The Hitler Youth was established in 1933, replacing the traditional German Boy Scouts, with the intention of indoctrinating (in their terms, educating) German boys with the principles of the Nazi party. It also was meant to prepare those boys for military service; they learned fieldcraft, woodcraft, rifle handling, marksmanship, hiking, camping, athletics, competitiveness, and comradeship, all with a backdrop of strict military discipline. The goal was to create obedient, self-sacrificing, combat ready Germans who wouldn't hesitate to die for Führer and Fatherland. Boys in the Hitler Youth were issued well made black leather waist belts for wear with their brown service dress uniforms, which featured a matching black leather cross strap in Sam Browne style, and mounted a front buckle embossed with their classic Hitler Youth insignia with a circular border, the latter of which carried the expectedly strident Hitler Youth motto, "Blut und Ehre!" (Blood and Honor). This German WW2 HJ Hitler-Jugend Overhoff & Co. RZM M4/27 Hitler Youth Black Leather Waist Belt with Buckle & Cross Strap is in good condition, with some overall drying, stiffening, and crazing, some vertical surface cracking down the right side where the belt folds, some drying, crazing, and flaking to the cross strap, some pitting and patina to the metal hardware of the cross strap and the connecting tabs on the belt, and with some overall age wear evident. Otherwise, the belt is in fine shape, with no other damage to the tough black finished once brown leather construction. Most interestingly, it boasts the original alloy based, single piece, die struck and silver washed Hitler Youth belt buckle embossed with their traditional "Blut und Ehre" insignia at front, and carrying the familiar "RZM" logo next to "M4/27" marked in relief along the back, denoting manufacture by Overhoff & Cie of Ludenscheid, sports the original black leather waist belt and matching black leather cross strap, and features a fully functional closure between the belt and buckle. It measures about 25" long overall with a few stiff bends and curves, and is a fine example of a rare, original German WW2 HJ Hitler-Jugend Overhoff & Co. RZM M4/27 Hitler Youth Black Leather Waist Belt with Buckle & Cross Strap.
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