Sunday, May 14, 2006

Football German Helmet

Here's a hat that's apparently going to be very popular for Dutch fans at this year's world cup in Germany. Called a Helmpje and based on the stahlhelm worn by German forces in two world wars it has been criticised by the Dutch football authorities as being in bad taste. This variant means 'Let's Go', there's others including a flower-power one. Buy one from ebay here
The stahlhelm was introduced in 1916 replacing the picklehaube and was intended to lessen the effects of shrapnel. More at http://www.german-helmets.com/. The first helmet to be introduced was by the French in 1915.
The stahlhelm is a symbol of German militarism and has been popular with Hell's Angels and moped riders in Indonesia apparently... Leroy Gorman of Bow wow wow wore one covered in Native American symbols.

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