General Information: “Himmler helmet” is a collector term for this commercially made Model 1916 knockoff produced in Germany in the 1930s. Various civic organizations, such as police, fire protection, and Luftschutz used these helmets, but collectors have branded it the “Himmler helmet” because it was used by Heinrich Himmler and members of the SS. The Bath & Wagawa firm in Dresden manufactured these helmets and the manufacturer’s black ink stamp can sometimes be found on the liner band. A more correct nomenclature for this type might be the “Bath & Wagawa” helmet and this term is sometimes also used in the collector community. In addition, it has been suggested that the helmet be designated the “Model 1934” for the year it was officially registered.[1]
The early versions of the helmet had protruding side lugs like the Model 1916 and World War One style liners. Later versions had pairs of “saltshaker” air vents on the sides and liners made of one piece of leather.[2] Bath & Wagawa also had production runs with screened air vents and four versus three rivets for liner attachment.[3] There are several variants of the Model 1934 that incorporate different chinstrap configurations and have other design differences. Unless decals or other markings are present on a particular helmet, it is not possible to determine which branch of service used it. Note that some of the helmets used by the SS lacked decals.[4]
Displayed Example: I purchased this helmet from a collector in Europe in 2024 for my “Stahlhelm Postwar” collection. There are no markings whatsoever on the helmet, so we do not know what branch of service might have used it. The helmet was originally painted green and you can see the original color under the liner. Subsequently it was painted black.
Collector Notes: These helmets are fairly rare, particularly the variation displayed here with its protruding WWI style side vents. Be aware that seller’s claims that one of these is an SS helmet. Unless it has decals or is specifically marked as such, it is not possible to determine whether a particular piece was or was not used by the SS.
* “1945: Heinrich Himmler.” Associated Press May 22, 2022 Updated Aug 28, 2023. https://www.wfmz.com/1945-heinrich-himmler/image_47ec3efd-046b-5d2c-b5c9-d9ca184d831f.html Accessed June 28, 2024.
[1] Ogpsycho (aka). “Model overview – M34 (old style).” German Helmet Walhalla. November 19, 2023. Post #1 and 2. https://www.germanhelmetwalhalla.com/topic/70458-model-overview-m34-old-style-1/#comment-850062. Accessed April 16, 2025.
[2] Ogpsycho ibid
[3] Ogpsycho (aka). “Interesting black Himmler style helmet.” German Helmet Walhalla. October 8, 2018. https://www.germanhelmetwalhalla.com/topic/60136-interesting-black-himmler-style-helmet/#comment-728737. Accessed April 16, 2025.
[4] Based on my observations of archival photos on the internet.
Steel Helmets of the World Wars 