WWI Veteran’s Verwundetenabzeichen Berechtigungsausweis 1937 – Dortmund

Original German Berechtigungsausweis authorizing Elektromeister Wilhelm Langenfeld, residing at Rheinische Str. 87, Dortmund, to wear the Verwundetenabzeichen in Schwarz (Wound Badge in Black). The document was issued by the Versorgungsamt Dortmund on 22 April 1937 and bears the original official Versorgungsamt Dortmund Dienstsiegel and handwritten authorization signature.

Importantly, this is not a 1937 wartime award. The Verwundetenabzeichen had originally been instituted on 3 March 1918 during the First World War, and this 1937 document represents a later official recognition of the recipient’s entitlement to wear the WWI wound badge. Following the introduction of new regulations in 1936, German Versorgungsämter were authorized to issue such Berechtigungsausweise to WWI veterans who could establish their entitlement, including through military documentation.

The document therefore most likely represents Wilhelm Langenfeld’s WWI veteran status and wartime wounding, with the 1937 certificate serving as the official authorization to wear the black grade of the Imperial German Verwundetenabzeichen. The wording “für Heeresangehörige – Marineangehörige” is printed on the form, while the actual entitlement is specifically entered as “in schwarz.”

This type of document is an interesting example of how the German authorities dealt with First World War veterans nearly two decades after the end of the conflict. The 1936 regulations specifically provided for the issuance of Berechtigungsausweise where an original possession certificate or appropriate military record was unavailable, and such documents are therefore an important part of the post-WWI administrative history of the Verwundetenabzeichen.

Condition

Original 1937 document with a central vertical fold, additional light folding, age-related toning and minor handling/storage wear. The original Dortmund Versorgungsamt stamp and handwritten signature remain clearly visible.