German Forces

Grossdeutschland cuff titles.

Private author.

Apropos the recent discussion, under earlier posts, about Grossdeutschland divisional cuff titles, this is a somewhat confusing subject because GD was one of the few units that issued cuff titles in at least three differing patterns (all in white/silver on black) - one using block Gothic script (as in the most recent post on this topic), one in "Latin" script and one in Sutterlin script, as in the example shown here. This is slightly odd, in a way. Sutterlin script was devised by Ludwig Sutterlin in response to a 1911 commission from the Prussian ministry for culture for a modern, "joined up" pattern of handwriting for use in schools, universities and business in general. It was introduced in Prussian schools in 1925 and, by 1935, was the exclusive form of writing permitted in German schools. Most young German adults of the WW2 period would have been "brought up" with Sutterlin as the normal form of handwriting. Interestingly, the Nazis banned Sutterlin from printing 1n 1941 (perhaps to assist the Gestapo in reading printed material), replacing it with "non joined up fonts such as block Gothic, Ariel etc. It was not, of course, to change the handwriting style dominant (by that time) in the population (some people would still have used the old Latin/Kurrent script, which is quite similar). Nor did it prevent the Grossdeutschland division from issuing Sutterlin script cuff titles which (and I stand very much open to correction on this) seems to be associated particularly with the 1944-'45 period. I examined the two GD soldiers in the "Tank Destruction Badge" photo prior to posting it, and am satisfied that they are wearing genuine Sutterlin-pattern cuff titles. Best regards, JR.