SOLD - Austrian Berndorf Helmet with Nazi Emblem

Description

10/10/24 - This is a great example of a Bergdorf Helmet from the Austro-Hungarian Empire. This helmet still has it's original liner, which is in great condition given it's age. This helmet has an added post-WW1 embellishment, The emblem for the Deutscher Turnerbund (DTB) has been added to the front of this helmet. The DTB was the German Gymnastics Federation, prior to WW2 and the Anschluss of Austria. The DTB had clubs within Austria that focused on recruiting young men into gymnastics, but more importantly to influence these youths with the ideals of the Nazi Party. The DTB's goals in Austria were to further the idea among the Austrian population that they were German and to be more accepting to the idea of becoming part of Nazi Germany. The DTB while itself was not a paramilitary organization, did train young men in a militaristic fashion. Many DTB members would go on to partake in the violence and suppression of those deemed undesirable by the Nazi party. While the DTB itself was not directly involved in the violence of the time in Austria, it did play a pivotal role in supporting the Nazi regime's ideology. Contributing to the normalization of violence and exclusion of those deemed undesirable in German / Austrian society during the period.