Deutsche Reichsbahn service ranks
Encyclopedia
Since its beginning until the year 1991, service rank
was a permanent element of service with the Deutsche Reichsbahn
, whether as a civil servant or as an employee. Every railroad employee was obliged to wear the conferred insignia while on duty and entitled to do so off duty. The service rank was conferred with a certificate. The first conferral was designated as a certification, each additional conferral as a promotion.
for all members of the Reichsbahn. Service rank and respective division were recognizable from the collar insignia.
was introduced with specialty and division badges and epaulets as rank insignia for civil servants and workers.
. The uniforms, however, were soon brought into accord with the Soviet model. This was especially apparent in the epaulets. Basically, many railway employees wore uniforms, and the military cut and service grades reflected the semi-military character of the railways in the GDR. This was combined with an overly elevated degree of security awareness, readiness, and secrecy.
The collar insignia borders of rank groups I to IV bore the colors of the respective main service branch. The example shows a collar insignia of the main service branch operations and traffic service (red).
! width="100"|Service Rank
! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
Lehrling B+V-Helfer
Lehrl BV-Helf
Lehrling
Lehrl
Eisenbahner
Eb
Reichsbahn-Unterassistent and Zugschaffner
RUAss und Zsch
RAss
! width="100"|Service Rank
! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
Ingenieurschüler first semester
Ingsch
Ingenieurschüler after the first semester
Ingsch
Reichsbahn-Untersekretär, Zugführer, Lokomotivheizer
RUS, Zf, Lokh
Reichsbahn-Sekretär and Reservelokomotivführer
RS und ResLf
Reichsbahn-Obersekretär and Lokomotivführer
ROS and Lf
Reichsbahn-Hauptsekretär and Oberlokomotivführer
RHS and OLf
In this context
! width="100"|Service Rank
! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
Eisenbahner
Eb
Reichsbahn-Unterassistent and Zugschaffner
RUAss and Zsch
RAss
Apprentice
s wore epaulets as with the Eisenbahner service rank, but instead of the star, one or two loops in gold with blue stripes were worn.
! width="100"|Service rank
! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
Reichsbahn-Untersekretär, Zugführer and Lokomotivheizer
RUS, Zf and Lokh
Reichsbahn-Sekretär and Reservelokomotivführer
RS and ResLf
Reichsbahn-Obersekretär and Lokomotivführer
ROS and Lf
Reichsbahn-Hauptsekretär and Oberlokomotivführer
RHS and OLf
Student
s of the Gotha
Engineering School
, the Eisenach
and Altenburg
high schools and the Dresden
engineering school for Railroad Studies wore the epaulets similar to the service rank of Reichsbahn-Untersekretär, except that instead of the stars, a gold loop with blue stripes was worn.
After the second semester, students in the engineering schools wore epaulets similar to Reichsbahn-Untersekretär, except that instead of stars, two gold loops with blue stripes were worn.
The collar insignia borders of rank groups I to IV bore the colors of the respective main service branch. The example shows a collar insignia of the main service branch operations and traffic service (red).
Service ranks were discontinued by the Reichsbahn in 1991. Every employee received a note which stated only that he was entitled to continue wearing the previous rank “off duty”.
! width="100"|Service Rank
! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
Lehrling Teilausbildung
Lehrl Teilausb
Lehrling leaving the 8th class
Lehrl 8. Kl
Lehrling leaving the 10th class
Lehrl 10. Kl
Lehrling leaving the 10th class with Abitur
Lehrl Abi
Reichsbahn-Unterassistent
RUAss
RAss
Reichsbahn-Oberassistent
ROAss
Reichsbahn-Hauptassistent
RHAss
! width="100"|Service Rank
! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
Reichsbahn-Untersekretär
RUS
Reichsbahn-Sekretär
RS
Reichsbahn-Obersekretär
ROS
Reichsbahn-Hauptsekretär
RHS
Military rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
was a permanent element of service with the Deutsche Reichsbahn
Deutsche Reichsbahn-Gesellschaft
The Deutsche Reichsbahn – was the name of the German national railway created from the railways of the individual states of the German Empire following the end of World War I....
, whether as a civil servant or as an employee. Every railroad employee was obliged to wear the conferred insignia while on duty and entitled to do so off duty. The service rank was conferred with a certificate. The first conferral was designated as a certification, each additional conferral as a promotion.
