Bread Plates of the Third Reich

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Bread Plates of the Third Reich

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SS Wiking Division Presentation Hand Carved Bread Plate (Item SS 34-10 & BRE 1-1)

DESCRIPTION: The SS Viking (Wiking) Division was one of the elite fighting units of the Waffen SS. It was recruited from foreign volunteers from Scandanavia, the Netherlands, and Belgium under the command of German officers. During the course of WWII, the Division progessed from a motorized infantry division to a Panzer Division and served mainly on the Eastern Front during the war. Originally organized as the Nordische Division it was to be made up of volunteers from Nordic lands mixed with German Waffen SS veterans. In December 1941, the new motorized Division was to be designated SS Division Germania, but during its formative period the name was changed to SS Division Wikingon, Jan 1941. Command of the newly formed Division was given to Brigadefuhrer Felix Steiner the former commander of the Verfugungstruppe SS Regt. Deutschland. The division was ordered east in June 1941 to take part with army group South’s advance into the Ukraine during operation Barbarossa. The rest is a heroic story of intense combat against the monster of Bolshevism and can be found in several places on the web (go to Google). This plate was presented in commemoration of the fierce fighting on the Weichsel river front in 1944. This wooden plate was possibly a unit gift given to one of the commanders of the unit. Possibly Felix Steiner. This was very often done as bread plates had deep sentimental attachment and often were gifts to favored commanders of the Wehrmacht and SS. The Weichsel front was a battle ground for the Wiking and other Waffen SS units through 1944 and 1945. And this the most formidable of the SS divisions covered themselves with blood and glory here on several occasions. The plate we offer can be considered one of the few mementoes to an elite group of the toughest and bravest soldiers since the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae.

PRICE: SOLD

Oberfűhrer Scherner

Lebens Rune

Hagel Rune

Ty Rune

Victory Rune

Odel Rune

Oak Leaf Motif

The inscripation

Review of LAH By Scherner

Sherner at Left

KZ Guards

Auschwitz

Tower Guards

Prisoner Roll Call

"There is a way to freedom"

Leaving this Camp

Guest Greeting

A Wooden Bread Plate Presented at Dachau to Oberfuhrer Scherner (Item SS 33-4; CAMPS 1-11; BRE 1-2)

DESCRIPTION: Julian Scherner born September 23, 1895 – died April 28, 1945. His fame was as S.S. Oberführer. This was an early paramilitary rank of the S.S. dating back to 1921. Julian Scherner served the Reich from early Kampfzeit times. He became a S.S. Untersturmführer in 1933 and worked up through the years to S.S. Oberführer in 1937. He was a holder of the Iron Cross 2nd Class, the Honor Ring of the S.S., the War Merit Cross 2nd class with swords, the Deutsches Kreuz, the Wound Badge, the Honor sword of the S.S, the Coburg Badge, and last but most important the Blood Order. He was the commander of the S.S. Standarte Julius Schreck in 1934-1935. Then commander of S.S. Abschnitt XIV in 1937. In1939 he was in charge as commander of the Mountain Troop Regiment II (Reinhard Heydrich). Then January 1940 until January 1941 he was the commander of the S.S. Totenkopf Standarte 8. From January 1941 to August 1941 he was commander of the S.S. Truppenübungsplatz Böhmen. His final command was as S.S. and Police Leader of Krakow, Poland from August 1941 to March 1944. In this role he was responsible for overseeing of all evacuations that took place during his time there. Scherner became immortalized in the film “Schindler’s List” a dubious work of fiction. He is portrayed as the cold and calculating S.S. Commander of the region. Remember the victors write their history and fictions and they also excel in telling the history of the vanquished as well and does it really surprise us if the latter’s history might be a bit biased? We might also see some fiction mixed with fact thrown in to
Embellish! (Gild the Lily so to speak!).

The wooden bread plate is probably the finest ever offered on any site or military show in the present or past. The carving is exquisite! With the Sonnenrad
Hakenkreuz in the center. All around are beautiful oak leaves and acorns, and interspersed between them are runic symbols similar to those seen on the “Honor Ring of the S.S.” Like the Honor Ring, the symbols had deep meaning to the N.S. and S.S. mythos. They honored the Aryan/Norse Heritage going back to pre-Christian Europe. There was intense racial significance. If we look to the symbol at 12:00 o’clock we see a figure of a rod with two extensions like arms at right and left angles. This is the “Life” rune. The symbol for eternal life for man and the race and nation. In German newspapers you will see this symbol when a birth is announced and it is used inverted in an obituary (death). I find it also quite interesting that the “Hippy Movement” used it for a sign of Peace (imagine using the symbol of death as a logo for peace!) Was there a message there? The S.S. used this symbol in their Lebensborn Program, a project to encourage motherhood (in other words Birth and Life!) Going clockwise the next symbol is an asterisk looking rune. It is the Hagel Rune. This was to the S.S. the expression of inner strength overcoming adversity. The interpretation of the Hagel Rune was the development of the inner man in order for him to conquer the universe. At 5:00 we encounter the Tyr Rune (Tyre the God of war). The interpretation of this symbol was an exhortation to be fearless, true, and brave and that “Death Cannot Kill”. At 7:00 we see the rune that is most familiar, the “Sieg Rune”, the sign of victory used from ancient Germanic times as an exhortation and greeting. This is the origin of the “Sieg Heil” Hail Victory Salute. It was used by the and the Hitler Youth (Jungvolk).

Finally we come to the “Odal Rune” at 10:00. This symbol symbolized kinship and family and bringing together of people of similar blood or race. It was adopted by the S.S. race and resettlement office (R.U.S.A.) and was used by the S.S. Freiwilligen Gebirgs (mountain) Division “Prinz Eugene”. The center design of course is the “Sonnenrad” or sunwheel swastika and was an ancient Norse representation of the life giving sun. This symbol was adopted by the 5th S.S. Panzer Division “Wiking”.

Now back to the bread plate. It was customary among N.S. inspired patriots to present something deeply symbolic to a person the giver wished to honor. This usually came down to a sword, a dagger, a book, or a ring. But the most revered item given out especially among the S.S. was always the” bread plate”. Bread had special significance among the faithful because it was the staff of life. It was mentioned in N.S. sayings such as “brot und arbeit” (bread and work). “Hitler gibt arbeit und brot” (Hitler gave us work and bread). Bread was (sacrosanct) and it only follows that bread plates were the choice for presentation to those who would be specially honored. This plate was presented by the S.S. Wachtmannshaft or Guard Staff to Oberführer SS> Julian Scherner when he paid a visit to (KL) concentration camp Auschwitz in 1942. Carved into the back of the plate are the words “SS Oberführer Scherner Zur Erinnerung an den Besuch im K.L. Auschwitz im Januar 1942” Translated this means – To: Oberführer Scherner in memory of his visit to concentration camp Auschwitz in January 1942. A crack can be seen across the bottom half of the plate but it must have been expertly repaired at one time. It cannot even be seen from the front. A hanging wire has been added to the back. This is without a single doubt one of the most important historical items we have ever offered and the beauty of it is obvious. A masterpiece of wood carving with practically no rival that we have ever seen, and of course its historical importance is eminently presented.

PRICE: $3,850.00

Please refer to item designator in parentheses in all correspondence.

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