Franz Seldte and Theodor Düsterberg, Co-Founders of the Stahlhelm (September 1932)

The Stahlhelm [Steel Helmet] was right-wing veteran’s paramilitary group that was nearly half a million strong. Despite its formidable membership, the organization remained deeply divided over whether to support the Nazis or the other conservative parties. Theodor Düsterberg (right), who ran as the German National People’s Party [Deutschnationale Volkspartei or DNVP] candidate in the 1932 presidential election, was mistrustful of the Nazis, and the revelation of his Jewish ancestry weakened his influence within the organization that he co-founded. Franz Seldte (left), on the other hand, later became Hitler’s Reich Minister of Labor [Reichsarbeitsminister], a position he retained until the end of World War II.

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Photographer: Georg Pahl
© Bundesarchiv