Germany, Nskk. An Autographed Portrait Of Korpsführer Adolf Hühnlein

(Adolf Hühnlein Porträt mit Unterschrift). An autographed photo depicting NSKK Korpsführer Adolf Hühnlein, in uniform and wearing an array of First World War service decorations in the form of badges and an extensive ribbon bar, the lower right corner overlaid by Hühnlein’s handwritten signature in clear black ink, bearing a studio mark of “RÖHN”, the reverse stamped with a studio print number of “238”, otherwise unmarked, measuring 239 mm (w) x 300 mm (h), in extremely fine condition.

Footnote: Born on 12 September 1881 in Neustädtlein, Adolf Hühnlein saw frontline service during the First World War, winning both classes of the Iron Cross. He served as a company commander with Freikorp Epp between 1919 and 1920, later becoming involved in the myriad of nationalist and anti-Semitic movements active in the Weimar Republic. He participated in the 1923 Munich Beer Hall Putsch, an action for which he was briefly imprisoned and expelled from the Reichswehr. Hühnlein then became officially involved with the Sturmabteilung (SA) and NSDAP, joining the party in 1930. As the head of an early SA automotive section, Hühnlein transformed the department into the National Socialist Motor Corps (NSKK), absorbing Germany’s private motor vehicle clubs to gain over 500,000 members by 1939. In this capacity, Hühnlein’s organization was also responsible for training truck, armoured vehicle, and tank crews who would go on to serve in the Second World War. He remained chief of the NSKK until his death on 18 June 1942, and was posthumously awarded the German Order four days later.