Tropical helmet according to the Bortfeldt patent, ca. 1901

In 1896, the German colonial troops were given a uniform that had not yet existed in the armies of the German Empire. For the new areas of operation in Oceania, Asia and Africa, the soldiers needed a new type of uniform that was adapted to the climate and vegetation. First and foremost, it had to protect the heat-sensitive German soldiers from the sun so that they could remain “tropically fit” and physically assert their claim to power in the colonies. The uniform was similar in many respects to those of other nations and the most striking common feature was the headgear: the pith helmet. Members of the German naval units had already tested a lightweight helmet made of cork or reeds, as they were the first to travel in “tropical waters” and needed lightweight headgear.

The imported pith helmets were made of the particularly light material cork and were covered with a sand-colored or white coating. The imperial eagle was made of tombac (a brass-copper alloy) or gold-plated for officers. This could be removed in battle so as not to give the enemy marksmen a shiny target as well as an indication of rank.

The helmets were cut particularly high to allow better ventilation and had ventilation holes at the crown, which were protected by a cap. It was also important to shade the face and neck, which is why the pith helmet had an overhanging peak. However, this also caused problems: soldiers complained that the helmet slipped into their faces due to the long neck visor when shooting while lying down. However, shooting while lying down was particularly important in areas with little cover.

In 1900, the hat manufacturer Ludwig Bortfeldt from Bremen applied for a patent for a design to remedy this problem: his five-part neck visor could be folded up, which meant that his helmet design no longer hindered soldiers when firing. Thanks to this patent protection, the Bortfeldt company became the sole supplier to the German colonial troops. Unlike the German colonial empire, however, the Ludwig Bortfeldt company survived beyond the First World War. Even after the dissolution of the German colonial territories, Bortfeldt continued to manufacture cork helmets – for export abroad.

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