The SS-Ehrenring ("SS Honour Ring"), unofficially called ''Totenkopfring'' (i.e. "Skull Ring", literally "Death's Head Ring"), was an

award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An awar ...

Heinrich Himmler Heinrich Luitpold Himmler (; 7 October 1900 – 23 May 1945) was of the (Protection Squadron; SS), and a leading member of the Nazi Party of Germany. Himmler was one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany and a main architect of th ...

's ''

Schutzstaffel The ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS; also stylized as ''ᛋᛋ'' with Armanen runes; ; "Protection Squadron") was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, and later throughout German-occupied Europe duri ...

'' (SS). It was not a

state decoration A state decoration is an object, such as a medal or the insignia of an order, that is awarded by a sovereign state to honor the recipient. The term includes: *Civil awards and decorations *Military awards and decorations See also * State order ...

, but rather a personal gift bestowed by Himmler. It became a highly sought-after award, one which could not be bought or sold. The SS Honour Sword and SS Honour Dagger were similar awards.

Award

The ring was initially presented to senior officers of the Old Guard (of whom there were fewer than 5,000). Each ring had the recipient's name, the award date, and Himmler's signature engraved on the interior. The ring came with a standard letter from Himmler and citation. It was to be worn only on the left hand, on the "ring finger". If an SS member was dismissed or retired from the service, his ring had to be returned.McNab, Chris (2013). ''Hitler's Elite: The SS 1939-45'', Osprey Publishing, p. 100. Schwarz SS-Totenkopfring

The name of the recipient and the conferment date was added on the letter. In the letter, according to Himmler, the ring was a "reminder at all times to be willing to risk the life of ourselves for the life of the whole".in German: "Der Totenkopf ist die Mahnung, jederzeit bereit zu sein, das Leben unseres Ichs einzusetzen für das Leben der Gesamtheit." Citation from:

Peter Longerich Peter Longerich (born 1955) is a German professor of history and German historian. He is regarded by fellow historians, including Ian Kershaw, Richard Evans, Timothy Snyder, Mark Roseman and Richard Overy, as one of the leading German authori ...

, ''Heinrich Himmler. Biographie'', München 2010, p. 298. Some SS and police members had local jewellers make unofficial versions to wear. In 1938, Himmler ordered the return of all rings of dead SS men and officers to be stored in a chest in

Wewelsburg Wewelsburg () is a Renaissance castle located in the village of Wewelsburg, which is a district of the town of Büren, Westphalia, in the ''Landkreis'' of Paderborn in the northeast of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The castle has a triangul ...

Castle. This was to be a memorial to symbolize the ongoing membership of the deceased in the SS order. In October 1944, Himmler ordered that further manufacture and awards of the ring were to be halted. Himmler then ordered that all the remaining rings, approximately 11,500, be blast-sealed inside a hill near Wewelsburg.Nicholas Goodrick Clarke: ''Die okkulten Wurzeln des Nationalsozialismus'' (The Occult Roots of National Socialism), p. 163. By January 1945, 64% of the 14,500 rings made had been returned to Himmler after the deaths of the "holders". In addition, 10% had been lost on the battlefield and 26% were either kept by the holder or their whereabouts were unknown.

Design

The symbolism of the ring reflects Himmler's interest in

Germanic mysticism Armanism and Ariosophy are esoteric ideological systems that were developed largely by Guido von List and Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels respectively, in Austria between 1890 and 1930. The term 'Ariosophy', which means the wisdom of the Aryans, was ...

and includes the

Totenkopf ''Totenkopf'' (, i.e. ''skull'', literally "dead person's head") is the German word for the skull and crossbones symbol. The "skull and crossbones" symbol is an old international symbol for death, the defiance of death, danger, or the dead, as ...

symbol and Armanen runes. The ring was designed by

Karl Maria Wiligut Karl Maria Wiligut (alias Weisthor, Jarl Widar, Lobesam; 10 December 1866 – 3 January 1946) was an Austrian occultist and SS-Brigadeführer. Early life Wiligut was baptised a Roman Catholic in Vienna. At the age of 14, he joined the ''Kadetten ...

, an Austrian

occultist The occult, in the broadest sense, is a category of esoteric supernatural beliefs and practices which generally fall outside the scope of religion and science, encompassing phenomena involving otherworldly agency, such as magic and mysticism a ...

and SS-Brigadeführer with manufacturing provided by the Otto and Karolina Gahr Family Jewelry from Munich. Rings were manufactured following roughly two major types, the one defined in the '30s and that of the' 40s. The ring models dating back to the '30s were thinner while the later ones were thickened and the design of the skull changed. Rings were made of 90% Silver cast in two halves with the recipients name inside, the date of presentation, and a facsimile of Himmler's signature, plus the abbreviations S Lb. for "Seinem Lieben" or "His Beloved." *One Sig Rune left and right of the skull framed by a triangle represents the power of the sun and conquering energy *A Hagal rune (framed by a hexagon) which represents the faith and camaraderie that was idealised by the leaders of the organisation. The esoteric meaning of the Hagal rune was, according to Guido von List, to: "...enclose the universe in you and you control the universe." *A swastika (standing on the vertex) framed by a square. The SS liked to portray the Swastika as another influential symbol of the power of the

Aryan race The Aryan race is an obsolete historical race concept that emerged in the late-19th century to describe people of Proto-Indo-European heritage as a racial grouping. The terminology derives from the historical usage of Aryan, used by modern I ...

. *The double runes on the rear of the ring framed by a circle were to be ''Heilszeichen'' (literally: signs of salvation) of the past. They were a creation of the SS designers rather than historical runes. They are Willigut's variation of the "

gibor Armanen runes (or ''Armanen Futharkh'') are 18 pseudo-runes, inspired by the historic Younger Futhark runes, invented by Austrian mysticist and Germanic revivalist Guido von List during a state of temporary blindness in 1902, and described in hi ...

" rune plus a bind rune for "o" and "t". The bind rune was designed by Wiligut, and spells "Gott" the German word for God. The ring is wreathed with oak leaves.

Literature

* Don Boyle ''SS Totenkopf H. Himmler Honour Ring 1933-1945 * Patzwall, Klaus D., ''Der SS-Totenkopfring'', Patzwall, 4th edition 2002. * Tom Morganti ''Totenkopf'' * Martin Toman ''SS-Totenkopfring - Himmleruv prsten cti'' 1st edition 2017.

References

{{Reflist Nazi SS Nazi symbolism Rings (jewellery)