Photographs of Paramilitaries

Der Wehrwolf (c. early 1920s)
A funny picture (for a change!) where a group of eastern German Wehrwolf members performs a bizarre ceremony of spanking ones ass. They would likely blame the beer for this photo.

Bund Oberland (1923)
A very interesting photo of a Bund Oberland march in Bavaria around the year 1923. Among the faces a young Hans Weber can be spotted.

Oberleutnant Wilhelm Brückner (c. 1923-1924)
Wilhelm Brückner fought in WWI, he later on joined Freikorps Epp and was part of suppressing the Bavarian Soviet Republic in 1919. He went on to join the NSDAP in 1922 and soon thereafter the SA. He eventually became the leader of the SA Regiment München, later he was part of the Beer Hall Putsch in November 1923 and was charged with high treason, but walked out from the courtroom on probation. This photo was taken by Heinrich Hoffmann and is part of a series which depicts famous nationalsocialists of the time. The card was printed around 1923-1924.

Anton von Arco auf Valley (c. 1923-1924)
Anton von Arco auf Valley was born in Austria in 1897. He is mostly known for the murder of Kurt Eisner, the leader of the Independent Social Democratic Party of Germany. Despite being of jewish descent himself, he wanted to kill Eisner, who also was jewish. Von Arco auf Valley was rejected membership in the Thule Society because of his jewish ancestry, it is likely the murder of Eisner was a way of proving himself worthy in nationalist circles. This photo was taken by Heinrich Hoffmann and is part of a series which depicts famous nationalsocialists of the time. The card was printed around 1923-1924.