I too Have a BMW and a "Stahlhelm"

[Slavs]

I too Have a BMW and a “Stahlhelm”,

 

And, for those of you who are familiar with me, you've seen pics of my BMW 1600s, but none of my "Stahlhelm".

 

You don’t have to be a military buff and / or historian to recognize the familiar silhouette of the “Stahlhelm” or WWII era German military helmet. Everybody is familiar with its distinctive shape, having greatly influenced modern military helmet design. Like a BMW, the Stahlhelm is distinctly German, well designed, purpose built and functional.

 

I’ve attended some Oktoberfest celebrations here and there in Southern California over the years. And a couple of times each year I stop in at the local German tavern. Krumpus night is one of my favorite. But, each time, I spot the distinctive silhouette of the “Stahlhem”, sometimes worn by someone, tucked away on a shelf or more often in the 60s and 70s era pictures, hanging on the walls , of German émigrés, some proudly wearing their Stahlhelms. One can argue it’s just a cultural fad, or it may be a euphemism for something more sinister, lurking just below the surface. But, on other occasions it is much more brazen and blatant such as at the Oktoberfest I attended in Thousand Oaks, CA during the late 80s, where a group of shirtless young men walked in sporting their Stahlhelms and Waffen SS tattoos. Nobody asked them to leave, probably out of sympathy rather than fear and apathy, as they partook in the festivities, And, then there are the various American motorcycle or biker clubs with their working class “lumpenproletariat” pro-status quo and zealously patriotic, Right Wing rank and file Harley Davidson "Freedom"  jockeys, who adopted the Stalhelm along with other Nazi symbolism, during the 60s, in sharp contrast to the hippies and student led counter-culture protest movement.

 

So, for those of you closet case Stahlhelm admirers, I proudly display my rusty Stahlhelm in all its glory. It was worn by a German soldier who was part of a convoy ambushed by partisans in 1942. We kept the Stahlhelms, not as trophies, but as practical utilitarian instruments; we fed our pigs from them, more befitting  the "Stahlhelm", considering the ideology and people most often associated with it.   

 

I admit, though, considering everything this Stahlhelm has been through, it’s still in pretty good shape. It must be the German metallurgy.

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Slavs