of the late-war formations of the Waffen-SS, established from ethnic Germans and Hungarian volunteers during the final year of World War II. This hand-embroidered version with RZM metal thread displays the typical rank insignia of an SS-Unterführer, equivalent to non-commissioned officer ranks in the Wehrmacht.

The 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division was officially established on April 29, 1944, at a time when the German Reich had already suffered considerable personnel losses and was increasingly relying on foreign volunteers and ethnic Germans. The division received the honorary title “Maria Theresia” in reference to the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, emphasizing its connection to Austro-Hungarian military tradition.

The division's uniform equipment followed standardized RZM regulations (Reichszeugmeisterei - Reich Equipment Master's Office), with collar tabs serving as important rank identifiers. The hand-embroidered execution with metal thread was of higher quality than machine-made or printed variants and was preferred by junior officers and senior NCOs. The collar tab was worn on both sides of the uniform collar and displayed specific symbols and insignia indicating both rank and divisional affiliation.

The division's basic training lasted until August 1944 and took place primarily in Hungary. Initially, the formation consisted of two cavalry regiments; later, it was reinforced by a third regiment transferred from the 8th SS Cavalry Division “Florian Geyer.” After completing training, the division was deployed to the operational area of Army Group South Ukraine.

In October 1944, the division saw its first action as part of the 6th Army in heavy defensive battles. The military situation had deteriorated dramatically for German forces: the Red Army was advancing into Hungary from the east and south, threatening the Hungarian capital of Budapest. The 22nd SS Volunteer Cavalry Division was committed to these desperate defensive battles.

On Christmas Eve 1944, the division, along with other German and Hungarian units, was encircled in Budapest. The Siege of Budapest became one of the longest and bloodiest urban battles of World War II. Under extreme conditions, with shortages of ammunition, food, and medical supplies, the encircled troops attempted to hold the city.

In February 1945, when Budapest fell, the division was almost completely destroyed. Only a few soldiers managed to break through to the west and escape Soviet captivity. The surviving remnants of the division were used to establish the 37th SS Volunteer Cavalry Division “Lützow,” another emergency formation of the final months of the war.

The heavily worn and oxidized condition of this collar tab indicates intensive frontline service. The oxidation of the metal thread is typical of equipment worn under extreme weather conditions and with inadequate maintenance - circumstances that were the norm during the chaotic final months of the war.

As a historical artifact, this collar tab documents the final phase of World War II in Southeastern Europe and exemplifies the desperate attempts by the Wehrmacht and Waffen-SS to stabilize the military situation through the establishment of new divisions from various ethnic groups. The extreme rarity of such insignia from the “Maria Theresia” Division is explained by the unit's near-complete destruction and its brief existence of less than one year.