Axe manufactured for "Hitler Youth" housed in original leather sheath. Signed D.G.M. and numbered 5664-87. Nazi Germany, 1930s.
The small-sized, lightweight axe (only 30 grams) was manufactured specifically for Nazi youth in the Hitler Youth movement for use in their field camps throughout the year, and was even registered as a "Patent" in Germany. The manufacturer's stamp D.G.M. is an abbreviation for D eutsche G ebrauchs m uster. The term Gebrauchsmuster - "utility model" according to the German and Austrian law of the 1930s - was essentially patent protection for the product for 10 years from registration date, prohibiting copying.
The Hitler Youth movement was founded on Adolf Hitler's initiative to instill the Nazi ideology in the younger generation, including racial doctrine and Aryan supremacy. Children were drafted into the movement from ages 8-18 and engaged extensively in outdoor field activities alongside ideological indoctrination. The movement contributed to the Führer cult around Hitler's personality and greatly influenced pre-World War II public sentiment in Germany. At that time all other youth movements were banned in Germany and parents were obligated to send their children to the movement.
Length: 24 cm. Good condition. Light rust marks. Light wear on leather sheath.
