SS ring of honor

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Skull ring for SS members (replica)

The SS-Totenkopfring or SS-Ehrenring was a badge of honor of the Schutzstaffel (SS) in the Third Reich . In addition to the ring , there was also the SS honor sword and the SS honor dagger . The presentation of these private awards had to take place according to a set of rules that had been personally decreed by Heinrich Himmler .

General

Schematic representation of the ring with the skull , the " Siegrune ", " Hagalrune " ( faith ), the " Heilszeichen " (double
rune for prosperity , luck and success ) and swastika (from left to right)

Originally, the ring was a rather private award from Himmler to SS members with a membership number up to 5000. Later the ring was generally awarded to all SS members who had successfully completed the SS leadership schools or the SS Junker School .

The ring was designed by the later SS-Gruppenführer Karl Maria Wiligut on behalf of Himmler, made of silver and has a skull and crossbones on its face . Furthermore, some rune signs were attached, which should strengthen the "Germanic virtues" of the wearer. On the inside was engraved: Slb. ... (read as: His love and the name of the bearer followed); only the surname of the wearer was engraved. This was followed by: H. Himmler and the date of the award (in contrast to newer replicas without 0 for single-digit numbers, e.g. 11/1/44, but not 11/1/44). The ring does not have any silver hallmarks or the like.

Although not an official party award, the ring of honor was extremely coveted by members of the SS. During the Second World War , the entire SS leadership corps including the leaders of the Waffen SS and the Gestapo belonged to the circle of ring owners due to the increasingly inflationary allocation .

The Wewelsburg

When the war defeat became apparent, Himmler had the Wewelsburg , the place where the rings were kept, blown up by the then 25-year-old SS Hauptsturmführer Heinz Macher. Rings from dead bearers were returned to the RFSS Himmler until January 1945 , after which they were often buried with the bearer. A total of around 16,000 rings were awarded.

Meaning of the ring

In addition, everyone who was awarded the ring received a standard letter from Himmler describing the meaning of the ring. Accordingly, the skull ring was a

“A sign of our loyalty to the leader, our unchanging obedience to our superiors and our unshakable togetherness and camaraderie. The skull is the reminder to be ready at any time to use the life of our ego for the life of the whole. The runes opposite the skull are a sign of salvation from our past, with which we are again connected through the worldview of National Socialism. [...] The ring is crowned with oak leaves, the leaves of the old German tree. "

The ring is “not for sale”, “must never fall into the hands of others” and will revert to Himmler after “you have left the SS or out of life”.

literature

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. SS skull ring . In: Robert Ley (ed.): Organization book of the NSDAP . 7th edition. Central publishing house of the NSDAP, Franz Eher Nachf., Munich 1943, plate 51, p. 38 (fig.).
  2. Quote from: Peter Longerich, Heinrich Himmler. Biography , Munich 2010, p. 298.