Original German Pre-WWII Der Stahlhelm Glass Stein with Silver Stahlhelm

Original Item: Only One Available. Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten ('The Steel Helmet, League of Front-Line Soldiers'), often shortened to Der Stahlhelmbund (The Steel helmet league) was conceived as a national veterans’ organization by Franz Seldte in November of 1918, and was officially founded on Christmas day of that year. It was mostly comprised of WWI veterans trying to assimilate back into what was then a devastated society. The Stahlhelm became the largest of the post-war veterans’ groups, incorporating many of the smaller Freikorps groups into it.

Most of its members were assimilated by the SA in 1933 after the NSDAP takeover, resulting in a name change to the Nationalsozialistische Deutscher Frontkämpferbund Stahlhelm (National Socialist German Front Fighters Association Steel Helmet), abbreviated to N.S.D.F.B.St.. This was then disbanded in 1935 after only 17 months of existence, with its remaining members absorbed by the DRKB (Deutscher Reichskriegerbund), which, in turn, was absorbed by the NS-RKB (Nationalsozialistische - Reichskriegerbund) in 1938.

This is an outstanding small glass stein made for a member of Der Stahlhelm, H. Harder. The stein is entirely glass save for the hinge and lid, which is shaped like a Stahlhelm, although it appears closer to an M35 than an M16. The stahlhelm is engraved to the front:

H. Harder
Der Stahlhelm
1914

1914 was likely the year he first entered the German Army. The Stahlhelm and hinge have a lovely tarnished silver finish, though they are likely only silver-plated.

It measures 5¾” tall and 3⅛” in diameter. The glass is marked 6/20L for 6/20ths of a liter. Comes ready for further research and display!