DDR Customs Group

[Greg Collins]

An interesting group on two counts. First, it's Customs which, for some reason, you usually don't see a lot. Second, it bridges the time where Customs went from having Interior Ministry awards to awards of it's own (1967).

This group, which may be complete, belongs to Zollsekretar Emil Reichelt whose career apparently began in 1954 and went beyond 1967 (more on that statement later). His first three awards, 5 and 10 year service awards and excellent services award are Interior Ministry awards and the associated docs are stamped with Minister Maron's signature. His final three awards, a 15 year service award and bronze and silver grade merit medals are Customs awards and are stamped with the signature of the Customs Leader Gerhard Stauch. Also included is a cloth ribbon bar containing 5 awards, the top two of which are not in the correct order (probably owing to not being familiar with the newly instituted Customs merit medal) and a paper ribbon bar containing all 6 awards in proper order. Of note: the highest award here, the silver grade Customs merit medal, is awarded to "Genossen" Emil Reichelt, rather than Zollsekretar Emil Reichelt, indicating that he was probably separated from the service at the time this award was made (1974... a "catch-up" award)- not all that unusual in my experience with DDR awards.

An interesting sideline to this grouping: his father was a Major in the MfS and part of the "Sportsforum" (advisory committee?) of the S.V. Dynamo. As Customs was an organization contributing to Dynamo, there may be a couple of honour badges and docs out there that could join this grouping. The search, as always, continues...