Original Item: Only One Available. The NSDAP or Nationalsozialistische Deutsche ArbeiterPartei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), was originally founded in Munich as the DAP, Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, (German Worker’s Party), on January 5TH 1919. When Adolf AH joined the DAP in the autumn of 1919 he was to reform what was basically a debating society into an active political party. Appointed as the first chairman of the party on July 29TH 1921, AH was to restructure it along para-military lines in a hierarchy.

This new NSDAP structure consisted of four ascending levels of government: the Ortsgruppenleitung (Local group leadership), the Kreisleitung (District leadership), the Gauleitung (Regional District leadership), and the Reichsleitung (National leadership). Each group was distinguished by a specific color of piping on the collar tabs and visor cap. From 1936 to 1939 in this scheme, light blue was for the Ortsgruppe level, black for Kreis level, burgundy red for Gau level, and gold yellow for the Reich level. After that the Kreis level changed to white piping.

This is a lovely matched pair (left and right) of 1939-1945 Pattern NSDAP Kragenspiegelen (Collar tabs), often called "Gorget Patches". These have the correct lacquered buckram internal stiffeners, with the front covered in dark gold plush material. They are are piped in white for the Kreisleitung (District Leadership), with a gold Reichsadler eagle at the top over a device with two oak leaves and two acorns, indicating the rank of Bereichsleiter, or Department Leader. This was a NSDAP Party political title which existed between the years of 1939 and 1945.

The tabs are in very good used condition, showing some wear from use and age. The gold wash on the eagles is completely gone, and there some oxidation on the oak leaf sprigs. One of these also lost one of the acorns, and there is definitely some staining to the white piping around the perimeter.

The right side tab still features the original RZM tag, which is in very good shape. The tag has a correct "B" tax code and features the RZM logo as well as production Nr. 167173 at the bottom. The tag definitely looks to have gotten wet at some point, so the ink stamped numerical designation of the Hersteller (manufacturer) after A4 / is gone.

A lovely patinated set of NSDAP collar tabs, ready to add to your collection!

Bereichsleiter, German for department leader, was a National Socialist Party political rank which existed between the years of 1939 and 1945. The rank of Bereichsleiter was created primarily to replace the older rank of Kreisleiter (County Leader) but was also used on higher levels of the NSDAP (Regional and National) as a senior Chief of Staff position.

Those Bereichsleiters who were assigned to the position Kreisleiter were now denoted through the use of a special political armband. Bereichleites were often given military denotation titles in reserve regional army's under various party branches. The enlightenment was one example of a branch used, typically in dual titles between senior general staff.