Original Item: Only One Available. The Ordnungspolizei, abbreviated Orpo, meaning "Order Police", were the uniformed police force in NSDAP Germany from 1936 to 1945. The Orpo organization was absorbed into the NSDAP monopoly on power after regional police jurisdiction was removed in favor of the central government ("Reich-ification", Verreichlichung, of the police). The Orpo was controlled, nominally by the Interior Ministry but its executive functions rested with the leadership of the SS until the end of World War II. Owing to their green uniforms, Orpo were also referred to as Grüne Polizei (green police).

The force was first established as a centralized organization uniting the municipal, city, and rural uniformed police that had been organized on a state-by-state basis. Eventually the Police were divided into eight assorted branches of service, with each branch having a distinguishing truppenfarbe, (Branch of service color) that was displayed on the uniforms including the piping on the visor caps. Of note is that the police had no enlisted ranks, with the lowest rank being an Unterwachtmeister which was equivalent to the German army rank of Unteroffizier.

Members of the police force at the NCO level would wear embroidered Civic police eagle insignia on their left sleeves, with the color of the embroidering matching their Truppenfarbe. Officers however had sleeve eagles that were silver bullion embroidered, with a background matching the uniform.

This is a very nice German WWII Ordnungspolizei Ärmelhoheitsabzeichen (order police sleeve sovereignty badge", made using a police green background with a hand embroidered silver bullion civic eagle. This example bas a buckram backing as well as a paper backing, the latter of which is partly missing. There are stitch holes around the perimeter, so it was installed on a uniform at some point. There is a small piece missing at the top, but otherwise it is fully intact. Measures approximately 2 7/8"H x 3 1/4" wide.

A lovely example of a hard to find police badge, ready to display!