Ring club

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Ringverein denotes an association for the solidarity support of former prisoners or a criminal organization . They were common in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century . Its members often wore a signet ring as a sign of identification .

background

The first ring association, the Reich Association of Former Prisoners , was founded in Berlin in 1890 and was an association to support former prisoners in solidarity . Soon there were other such associations in Berlin, which merged in 1898 under the umbrella organization Ring Berlin . The ring clubs had their own assembly rules and statutes. The members, the so-called “ring brothers”, usually wore a signet ring by which they could recognize one another.

Over time, the ring clubs changed and took on the characteristics of organized crime . They organized robberies, prostitution, and moving goods and alcohol . Its members were obliged to maintain secrecy from others, especially the police , if punished. Benefits of membership included a. the procurement of alibis , the financial support of brothers in the event of illness and imprisonment, the procurement of lawyers and the care of the families of the members. Women of prisoners who were checked by "Ringbrothers" and found to be loyal, for example, received food and rent. The association was financed by the donation of loot from the gang-like raids and burglaries carried out by the members .

Because of the fake alibis, the secrecy and the guarantee of mutual protection in connection with the intimidation of witnesses, it was not possible to get at the ring clubs for a long time. After several attempts at containment by the authorities and numerous setbacks, they were finally banned as registered associations by the National Socialists in 1934 .

Known members

Well-known clubs

  • Always faithful
  • dragon-fly
  • Apache blood
  • Reich Association of Former Prisoners
  • Berlin Ring
  • The free covenant
  • North German Ring
  • Central German ring
  • Ring Greater Germany
  • Free association
  • German oak
  • Savings association

literature

  • Hsi-Huey Liang: The Berlin Police in the Weimar Republic. , Publications of the Historical Commission in Berlin (Volume 47), Walter de Gruyter & Co. / GJ Göschen'sche Verlagshandlung, Berlin / New York 1977, ISBN 3-11-006520-7
  • Erich Frey : I request acquittal. From the memories of the defense attorney. , Heyne , Munich 1959
  • Werner W. Malzacher: Berlin crook stories. From the underworld 1918–1933. , Haude & Spenersche , Berlin 1970
  • Peter Feraru : Muscle Adolf & Co. - The "ring clubs" and organized crime in Berlin. , Argon , Berlin 1995, ISBN 3-87024-785-1
  • How is the Berlin underworld organized? Article in the Vossische Zeitung , January 5, 1929
  • Arthur Hartmann, Klaus von Lampe: The German underworld and the Ringvereine from the 1890s through the 1950s. , Global Crime (Vol. 9, Issue 1 & 2, pp. 108-135), Routledge, New York 2008, ISSN  1744-0572

Exhibitions

  • Archive of the Kreuzberg Museum in Berlin , category "Crimes in Friedrichshain"
  • Archive of the Kriminal-Museum Frankfurt e. V., Frankfurt am Main

Web links

Wiktionary: Ringverein  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations