Pieces of History | Schaub's SS-Totenkopfring

Awarded by Reichsführer-SS Himmler to SS General Julius Schaub 

Personal Aide & Chief Adjutant to Hitler

Originally from the estate of Hitler’s personal adjutant, SS-Obergruppenführer Julius Schaub. He sold many of his belongings in the lead up to his death in 1967, and his family sold the remaining belongings during the 1970s.

Deposited into major collections, some of Schaub’s belongings have resurrected themselves over the decades, appearing from time to time in major auction houses. The Schaub SS-Totenkopfring was acquired by the present owner, from the German military antiques dealer, Detlev Niemann, at the beginning of the 2000s.

SS-Totenkopfring in silver. The ring with outer decoration of Runic symbols amidst oakleaves, and with a skull to the top. The inside of the ring with the hand-engraved designation, ‘S.lb. Schaub 30.VI.34 H.Himmler’. 

Condition report: The Totenkopfring surviving in excellent condition. The outer Runic symbols and oakleaves decoration remaining clear and sharp. The skull likewise remaining clear and sharp. The inside hand-engraved designation also remaining clear and sharp. The much discussed seam line directly below the skull, clearly evident. The ring showing some general aging, and now darkened in appearance.

Provenance: From the family of Julius Schaub 1970s. In one or more collections between the 1970s and 2000, then acquired by the well known German-based military antiques dealer, Detlev Niemann. Sold by Niemann to a prominent New York-based collector, and remaining in that collection to date. A copy of Niemann’s expertise included in the sale.

Background to Julius Schaub: Having been wounded during World War I, Schaub returned to his home town Munich, and was one of the first to join Hitler’s Deutsche Arbeiter Partei (later NSDAP), with membership number '81'. He quickly formed a friendship with Hitler, and became his personal aide. It was Schaub, that even from those early years, would organise Hitler’s travelling arrangements, and make sure all relevant paperwork was at Hitler’s disposal at all times. Schaub continued as Hitler’s personal aide, and later as his head adjutant, until the end in 1945. Wishing to remain in the bunker with Hitler, Schaub was ordered by Hitler to leave.

Hitler instructed Schaub to burn all of his personal belongings and papers in the garden of the Reich Chancellery. Schaub then flew to Munich and did the same in Hitler's private apartment at the Prinzregentenplatz and then at the Berghof on the Obersalzberg. His final act as aide and adjutant was to destroy Hitler's personal train, the Führersonderzug.

After the war, Schaub used false identification papers as "Josef Huber". Schaub was arrested by American troops on 8th May 1945 in Kitzbühl, and remained in custody until 17th February 1949. Ultimately, Schaub was classified by denazification investigators as being only a "fellow traveler" and was not accused or associated with any war crimes. Schaub died on 27th December 1967 in his hometown Munich.