DDR Deutsch Volkspolizei Schulterstücke, East German Peoples Police Shoulder Boards

Emblem of the Volkspolizei

My post for today is a set of East German (DDR), Volkspolizei shoulder boards for the rank of Unterwachtmeister.  The interesting thing about these boards is that they are nearly identical to the 1950's Bundesgrenzschutz shoulder boards for the rank of Wachtmeister.  

The Volkspolizei (VoPo) were the "People's Police" of East Germany.  They were responsible for the general law enforcement for the the state.  The VoPo were structured as a paramilitary organization with military uniforms, armored personnel carriers, etc.  The east German people nicknamed the Volkspolizei,  "Bullen" for "cops", and "die Grünnen", or "the greens", after their green uniforms.  After the reunification of the two Germany's, the Volkspolizei were abolished.

I plan on attaching these boards to the East German uniform from my previous post.  They will be a stand in for an original pair of BGS shoulder boards until I get the "real thing".

Here are the shoulder boards:

And what would one of my post be without a set of vintage archive pictures!  Here are two shots of the Volkspolizei in action:

Berlin 1989