SS-Ehrenring
Encyclopedia
The SS-Ehrenring unofficially called Totenkopfring (English "Skull Ring", literal translation "Dead Head Ring"), was an award
of Heinrich Himmler
's Schutzstaffel
(SS). It was not a state decoration, but rather a personal gift bestowed by Himmler. The SS Honor Sword was a similar award.
s of the Old Guard (of which there were fewer than 5,000) who had displayed extraordinary valor and leadership skill in battle
. An additional requirement was a clean disciplinary record, and a subsequent blemish on it would require the wearer to return the ring. By 1939, disciplinary issues aside, it was available to any officer with 3 years service in the SS, and in World War II virtually the entire SS leadership, including the Waffen-SS
and Gestapo
, had the ring.
On October 17, 1944 production of the rings by Gahr & Co. of Munich was cancelled due to the increasing economic stresses of the final stages of the war. The rings were cast using the lost-wax process, with the recipient's name, the award date, and Himmler's signature engraved on the interior of each ring.
In addition every recipient got a standard letter of Himmler which described the meaning of the ring. The name of the recipient and the conferment date was added on the letter. In the letter, Himmler wrote that the ring was a "reminder at all times to be willing to risk the life of our selves for the life of the whole".
In 1938 Himmler ordered the return of all rings of dead SS-men and officers to be stored in a chest in Wewelsburg
Castle. This was to symbolize the ongoing membership of the decedent in the SS-order.
. Karl Maria Wiligut
has been credited with the design.
The ring shows skull and crossed bones - the SS symbol - on its top. The skull (or Totenkopf
) was the traditional symbol of the SS, taken from other German and Prussian military units of the past.
The meaning of the skull described in Himmler's accompanying letter, literally:
"The skull is the monition to be prepared anytime to risk the life of our own I for the life of the entity."
Armanen runes
appear prominently on the ring.
The ring is wreathed with oak leaves.
On the inside of the ring was engraved S Lb for "Seinem Lieben" then the surname [only - no initials] of the bearer, date of presentation and a facsimile of Himmler's signature.
Recipients also received a specially designed box decorated with the SS runes for storage or carrying.
After all further awards of the ring were halted in 1944, Himmler ordered all the remaining rings blast-sealed inside a mountain near Wewelsburg Castle
. Their present location is unknown.
All rings were to be returned to Himmler upon the bearer's death or when they left the SS, to be kept at Wewelsburg as a kind of individual memorial to the holder. When a ring-holder was killed in battle, his SS comrades were to make every effort to retrieve the ring and prevent its falling into enemy hands. By January 1945, 64% of the 14,500 rings made had been returned to Himmler. After the end of the war, many rings were also (per Himmler's instructions) buried with the men who were awarded them.
Around 3,500 rings are thought to be in existence today, and therefore are very rare, collectable items. Copies and fakes are also common. There appears to be difficulty in verifying the authenticity of examples bearing the name "Müller" and "Maier".
Award
An award is something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field; a certificate of excellence. Awards are often signifiedby trophies, titles, certificates, commemorative plaques, medals, badges, pins, or ribbons...
of Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was Reichsführer of the SS, a military commander, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. As Chief of the German Police and the Minister of the Interior from 1943, Himmler oversaw all internal and external police and security forces, including the Gestapo...
's Schutzstaffel
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
(SS). It was not a state decoration, but rather a personal gift bestowed by Himmler. The SS Honor Sword was a similar award.
Award
The ring was initially presented to senior officerOfficer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
s of the Old Guard (of which there were fewer than 5,000) who had displayed extraordinary valor and leadership skill in battle
Battle
Generally, a battle is a conceptual component in the hierarchy of combat in warfare between two or more armed forces, or combatants. In a battle, each combatant will seek to defeat the others, with defeat determined by the conditions of a military campaign...
. An additional requirement was a clean disciplinary record, and a subsequent blemish on it would require the wearer to return the ring. By 1939, disciplinary issues aside, it was available to any officer with 3 years service in the SS, and in World War II virtually the entire SS leadership, including the Waffen-SS
Waffen-SS
The Waffen-SS was a multi-ethnic and multi-national military force of the Third Reich. It constituted the armed wing of the Schutzstaffel or SS, an organ of the Nazi Party. The Waffen-SS saw action throughout World War II and grew from three regiments to over 38 divisions, and served alongside...
and Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
, had the ring.
On October 17, 1944 production of the rings by Gahr & Co. of Munich was cancelled due to the increasing economic stresses of the final stages of the war. The rings were cast using the lost-wax process, with the recipient's name, the award date, and Himmler's signature engraved on the interior of each ring.
In addition every recipient got a standard letter of Himmler which described the meaning of the ring. The name of the recipient and the conferment date was added on the letter. In the letter, Himmler wrote that the ring was a "reminder at all times to be willing to risk the life of our selves for the life of the whole".
In 1938 Himmler ordered the return of all rings of dead SS-men and officers to be stored in a chest in Wewelsburg
Wewelsburg
For the village of Wewelsburg see Village of WewelsburgWewelsburg is a Renaissance castle located in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the village of Wewelsburg which is a quarter of the city Büren, Westphalia, in district of Paderborn in the Alme Valley. The castle has the...
