History

The Deutsche Reichsbahn (German National Railway) was created after the First World War in 1920 by combining the formerly independent state railways of the abolished German Empire into a national organisation. Under NSDAP rule, the German state railway system was reorganised in the 1930s to better meet the needs of the economy and to prepare for war, eventually supplying the front lines with soldiers and supplies. The Reichsbahn also had an infamous role to play in the Holocaust, transporting Jews and other “undesirables” to concentration and extermination camps.

The Bahnschutzpolizei (railway protection police) was founded in 1939 as a merger of the Bahnpolizei (railway police) and the Reichsbahnschutz (railway protection force), the latter being regular railway employees that, beyond their normal functions, additionally served as railway security personnel.
The Bahnschutzpolizei as a railway sub-organisation was made up of policemen that were employed by the Reichsbahn rather than the German police force. Their task was to ensure railway safety as well as preventing railway-related espionage and sabotage. During the war, most members of the Bahnschutzpolizei served in the occupied Eastern European territories.

The tunic worn by Bahnpolizei members in the early days of the Third Reich was taken over from the late Weimar Republic period and was only slightly altered after the NSDAP came to power. The tunic of 1932 was made of dark blue material. It featured two pleated breast pockets with scalloped flaps and two concealed hip pockets with slanted, scalloped flaps. There was also an interior breast pocket on the left side.

The buttons of the tunic were made of gilt metal. The tunic featured two waist hook buttons on the reverse.
The neck was closed with three pairs of black hook-and-eyes.
The sleeves were without cuffs, but with a quilting seam.

The tunic worn in 1933 looked very similar. It featured an eight button front closure and a back slit with two interior pockets, one on the left and one on the right. There were two waist buttons above the back slit to place the belt strap on. The buttons were initially in field-grey, but this was later changed to silver-coloured.
The tunic featured quilted-on turn-up cuffs.

Initially, it was only to be worn by the ranks of Bezirksführer and up, but it was eventually worn by all ranks. This tunic was taken over by the Bahnschutzpolizei in 1939.