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Grouping of Two Swords and a 1936 SS Dagger Attributed to Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and P

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military / Armory - Daggers Start Price:22,500.00 USD Estimated At:45,000.00 - 65,000.00 USD
Grouping of Two Swords and a 1936 SS Dagger Attributed to Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and P
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Grouping of Two Swords and a 1936 SS Dagger Attributed to Josias, Hereditary Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont, SS-Obergruppenfuehrer, Waffen-SS General and Chief of the Police and Waffen-SS in Weimar

Born in 1896, Prince Josias (full name Josias Georg Wilhelm Adolf, Erbprinz zu Waldeck und Pyrmont) was related to a number of prominent European nobles, including Wilhelmina of the Netherlands and Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Fighting in First World War, Josias suffered a significant head wound, and was functionally dethroned by the Weimar Republics removal of noble privilege and the declaration of the Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont as a Free State (side note: the Principality's tricolor flag was adopted by the Weimar Republic, and later West Germany, as the national flag). Studying agriculture during the inter-war period, Josias signed on with the Nazi Party in 1929, and joined the SS a year later, serving as adjutant to Sepp Dietrich and adjutant/staff chief to Heinrich Himmler. In the 30s, he was elected to the Reichstag while continuing up the ranks, being appointed to Higher SS and Police Chief for Weimar in 1939. In this role, he was in a supervisory position over Buchenwald concentration camp; while not exercising direct control over the camp, he was involved in one of the more notorious incidents of the concentration camp system, namely the activities of Karl-Otto and Ilse Koch. While investigating the death of a doctor who had treated him in the past, Josias discovered a trail of evidence indicating that Karl-Otto was having prisoners treat his syphilis and then murdering them to keep his social disease a secret. He also uncovered a wide assortment of frauds and abuses, including but not limited to, massive theft of funds from inmates. Ilse, known by a number of nicknames including the Witch of Buchenwald and others unsuitable for repetition here, was accused of a variety of ghastly crimes. Karl-Otto Koch was executed in 1945 based on Josias' investigation and Ilse was released due to lack of evidence by the Nazis only to be retried by the American occupation forces and West Germany, the latter of which resulted in a life sentence. Josias himself, would be called before the occupation at the same time as Ilse Koch, in what is commonly known as the Buchenwald Trial (aka Case 000-50-9, United States of America vs. Josias Prince of Waldeck et al.), where he would be sentenced to life imprisonment both for his role in the camp's operation and for the execution of Karl-Otto Koch. This sentence would later be reduced to 20 years and Josias would be released in 1950 for health reasons, eventually dying at home in 1967. 1) World War One officer's sword, 36 1/2 inches overall with a 30 3/4 inch straight double fuller blade stamped "48" on the spine. The brass guard is finished in gold with a cut-through Imperial eagle on the gilding counter guard, the royal cipher of Wilhelm II on the wire wrapped rayskin grip and an engraved "WP" monogram on the pommel with a metal sheath finished in black enamel. 2) SS Officer's sword with sheath and hanger. Overall the sword follows the regulations with two additions; the first is the number "2139" stamped on top of the throat of the sheath, identified by the consignor as Josias' SS membership number and second, the Waldeck and Pyrmont monogram, as seen on Item #1, engraved into the pommel in a near identical fashion. Overall length is 36 inches, with a 30 1/2 inch single fuller blade that bears no makers markings, nickel finished hilt with a black and silver SS portapee on the knuckleguard, a black enamel accented "SS" badge on the wire wrapped ebony grip, a black enamel and nickel finished sheath and a black leather belt hanger stamped "SS", "371/38" and "RZ/M" on the rear. 3) 1936 Pattern SS-Man's Dagger, 13 1/2 inches in overall length, with an 8 5/8 inch blade, bearing the traditional SS "Meine Ehre Heisst Treue" etching on the obverse, with no visible makers mark on the reverse. The hilt follows the regulation pattern with the addition of a silver cord portapee with matching solid acorn hanging from the grip, a matching acorn and the number "2139", as seen on the scabbard of Item #2. The sheath is the 1936 pattern with the following changes; the belt hanger is equipped with 2 front links and 4 rear links, the Waldeck/Pyrmont monogram is engraved on the throat, flanked with oak leaves, and the tip is adorned with an eight-pointed Waldeck Star (the symbol of the town of Bad Arolsen in the Waldeck Frankenberg district) and oak leaves.

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1) Very good, showing some light handling marks on the blade, over 30% of the original gold on the hilt, and mild wear on the grip and sheath. The leather finger strap and the throat retention screws have been removed. 2) Good. The blade shows mild pitting concentrated at the tip, with similar concentrated scuffing and strong nickel overall. The hilt is good, with mild spotting. The portapee shows some stains and fraying. The grip is well worn, with looseness in the wire. Sheath is good, with mild scuffs and a small amount of spotting. 3) Fine. The blade shows mild pitting, and the item as a whole shows evidence of active wear and use. An attractive grouping of edged weapons covering a 30 year period of service for one of Germany's most prominent noblemen turned Nazi, encapsulating the end of the German Empire, the rise and fall of the Weimar Republic, and the conception, birth and death of Nazi Germany.