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Since its beginning until the year 1991, service 
The first uniform regulations of 1941 exchanged the pips on the epaulets for rosettes. They also introduced collar patches denoting career groups.
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
Rank is the relative position, value, worth, complexity, power, importance, authority, level, etc. of a person or object within a ranking, such as:
Level or position in a hierarchical organization
* Academic rank
* Diplomatic rank
* Hierarchy
* ...
was a permanent element of service with the Deutsche Reichsbahn
The ''Deutsche Reichsbahn'', also known as the German National Railway, the German State Railway, German Reich Railway, and the German Imperial Railway, was the German national railway system created after the end of World War I from the regiona ...
, the former German national railway system, 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.
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
''Reich'' (; ) is a German noun whose meaning is analogous to the meaning of the English word "realm"; this is not to be confused with the German adjective "reich" which means "rich". The terms ' (literally the "realm of an emperor") and ' (lit ...
'' for all members of the Reichsbahn. Service rank and respective division were recognizable from the collar insignia.
Service Ranks from 1935 to 1945
Uniform regulations of 1935
In July 1935, a newuniform
A uniform is a variety of clothing worn by members of an organization while participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency services, ...
was introduced with specialty and division badges and epaulets as rank insignia for civil servants and workers.
Uniform regulations of 1941
The first uniform regulations of 1941 exchanged the pips on the epaulets for rosettes. They also introduced collar patches denoting career groups.
Uniform regulations of 1944
Service Ranks from 1945 to 1957
After the end of theSecond World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...
, the pre-war service ranks were retained in the Deutsche Reichsbahn of the GDR
The Deutsche Reichsbahn or DR ''(German Reich Railways)'' was the operating name of state owned railways in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), and after German reunification until 1 January 1994.
In 1949, occupied Germany's railwa ...
. The uniforms, however, were soon brought into accord with the Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...
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 communicationsRank group I
The cap gimp of this rank group was blue interwoven with gold.Apprentice
Apprenticeship is a system for training a new generation of practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study (classroom work and reading). Apprenticeships can also enable practitioners to gain a ...
s 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 theGotha
Gotha () is the fifth-largest city in Thuringia, Germany, west of Erfurt and east of Eisenach with a population of 44,000. The city is the capital of the Gotha (district), district of Gotha and was also a residence of the Ernestine House of Wet ...
Engineering School
Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
, the Eisenach
Eisenach () is a town in Thuringia, Germany with 42,000 inhabitants, located west of Erfurt, southeast of Kassel and northeast of Frankfurt. It is the main urban centre of western Thuringia and bordering northeastern Hessian regions, situat ...
and Altenburg high schools and the Dresden
Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...
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 school
Engineering is the use of scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad range of more speciali ...
s 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.Rank Group III
Rank Group IV
Rank Group V
See also
*Deutsche Reichsbahn (East Germany)
The Deutsche Reichsbahn or DR ''(German Reich Railways)'' was the operating name of state owned railways in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany), and after German reunification until 1 January 1994.
In 1949, occupied Germany's railw ...
References
{{Reflist History of rail transport in Germany Uniforms German railway-related lists Ranks