NSDAP Membership Book

[Kenny Andrew]

NSDAP Mitgliedsbuch 1935 edition to Von Rhein party member number 2947665.He joined the Party 1st of May 1933.The book is well filled with contribution stamps running from 1936 to 1944. Page 12 is signed by his local Ortsgruppenleiter this page usually mentions exceptional service or awards however because of the Sutterlin script we can not make out what it says. If anyone can read sutterlin script we would be very grateful to find out what this page says.

[Fritz]

Am a bit out of practice with Sutterlin, Koch, etc., but used to be quite versed in this. This script was officially abolished by order or the NSDAP (thanks to a suggestion by Martin Bormann) in 1940/41 - however, older people found it hard to adjust and continued with this for many years. Even postwar schoolchildren still learned this at school, but not as a mainstay. Latin script was in to stay. Having looked at the pages posted, briefly: Inhaber: Werner von Rhein (unusual name), profession: Zoologe (Zoologist), borm in Weimar, living in Geiseneheim, Hindenburgstrasse. Signatures are always more difficult to read, and very individual,
looks to me like: B u n z l o h

First name of holder: Werner.

Interesting document, Werner von Rhein must have been "ein hohes Tier"

Somehow, if you check the lists of Ortsgruppenleiter, in this case for the town of Geisenheim, and at this particular date.

[Kenny Andrew]

Thanks Paul, for the further information, I have updated the website.I thought his first name was Werner but was not 100% sure. If you know anyone who can read Sutterlin show it to them , would love to know what page 12 says, yes I agree I think he must have been "ein hohes Tier"

[Fritz]

Hallo Kenny – here is the text from page 12, which you required. Bit of difficulty with the computer yeaterday – internet was too busy – I have now, usiing a large magnifying glass over the screen, written down, word for word, this text. It sounds quite serious. He has been breaking the rules laid down in Early 1942 concerning the Kreis “economy” – ( by jurisdiction of 5.7.42 by district court Rheingau-St. Goarshausen), with a reprimand and suspension from office for the period of one year until 5.7.1943 (punished) – Wow! I wonder what he did? Probably he was later in postwar years commended for “civil courage” and resistance to tyranny. If he was lucky. Perhaps you can research more into him. As I mentioned, there is somebody in Fulda with a similar name, probably a relation.
See text below in transcription. It would easier if I had the document in front of me, although the photos are very good.

Pg. (Parteigenosse) von Rhein wurde wegen der ihm gegen die Kriegswirtschaftsbestimmungen im Frühjahr 1942 durch rechtskräftigen Beschluß vom 5.7.1942 des Kreisgerichts Rheingau-St .Goarshausen mit Verwarnung unter gleichzeitiger Aberkennung der Fähigkeit zur Bekleidung eines Kreisamtes auf die Dauer von einem Jahr bis einschließlich 5.7.1943 bestraft.

[Kenny Andrew]

Thanks Paul,

 

that's great , I would never have thought it would be a reprimand ,that probabably makes it even more interesting. I wonder what happened to him?

 

thanks for you all your effort Paul, the mystery is solved, will update the webpage

[Fritz]

The old German book print ( Gothic / Fraktur) and handwriting (Sutterlin) were officially abolished by decree of the NSDAP signed by Martin Bormann as per January 1941. As from that period all new books and documents were to be printed in the Latin antiqua letters and the same also was to apply to handwirting. Schoolbooks were then to be gradually replaced. The German print was said to derived from the Schwabacher Letters of the bookprinting trade, which had been allegedly in Jewish hands for hundreds of years, and that these letters were derived from the Hebrew script, which was not true. The true reason for these steps is not really known, but probably it was simply a question of standardising script in Europe.
This letter dated January 1941 was for circulation to all appropriate NSDAP Stellen, but not for publication. This informaiton can be found under wikipedia.

 

[Fritz]

http://www.suetterlinstube-hamburg.de/impressum.php

 

Here is an address where you can learn more about Sutterlin, in German however, one of the few possibilities left

 

and the Bormann decree, document from 1941.

 

http://www.suetterlinstube-hamburg.de/erlass.php

The alphabet, this comes in very useful: