Four different cigarette boxes of the German Nazi SS units, Berlin and Dresden, 1930s. The boxes are sealed with the original adhesive paper and have never been opened. Rare.
20 ZIGARTTEN – The MATROSE sailors unit’s of the Nazi SS in Germany. A box containing 20 cigarettes that has never been opened, Dresden. On the cover is an illustration of a German sailor and in the background a ship and a Nazi flag with a swastika. On the sticker that seals the box is another illustration of a swastika.
Flieger – 20 ZIGARTTEN – The Luftwaffe’s (air force) cigarettes of the Nazi SS in Germany. A box containing 20 cigarettes that has never been opened, produced by E. Bener in Berlin. On the cover illustration of the German “Stuka” aircraft with the swastika on its tail (see Dynasty Auction 15 item 55), and the symbol of the German Air Force, an eagle holding a swastika in its beak. The sealing sticker on the box features an additional illustration of a swastika.
Trommler – 20 ZIGARTTEN – The musical instrument unit cigarettes of the Nazi SS in Germany. A box containing 20 cigarettes that has never been opened, produced by Greiling A.G. in Dresden. On the cover is a picture of a SS soldier playing the trumpet and the unit’s symbol. The sealing sticker on the box features an additional illustration of a swastika.
Das Reich – 20 ZIGARTTEN – The tank unit’s cigarettes of the Nazi SS in Germany. A box containing 20 cigarettes that has never been opened, produced by BRAVOUR Berlin. On the cover is a picture of a Nazi soldier riding a tank with a Nazi flag and a swastika. The sealing sticker on the box features an additional illustration of a swastika.
Within the Nazi party, there were voices calling for the cessation of tobacco distribution and opposition to smoking. It is known that Adolf Hitler himself, who was a heavy smoker in his youth, quit the habit in his adulthood and even tried to prevent smoking among German military personnel. He expressed dissatisfaction that smoking without restrictions had been allowed for the army during the beginning of the war, stating on March 2, 1942, that it was a “mistake stemming from the leadership of the army at that time.” However, the official prohibition on smoking applied only to Nazi party offices, and Heinrich Himmler forbade SS officers and police officers from smoking while on duty. There were also attempts by the Tobacco Research Institute to develop nicotine-free cigarettes at that time. Nevertheless, cigarette boxes were common among SS soldiers, and the Nazi propaganda machine also used them to spread party ideology.
For more information about the cigarette manufacturing companies under Nazi SS sponsorship and the struggles between them see here .
4 full boxes as mentioned, with the original sealing sticker – never opened. Very Good Condition.
