Entwicklung des Kopfschutzes fuer den Feuerwehrmann

Fire brigade helmets in Upper Austria
Summary
Up to 1890 194 fire brigades had been formed in Upper Austria. After their foundation they equipped
themselves with the corresponding equipment objects. At first helmets made of pressed leather served
as a protection for the head. The industry covered the demand with an assortment getting broader and
broader. The company Glaubinger (Vienna) already had eight different types at 1900. At the same time
an “upper Austrian” helmet form existed too. Main distinctive mark of the different helmet forms were
the design of the suns and neck umbrellas. The helmets got their special form by different combs and
mounting. Unfortunately, the corresponding resolutions on the introduction of the “upper Austrian helmet”
couldn’t be established in our federal state. The helmets were available in different decoration
explanations. While the other ranks got simple helmets, there existed splendour helmets already decorated
for the command members. These special helmets were made of metal with shed volume and often
equipped with horse tails. Carrying horse tails on the helmets of the chieftain has been forbidden in
1897 in Upper Austria. Nevertheless you can already find them in the assortment of the specialised trade
furthermore. For example even in 1908 in the catalogue of the company Rosenbauer.
It is interesting that different headgears were used for the different use units at the fire brigade Mauerkirchen.
While the pit firemen and safeguarding people were equipped with leather helmets, the pump
team got caps which also were made of the same leather material as the helmets. Specialised trade also
offered black lacquered steel sheet helmets next to the leather helmets for the other ranks.
After World War I the leather helmets keep on using by fire brigades in Upper Austria. Although the
fire brigade Gmunden obtained for itself instead of the leather helmets, the newly created metal helmets
“Viennese form”, already in September 1933, this didn’t succeed with itself any more in Upper Austria
before World War II. At first economic reasons were decisive for this. Sure it was another reason why
the fire brigades still remained at the leather helmets that at first the country fire brigade association
didn’t hand in any recommendation for the new purchases of helmets. The country fire brigade advisory
board finally decided in June 1937 to subsidize the Austrian steel helmet of chrome nickel steel with
comb only more at new purchases of helmets. It was noticed at time of this meeting that this helmet was
completely equal to the German steel helmet.
In March 1938 the annexation of Austria to the German empire happened already. The adaptation of the
fire brigades to the German regulation was connected with that. Among other things this led to the introduction
of the German fire brigade helmet M 34. This should have been relatively converted quickly
in Upper Austria. The economically hard times after World War II entailed that the fire brigades only
could improve their equipment step by step. The German steel helmets therefore were used at many fire
brigades even many years.
Most time they were painted black. Particularly long, the steel helmets were still used at the fire brigade
Ried im Innkreis. On a photo the firemen carry the steel helmets certainly in 1989.
Also at competitions many groups still used the steel helmets at first. It was by the walking-out uniform
(service clothes -- brown) in use also even many decades. The fire brigade Tumeltsham for example is
led at a funeral service in the year 1976. Many fire brigades have retrofitted the German steel helmet
M 34 “into management of one’s own” by attaching a “spider”. It is interesting that the old splendour
helmets were still worn many decades to representation end. At festive processions sergeants often wore
these splendid leather helmets. For example with the fire brigade Schalchen still in 1962.
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