Germany, NSDAP. An Orts-Level Blockleiter’s Brownshirt
(NSDAP Braunhemd). A very well-preserved NSDAP Orts-Level Blockleiter’s brownshirt, constructed of light brown cotton twill. The shirt features an integrated collar, fully trimmed with blue piping. It is also flanked on each side by tabs constructed of brown wool with buckram cores, trimmed with blue piping, and bear singular L-shaped silver aluminum wire tresses bearing mobile swastika patterns, indicating the Blockleiter (Block Leader) rank. The cuff of each sleeve is rolled up to a depth of 70 mm and secured in place by dual polished magnetic metal buttons set through a reinforced buttonhole. Each breast flap features a pocket, opening with a reinforced horizontal flap and reinforced buttonhole meeting a magnetic metal button, with the latter bearing raised NSDAP-style German national eagle clutching a swastika, the reverse of each button with the RZM logo and manufacturer M5/117 (Berg & Nolte, Ludensheid). The shirt closes with three buttons of identical construction on the right flap, the reverse of each button with the RZM logo and manufacturer Sebnitzer Knopffabrik JOS. Koch, Sebnitz, meeting an equal number of reinforced buttonholes on the left flap, with a final closure button marked M5/117 attached to the waistline via a reinforced loop with another button on the interior. There is a small brown bakelite button at the base of the collar, similarly meeting a reinforced buttonhole. On the upper left arm sits an NSDAP membership armband, attached to the sleeve with two rows of tight stitching. The armband measures 106 mm in width and is composed of a red wool band with a rayon-blend white circular patch, in turn bearing a machine-embroidered, rayon-blended black swastika. The waistline features four reinforced belt loops. The interior presents plain. The interior of the collar is stamped “48” and “38” and a manufacturer's label printed in light brown ink on white cloth and sewn in place on the waistband, the label marked with a large RZM insignia at the far right, marked "Diensthemd" (Service Shirt), "Hersteller" (Manufacturer) and maker coded "B 18/600", marked Reichszeugmeisterei der NSDAP, marked with a "B" and numbered "No 352038". Along the interior of the waist are three sets of stitched pairs of black elasticized buttonholes attached at one edge to the inner edge of the waist seam. Unmarked, the shirt measures 450 mm across the shoulders, with an arm length of 600 mm and an overall body length of 520mm. Minor wear and material fatigue. The shirt remains in overall extremely fine condition.

