Information AboutTotenkopfring |
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AWARD The Ring was initially presented to senior Officer s of the Old Guard (of which there were less 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 WWII virtually the entire SS leadership, including the Waffen-SS and Gestapo , had the ring. On October 17 , 1944 production of the rings was cancelled due to the increasing economic stresses of the final stages of the war. 14,500 were made altogether. DESIGN The Rune d design of the ring reflects Himmler's interest for Mythology and the Occult . The skull (or Totenkopf ) was the traditional symbol of the SS, taken from other German and Prussian military units of the past, The two Sieg (victory) runes represent the lightning flash runes of the Schutzstaffel, while the Hagall rune represents the faith and camaraderie that was idealised by the leaders of the organisation. The Swastika was originally a rune meaning light and hope. However, the SS liked to portray this as another influential symbol of the power of the Aryan Race . The ''Heilzeichen'', on the rear of the ring, was a creation of the SS designers rather than a historical rune. It symbolised all the ideals of the SS, from camaraderie to their belief that SS men should sacrifice all for their brothers, as is emphasised by the SS motto "Give death and take death." The ring showed the name of the bearer, the date of presentation, and a facsimile of Himmler's signature, plus the abbreviations. ''M Lb''. for "Meinem Lieben" or "To my dear". Karl Maria Wiligut has been credited with the design. POST-NAZI ERA At the end of the war, Himmler, seeing the ring as a Personification of all he believed, had all the remaining rings blast-sealed into a mountain near Wewelsburg Castle . All rings were to be returned to Himmler upon the bearer's death or when they left the SS, and sent to Himmler. 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 people who were awarded them. Around 3,500 rings are thought to be in existence today, and therefore are very rare, collectable items, often reaching up to £ 4,500 in value. Copies and fakes are also common. TRIVIA US musician Lowell George recorded a song called ''Himmler's Ring'' (written by Fred Tackett ) on his album ''Thanks I'll Eat It Here''. EXTERNAL LINK |
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