Inventory number: DPM 1.1060
Just a few years after the Second World War, there was talk of rearming Germany. Chancellor Adenauer hoped that this would also lead to the regaining of state sovereignty; the USA and Western European countries wanted a military alliance with German participation against the Soviet Union. The idea of a “European Defense Community” (EDC), in which some Western European countries were to set up contingents for a joint army, ultimately failed. However, the plans had already been so concrete that the EDC uniforms had already been considered and existing uniforms from various armies had been tested.
When the Bundeswehr was formed in 1955, there were already considerations for a new uniform that would distinguish itself from the Wehrmacht design. The introduction of a new steel helmet for the Bundeswehr was based on an American design: The soldiers were given a locally produced M1. The tank crews were also to receive a new protective helmet, which is why the American M6 was tested in the troops.
The US model introduced in 1938 was based on football helmets, had large air holes, ear straps for headphones and leather straps for attaching dust goggles. It was made of a fiber material to absorb shocks against the inside of the armor.
The company Maury & Co from Offenbach produced this helmet based on the US model for the Bundeswehr’s troop trials. The helmet differs from the US version in some features: For example, the tabs on the ear cups are crossed, the helmet bell is made of aluminum instead of fiber material and the size stamp on the inside is in centimeters. In addition, the company Maury & Co, which had been producing military and firefighting equipment since 1820, replaced the large air holes of the US model with six small ones, which corresponded to those of German firefighting helmets from the 1930s. The helmet model was also tested in Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden and even Israel and Thailand. However, the Bundeswehr did not introduce the helmet for its tank crews and eventually reverted to a beret.
(short) stories from the depot
Unfortunately, many objects cannot currently be shown in the exhibition for conservation reasons. Here you will find unusual objects and exciting stories of special pieces from the depot
07/2025
This poem was written by Hanomag employees to mark the one thousandth design modification of the HS 30 infantry fighting vehicle in March 1960.
06/2025
This model has a Prussian cockade at the front and a storm strap with which the helmet could be fastened to the head.
05/2025
This model has a Prussian cockade at the front and a storm strap with which the helmet could be fastened to the head.
04/2025
Kurt Meyer (1910-1961) was an SS brigade leader in the Waffen-SS and remained a staunch National Socialist even after the war.
03/2025
This helmet is the unlined summer version of the Japanese Type 92 armored helmet. It is made of brown textile and is fully padded.
02/2025
This beer mug was awarded to Richard Streibel on August 14, 1935 at the end of his training as a non-commissioned officer in Wünsdorf.
01/2025
Battlefield 1 is the fifteenth game in the Battlefield series from Electronic Arts, the numbering refers to the historical setting: the First World War.
12/2024
Marduk is a Swedish black metal band that formed in 1990. It is considered one of the most commercially successful in the scene and a classic of the genre.
11/2024
These aluminum drinking cups were only produced until October 1914, after which the shortage of this light metal began in Germany.
10/2024
This field suit worn by a Wehrmacht Oberwachtmeister belongs to the fog training and testing department set up in Bremen 88 years ago today.
09/2024
In 1896, the German colonial troops were given a uniform that had never before existed in the armies of the German Empire.
08/2024
This game piece is part of the tabletop strategy game “Warhammer 40,000” (often abbreviated as: Warhammer 40k).
