Original Item: Only One Available. The Ordnungspolizei, abbreviated Orpo, meaning "Order Police", were the uniformed police force in NSDAP Germany from 1936 to 1945. The Orpo organization was absorbed into the NSDAP monopoly on power after regional police jurisdiction was removed in favor of the central government ("Reich-ification", Verreichlichung, of the police). The Orpo was controlled, nominally by the Interior Ministry but its executive functions rested with the leadership of the SS until the end of World War II. Owing to their green uniforms, Orpo were also referred to as Grüne Polizei (green police). The force was first established as a centralized organization uniting the municipal, city, and rural uniformed police that had been organized on a state-by-state basis.

The Schutzpolizei des Reiches or the Schupo was the state protection police of NSDAP Germany and a branch of the Ordnungspolizei. Schutzpolizei is the German name for a uniformed police force. The Schutzpolizei des Reiches was the uniformed police of most cities and large towns.

This is a very good condition condition German WWII Schutzpolizei Schirmmütze Visor Cap, with a lovely sloped "Saddle Form" shape. This was done by removing the crown stiffener ring, just as done on military visor caps. It is fabricated from the correct police blue green wool gabardine with the traditional high front, however the "badge cloth" cap band is green, so this looks to be an early version, before the change to brown. The visor cap has matching Hellgrün (Light Green) piping along the top edge and flanking either side of the band, which is the Truppenfarbe (troop colors) for the Schutzpolizei (Protection Police).

It is decorated with a metal tri-color cockade on the peak, and a metal Civic Police eagle in the middle of the band. It does however look like it originally had an eagle on the peak, as seen on early examples, so it was later changed to be more in line with the current issue during service. It has the correct Enlisted / NCO type leather chin strap with double buckles, retained by pebbled buttons on the sides. The vulcanfibre visor has a smooth black leather-look upper, exhibiting light wear along the edge and is brown on the underside. The top shows a lovely pattern of find crazing and checking due to age.

The inside of the cap is light with light gray cotton material, and has a celluloid sweat shield diamond stitched to the top. This is still partly intact, with the stitching well retained, but the celluloid itself cracked and torn in many places, as shown. It is marked with a maker's logo that we unfortunately were not able to identify. The brown leather sweatband is in very good condition, with a lovely pebble grain appearance.

Overall condition is very good, with a great lightly worn look. There is no major mothing or other condition issues other than the torn sweat shield. The insignia are still bright and shiny.

Offered for sale in very good condition with a beautiful shape, and ready to display!

The Ordnungspolizei encompassed virtually all of NSDAP Germany's law-enforcement and emergency response organizations, including fire brigades, coast guard, and civil defense. In the prewar period, Heinrich Himmler, head of the SS, and Kurt Daluege, chief of the Order Police, cooperated in transforming the police force of the Weimar Republic into militarized formations ready to serve the regime's aims of conquest and racial annihilation. Police troops were first formed into battalion-sized formations for the invasion of Poland, where they were deployed for security and policing purposes, also taking part in executions and mass deportations. During World War II, the force had the task of policing the civilian population of the occupied and colonized countries beginning in spring 1940.

The visor cap (Schirmmütze) was an important part of the headgear worn by German uniformed military, civil, paramilitary and political organizations during the Third Reich. This was the standard cloth headgear worn as a part of the service uniform. Visor caps were worn outdoors as well as indoors, and were often required to be worn by all personnel on duty. Visor caps were made in versions specific to each organization and were often further differentiated through the use of insignia, colored piping, or style of chin cord, to indicate rank, role or branch. The insignia used on these caps ranged from simple stamped metal emblems, to elaborate hand embroidery. Visor caps were issued to enlisted soldiers and NCOs in the military and in some other organizations. Officers had to purchase their own hats, and lower ranks could choose to purchase caps that were of a higher quality than the rather basic, issue examples. The private purchase caps were generally made in very high quality, with fine materials. A wide variety of fabrics were used, from Trikot and doeskin, to heavy wool, or even lightweight white fabric for summer wear. In the military, issue of these caps was generally suspended shortly after the outbreak of the war, but they continued to be worn by some troops until the end of the war.