Original German WWII H-Jugend Promotion Certificate Berlin District 3, 1939
This is an original German WWII H-Jugend (H-Youth) promotion certificate issued by NSDAP H- Youth, Gebiet Berlin (3). The document was awarded to Walter von Koester, who was born on August 4, 1924, in Wiesbaden.
Effective November 9, 1939, Koester was promoted from the rank of Rottenführer to Oberrottenführer, a junior H-Youth leadership rank generally translated as “Senior Squad Leader.” Koester was only 15 years old at the time of his promotion.
The top of the certificate bears the quotation:
“Our entire life unfolds between leadership and following.”
—AH
The certificate is signed by Oberstammführer Abisch, acting on behalf of the leader of Berlin District 3, and bears an official ink-stamped Hitler Youth seal featuring the organization’s diamond emblem.
The date of November 9 held considerable symbolic importance within the NSDAP movement (1923 Beer Hall Putsch in Munich), making the promotion date an interesting feature of the document. The certificate shows expected age and storage wear, including original fold lines, light discoloration, minor staining and handling marks. The typing, period signature and clearly visible official stamp make it an attractive example of H-Youth administrative material.
A desirable and historically significant Third Reich political display piece combining an original NSDAP Reichstag election ballot card with its matching pro-Hitler “Ja” support stickpin.
