Helmet of a soldier from the 6850th Internal Security Detachment during the Nuremberg Trials, whose role was to guard the defendants – Nazi war criminals – during their transfers to and from the courtroom, as well as to provide ongoing security inside the courtroom itself. Rare.
Helmet of a soldier from the 6850th Internal Security Detachment during the Nuremberg Trials, one of the iconic white helmets used by the unit throughout the first Nuremberg Trial, which opened in November 1945 and brought to justice the surviving top leadership of the Nazi regime. This unit operated under the command of the U.S. Army Military Police and was part of the broader security apparatus of the U.S. Army European Theater of Operations. It was established specifically to enforce the strict security arrangements surrounding the trials. The 6850th Detachment was tasked with ensuring order and security both inside and outside the Palace of Justice: guarding the defendants and ensuring uninterrupted legal proceedings. Twenty-one high-ranking Nazi officials were held in a special detention compound adjacent to the courthouse, and the soldiers of Unit 6850 maintained constant surveillance over them – including protecting their lives to prevent suicides, assaults, or escape attempts. The unit escorted the defendants each morning to Courtroom 600 in the Nuremberg courthouse, stood silently and motionless behind them throughout the proceedings, and returned them to their cells at the end of each day. The unit also controlled courtroom access, screened journalists, diplomats, and judges, and oversaw all comings and goings. Throughout the nearly year-long trial, the 6850th played a key role in preventing external interference or attacks from German civilians or Nazi sympathizers in the postwar period.
The design of the helmet was typically based on the U.S. M1 model – a semi-spherical steel helmet fitted with internal leather or cloth straps for head support. In photos and film reels from the time, the quiet presence of the unit is clearly seen – standing motionless behind defendants such as Göring, Hess, Ribbentrop, and others, escorting them in and out of the courtroom.
Regarding the emblem specially designed for the Nuremberg Trials, see item 145.
Maximum diameter: 26 cm. Wear to the left-side insignia. Light staining. Good condition.
