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Since its beginning until the year 1991, service rank was a permanent element of service with the Deutsche Reichsbahn, whether as a civil servant or as an employee. Every railroad employee was obliged to wear the conferred insignia while on duty and entitled to do so off duty. The service rank was conferred with a certificate. The first conferral was designated as a certification, each additional conferral as a promotion.
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Service Ranks from 1924 to 1935
As a result of a competition, a single service uniform that eliminated of the previous badges and embellishments was introduced throughout the Reich for all members of the Reichsbahn. Service rank and respective division were recognizable from the collar insignia.
Service Ranks from 1935 to 1945
In July 1935, a new uniform was introduced with specialty and division badges and epaulets as rank insignia for civil servants and workers.
Service Ranks from 1945 to 1957
After the end of the Second World War, the pre-war service ranks were retained in the Deutsche Reichsbahn of the GDR. The uniforms, however, were soon brought into accord with the Soviet model. This was especially apparent in the epaulets. Basically, many railway employees wore uniforms, and the military cut and service grades reflected the semi-military character of the railways in the GDR. This was combined with an overly elevated degree of security awareness, readiness, and secrecy.
Service Ranks from 1957 to 1962
The collar insignia borders of rank groups I to IV bore the colors of the respective main service branch. The example shows a collar insignia of the main service branch operations and traffic service (red).
Rank group I
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue interwoven with gold.
Rank Group II
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue and gold in the relationship of 2:2.
Service Ranks from 1962 to 1974
The main service branches were recognizable from the colors of the piping on the caps as well as by the borders of the epaulets and collar insignia.
In this context
- red for operations and traffic service
- blue for mechanical management
- gray for coach management
- green for railroad property and construction
- yellow for security and communications
Rank group I
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue interwoven with gold.
Apprentices wore epaulets as with the Eisenbahner service rank, but instead of the star, one or two loops in gold with blue stripes were worn.
Rank Group II
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue and gold in the relationship of 2:2.
Students of the Gotha Engineering School, the Eisenach and Altenburg high schools and the Dresden engineering school for Railroad Studies wore the epaulets similar to the service rank of Reichsbahn-Untersekretär, except that instead of the stars, a gold loop with blue stripes was worn.
After the second semester, students in the engineering schools wore epaulets similar to Reichsbahn-Untersekretär, except that instead of stars, two gold loops with blue stripes were worn.
Service Ranks from 1974 to 1991
The color differentiation of the main service branches was retained (see 1962 to 1974)
The collar insignia borders of rank groups I to IV bore the colors of the respective main service branch. The example shows a collar insignia of the main service branch operations and traffic service (red).
Service ranks were discontinued by the Reichsbahn in 1991. Every employee received a note which stated only that he was entitled to continue wearing the previous rank “off duty”.
Rank group I
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue interwoven with gold.
Rank Group II
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue and gold in the relationship of 2:2.