Castle. This was to symbolize the ongoing membership of the decedent in the SS-order.
Design
The design of the ring reflects Himmler's interest in Germanic mysticismGermanic mysticism
Germanic mysticism or Germanic occultism may refer to* Ariosophy* more generally, various schools of Esotericism in Germany and Austria* various modern systems of runic magic...
. Karl Maria Wiligut
Karl Maria Wiligut
Karl Maria Wiligut was an Austrian Ariosophist- Biography :...
has been credited with the design.
The ring shows skull and crossed bones - the SS symbol - on its top. The skull (or Totenkopf
Totenkopf
The Totenkopf is the German word for the death's head and an old symbol for death or the dead. It consists usually of the skull and the mandible of the human skeleton...
) was the traditional symbol of the SS, taken from other German and Prussian military units of the past.
The meaning of the skull described in Himmler's accompanying letter, literally:
"The skull is the monition to be prepared anytime to risk the life of our own I for the life of the entity."
Armanen runes
Armanen runes
The Armanen runes, or Armanen 'Futharkh' as Guido von List referred to them, are a row of 18 runes that are closely based in shape on the Younger Futhark...
appear prominently on the ring.
- One Sig RuneSig RuneSig is the name given by Guido von List for the Sigel or s rune of the Armanen Futharkh, and is also used by Karl Maria Wiligut for his runes.-Nazism:...
left and right of the skull framed by a triangle represent the lightning flash runes of the Schutzstaffel. - A HagalHagal (Armanen rune)Hagal is the 7th rune of Armanen Futharkh of Guido von List, derived from the Younger Futhark Hagal rune .Hagal is the "mother rune" of the Armanen system and also seen as such by List's contemporaries Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels, Adolf Schleipfer, Peryt Shou, Siegfried Adolf Kummer, Rudolf John...
rune (framed by a hexagon) which represents the faith and camaraderie that was idealised by the leaders of the organisation. The esoteric meaning of the Hagal rune according to Guido von List: "Enclose the universe in you and you control the universe". - A Swastika (standing on the vertex) framed by a quadrat. The SS liked to portray the SwastikaSwastikaThe swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
as another influential symbol of the power of the Aryan raceAryan raceThe Aryan race is a concept historically influential in Western culture in the period of the late 19th century and early 20th century. It derives from the idea that the original speakers of the Indo-European languages and their descendants up to the present day constitute a distinctive race or...
. - The double runes on the rear of the ring framed by a circle were to be Heilszeichen (literally: signs of salvation) of the past. They were a creation of the SS designers rather than historical runes. They are a "giborGiborGibor is one of the Armanen runes devised by Guido von List in 1902 .There is no historical Gibor rune . Its shape is similar to that of the Wolfsangel symbol.List associated his Gibor rune with the final stanza of the Rúnatal Gibor is one of the Armanen runes devised by Guido von List in 1902...
" rune plus a bind runeBind runeA bind rune is a ligature of two or more runes. They are extremely rare in Viking Age inscriptions, but are common in pre-Viking Age and in post-Viking Age inscriptions....
for "o" and "t". The bind rune was designed by Wiligut, and spells "Got" the Old High GermanOld High GermanThe term Old High German refers to the earliest stage of the German language and it conventionally covers the period from around 500 to 1050. Coherent written texts do not appear until the second half of the 8th century, and some treat the period before 750 as 'prehistoric' and date the start of...
word for God.
The ring is wreathed with oak leaves.
On the inside of the ring was engraved S Lb for "Seinem Lieben" then the surname [only - no initials] of the bearer, date of presentation and a facsimile of Himmler's signature.
Recipients also received a specially designed box decorated with the SS runes for storage or carrying.
Post-Nazi era
Wewelsburg
For the village of Wewelsburg see Village of WewelsburgWewelsburg is a Renaissance castle located in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, in the village of Wewelsburg which is a quarter of the city Büren, Westphalia, in district of Paderborn in the Alme Valley. The castle has the...
. Their present location is unknown.
All rings were to be returned to Himmler upon the bearer's death or when they left the SS, to be kept at Wewelsburg as a kind of individual memorial to the holder. When a ring-holder was killed in battle, his SS comrades were to make every effort to retrieve the ring and prevent its falling into enemy hands. By January 1945, 64% of the 14,500 rings made had been returned to Himmler. After the end of the war, many rings were also (per Himmler's instructions) buried with the men who were awarded them.
Around 3,500 rings are thought to be in existence today, and therefore are very rare, collectable items. Copies and fakes are also common. There appears to be difficulty in verifying the authenticity of examples bearing the name "Müller" and "Maier".
Literature
- Patzwall, Klaus D., Der SS-Totenkopfring, Patzwall, 4th edition 2002. ISBN 3931533476
- Gottlieb, CraigCraig GottliebCraig Gottlieb, is a military antique dealer, writer and lecturer. Born in Miami, Florida, he is best known for uncovering Adolf Hitler's desk set used to sign the 1938 Munich Pact.- Personal life :...
, The SS Totenkopf Ring, from Munich to Nurnberg, Schiffer, ISBN 978-0-7643-3094-0