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Birthday
Flag Presentation Badge
at the Castle of SS Oberfuhrer Ulrich Graf
July 3, 1937
Stamped steel, brass plated,
35 x 45 mm, steel pin, light wear, very rare - a great research
project for someone about a man who was Hitler's bodyguard and
saved his life. Hitler never forgot Ulrich's loyal service and
handsomely rewarded him with riches, titles, and power from 1923
till the end of the war.
Ulrich Graf (July 3, 1878-
March 1950) - was one of the very early members of Hitler's inner
circle. He was an amateur wrestler and a butcher's apprentice,
and was Hitler's personal bodyguard from 1920 to 1923. At the
Bürgerbräukeller Beer Hall Putsch Ulrich Graf and Rudolph
Hess cleared the way to the platform for Hitler. During the march
through Munich from the beer cellar, Hitler and Ludendorff and
their followers were blocked by about a hundred armed police
outside the Feldhernhalle. Graf stepped forward and shouted "Don't
shoot - his excellency Ludendorff is coming!" The police
started shooting and fire was returned by some of Hitler's stormtroopers.
When the smoke cleared fourteen Nazis and three police officers
lay dead. (This number includes two Hitler supporters killed
earlier at the War Ministry).
Ulrich Graf bravely shielded Adolf Hitler
with his body and received several bullet wounds saving Hitler
from almost certain death. In 1936 Ulrich was elected to the
Reichstag. In 1937 he rose to become an Oberfuhrer in Himmler's
SS. On Hitler's birthday April 20, 1943 Graf became an SS Brigadefuhrer.
A few months later on July 3, Graf's birthday, Himmler gave him
a book with the inscription "Vogt Bartold: The Long Train
to the East" (whatever that meant) and again personally
thanked Graf for saving Hitler's life. Graf survived the war
and died in March of 1950. I am trying to find a good set of
photos of Ulrich Graf throughout his career and a report of what
treasures must have been in his estate. (biography info: Wikipedia)
Private collection
