The Stahlhelm first appeared on the Western Front in 1916, replacing the old leather Pickelhaube, which had proven useless against artillery fragments. Its deep, flared shape—nicknamed the “coal scuttle”—offered far better protection and quickly became a defining symbol of German soldiers during World War I. Like the spiked helmet before it, the new steel helmet appeared in propaganda on both sides, embodying the image of the German warrior. After the war, the helmet remained tied to German identity. It was adopted as the emblem of *Der Stahlhelm*, a veterans’ organization active between 1918 and 1935. During the interwar years, the German Army began experimenting with improved models, drawing again on the expertise of Dr. Friedrich Schwerd, who had helped design the original 1916 pattern. In 1934, the firm Eisenhüttenwerke Thale produced prototypes of a lighter, more practical helmet. This new model, the M1935, was pressed from molybdenum steel sheets, reducing weight while maintaining strength. Its profile was refined: the large visor and skirt were trimmed down, and the projecting side lugs—originally meant for attaching additional armor—were removed. The helmet still had ventilation holes, but these were placed in small hollow rivets instead of large fittings. Edges were rolled for a smoother finish, and most importantly, a redesigned leather liner improved comfort, fit, and safety. Together, these changes made the helmet lighter, more compact, and easier for soldiers to wear for long periods. On June 25, 1935, the Wehrmacht officially adopted the M35 as its standard helmet. Production ramped up quickly: more than a million were manufactured in the first two years, with millions more produced as Germany rearmed for war. By 1940, modifications led to the M40 and later the M42, but the overall silhouette remained recognizable. The Stahlhelm became as iconic for the German military in World War II as the earlier Pickelhaube had been in the 19th century. Even after 1945, the name *Stahlhelm* endured. East and West Germany each introduced new helmet designs unrelated to the wartime model but still called them by the same term. In West Germany, surplus WWII Stahlhelme continued to see use with police and border guards into the 1990s, before finally giving way to modern kevlar helmets. The design’s longevity and cultural weight made it one of the most famous pieces of military headgear of the 20th century.

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Stahlhelm M35