A rare 3rd Reich Wehrmacht officer’s visor cap of the Gebirgsjäger (Mountain Troops)

A rare 3rd Reich Wehrmacht officer’s visor cap of the Gebirgsjäger (Mountain Troops). This near-perfect condition visor cap is constructed of the finest field gray gabardine, with hand-embroidered silver oak leaf wreath and metal cockade. The Reichsadler is fashioned in aluminum with the edelweiss (a flower that grows only at high elevation) placed between the cockade and eagle. There is no evidence that the eagle has been moved upward to accommodate the edelweiss. The waffenfarbe (arms color) piping is hellgrün (light green). The interior of the visor is lined with cream-colored silk, The underside of the leather sweatband is ink stamped “GJ/1937”, and it is partially detached from the liner. The celluloid sweat diamond being maker marked “M. Mauer, Hutmacher Garmisch, Bahnhofstr. 10”, which is most appropriate for this cap since Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a German ski resort in Bavaria, formed when 2 towns united in 1935. It's a prominent destination for winter sports as well as alpine hiking. The town lies near the Zugspitze, Germany's highest peak, with a 2,962m summit accessed by cogwheel train and cable car. Garmisch is considered the more fashionable section, while Partenkirchen's cobblestone streets retain a traditional Bavarian feel. The 1st Gebirgsjäge division was formed from primarily Bavarian units, so it is likely that the original owner of this visor cap was assigned to that division. It was accused of committing many war crimes throughout the division’s operational existence.