Haenel SA Sachsen M1933 service dagger with etched motto
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 13.500 inches (34.29 cm) | Width: 3.000 inches (7.62 cm) | Depth: 0.875 inches (2.223 cm)
Creator(s)
- C. G. Haenel GmbH (Manufacturer)
Archival History
The dagger was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1990 by Hans Pauli.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Hans Pauli
Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Scope and Content
SA [Sturmabteilung] standard issue dagger manufactured by C. G. Haenel in Suhl, Germany, between 1933 and 1934. Haenel was one of many independent manufacturers that produced high quality service blades for paramilitary organization members, who purchased them from distribution centers within their designated Gruppe or geographical district. The lack of manufacturing process oversight led to inconsistencies in design and quality. In 1935, the Reichszeugmeisterei (National Equipment Quartermaster or RZM) took control of the process by issuing specific code numbers to authorized manufacturers who followed established standards.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Double-edged dagger with a stained, brown wooden grip with rounded edges, a flattened cylindrical center that tapers in before flaring out at both ends, and nickel fittings. The ends are tightly fitted between the pommel and crossguard: 2 curved metal bars with tapered tips and engraved, parallel lines. Pressed into the front grip are 2 metal emblems: a disk with a stylized SA over a pebbled center and smooth border below the pommel, and a right facing, spread winged eagle grasping an oak leaved wreath around a canted swastika at the center. The crossguard joins the handle to an 8.500 inch long, flattened steel blade with a ridged center that tapers to a rounded tip. It has a full length tang secured by a pommel nut. The blade has etched, blackened German text, in Fraktur font, and engraved maker’s marks.
Genre
- Object
- Weapons