Service Ranks from 1924 to 1935
As a result of a competition, a single service uniform that eliminated of the previous badges and embellishments was introduced throughout the ReichDeutsches Reich
Deutsches Reich was the official name for Germany from 1871 to 1945 in the German language.As the literal English translation "German Empire" denotes a monarchy, the term is used only in reference to Germany prior to the fall of the monarchies at the end of World War I in 1918...
for all members of the Reichsbahn. Service rank and respective division were recognizable from the collar insignia.
Service Ranks from 1935 to 1945
In July 1935, a new uniformUniform
A uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
was introduced with specialty and division badges and epaulets as rank insignia for civil servants and workers.
Service Ranks from 1945 to 1957
After the end of the Second World War, the pre-war service ranks were retained in the Deutsche Reichsbahn of the GDRDeutsche Reichsbahn of the GDR
The Deutsche Reichsbahn or DR was the operating name of state owned railways in the German Democratic Republic ....
. The uniforms, however, were soon brought into accord with the Soviet model. This was especially apparent in the epaulets. Basically, many railway employees wore uniforms, and the military cut and service grades reflected the semi-military character of the railways in the GDR. This was combined with an overly elevated degree of security awareness, readiness, and secrecy.
Service Ranks from 1957 to 1962
The collar insignia borders of rank groups I to IV bore the colors of the respective main service branch. The example shows a collar insignia of the main service branch operations and traffic service (red).
Rank group I
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue interwoven with gold.! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
Rank Group II
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue and gold in the relationship of 2:2.! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
Service Ranks from 1962 to 1974
The main service branches were recognizable from the colors of the piping on the caps as well as by the borders of the epaulets and collar insignia.In this context
- red for operations and traffic service
- blue for mechanical management
- gray for coach management
- green for railroad property and construction
- yellow for security and communications
Rank group I
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue interwoven with gold.! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
Apprentice
Apprenticeship
Apprenticeship is a system of training a new generation of practitioners of a skill. Apprentices or protégés build their careers from apprenticeships...
s wore epaulets as with the Eisenbahner service rank, but instead of the star, one or two loops in gold with blue stripes were worn.
Rank Group II
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue and gold in the relationship of 2:2.! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
Student
Student
A student is a learner, or someone who attends an educational institution. In some nations, the English term is reserved for those who attend university, while a schoolchild under the age of eighteen is called a pupil in English...
s of the Gotha
Gotha (town)
Gotha is a town in Thuringia, within the central core of Germany. It is the capital of the district of Gotha.- History :The town has existed at least since the 8th century, when it was mentioned in a document signed by Charlemagne as Villa Gotaha . Its importance derives from having been chosen in...
Engineering School
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
, the Eisenach
Eisenach
Eisenach is a city in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated between the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest and the Hainich National Park. Its population in 2006 was 43,626.-History:...
and Altenburg
Altenburg
Altenburg is a town in the German federal state of Thuringia, 45 km south of Leipzig. It is the capital of the Altenburger Land district.-Geography:...
high schools and the Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
engineering school for Railroad Studies wore the epaulets similar to the service rank of Reichsbahn-Untersekretär, except that instead of the stars, a gold loop with blue stripes was worn.
After the second semester, students in the engineering schools wore epaulets similar to Reichsbahn-Untersekretär, except that instead of stars, two gold loops with blue stripes were worn.
Service Ranks from 1974 to 1991
The color differentiation of the main service branches was retained (see 1962 to 1974)The collar insignia borders of rank groups I to IV bore the colors of the respective main service branch. The example shows a collar insignia of the main service branch operations and traffic service (red).
Service ranks were discontinued by the Reichsbahn in 1991. Every employee received a note which stated only that he was entitled to continue wearing the previous rank “off duty”.
Rank group I
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue interwoven with gold.! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
Rank Group II
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue and gold in the relationship of 2:2.! width="50"|Abbreviation
! width="200"|Epaulet>
See also
- Deutsche Reichsbahn-GesellschaftDeutsche Reichsbahn-GesellschaftThe Deutsche Reichsbahn – was the name of the German national railway created from the railways of the individual states of the German Empire following the end of World War I....
, - Deutsche Reichsbahn of the GDRDeutsche Reichsbahn of the GDRThe Deutsche Reichsbahn or DR was the operating name of state owned railways in the German Democratic Republic ....
, - UniformUniformA uniform is a set of standard clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, security guards, in some workplaces and schools and by inmates...
, - Military rankMilitary rankMilitary rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...