East German M56 helmet

This video has been in the works a while. This video will cover the East German m56 stahlhelm used by east Germany in various models from the 50's to well into the 90's l. This is a very innovative and interesting helmet from both a historical and engineering standpoint. This helmet in various models drew inspiration from both very new found facts and ideas like the aggressive slope of tank armor that was utilized in the shell to the tried and tested like the original stahlhelm like liner that had changed very little since the closing days of wwi. This video will cover the standard models used by the army and give a summary of the history of this helmet, as well as an in depth look at the liner. Hopefully you liked this video and subscribed if you like this sort of stuff. Please leave a comment with any questions or suggestions for future videos and I will do my best to answer them. As always thanks for watching.
Thank you,
Devin K.

[@stephendall2329]

I have two in almost new condition, I was stationed in Germany when the Berlin Wall came down and the border was opened. I traded a large western belt buckle for them, I also have a good sized chunk of the Berlin Wall.

[@gabrieltoews4479]

My stepfather had one of these when he was in the East German army as an engineer, unfortunately after the reunification everything he had disappeared or he gave it away the only thing he has now is a spade and his Tags

[@JustaGuy1250]

the 3 main models are: M56, M56/66, M56/76 M56 has the liner design from ww2, with 3 rivets around the helmet M56/66 has the new plastic liner with sponges, but still has 3 rivets M56/76 has the plastic liner and sponges, but has no rivets I at the moment own one of each, the M56/66 actually being a camouflaged one with red and yellow paint (most likely bosnian used)

[@MrHrKaidoOjamaaVKJV]

Outstanding very explainative video. Those two guys producted a bunch of helmet designs, which all were rejected by Hitler. It has been said that later in 1955/56 in the DDR a man named Erich Keisner brought the idea to the newly created NVA which came out from the ( KVP) Barracked Police who were using another experimental helmet designed by those two designers during the 3rd Reich. The NVA was not happy with that experimental helmet and Erich Keisner brought out the plans for the llB M44/45 Helmet which was rermaned the M56. Later as the Helmet rivets went away and 3rd type of liner( Plastic and Foam) came into existence,there was a debate within the E.German military of having the M56 sit higher or deeper on the wearer. Unfortunately the Higher sitting theory for after shock of atomic weapons explosion blast won out on the later models. I wore an NVA M56/76 back in 1995-97 in the Estonian Defense Forces Army. It was my suggestion to the Command to field the NVA helmet in the entire EDF. Checkout my picture here on my profile. The EDF deployed me to former Yugoslavia NATO SFOR Intl MP Mission in 1997 I'm wearing my NVA helmet in this photo just to the top left with Estonian camouflage pattern cover. The DDR NVA M56 Helmet is one of the best designed steel combat helmets ever designed. Prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall M56/76 NVA helmets sold for around $400.00 to collectors. Several East German NVA and Border Guard officers confirmed to me that in the last years of the DDR, the NVA did experiment with a Kevlar made version of the M56 and that it would have been produced had it not been for cost prohibitions.

[@Kaliumes]

The debate you mentioned about “higher” or “deeper” wearing is really interesting. I know it would be weird to ask such a comment, which is from 4 years ago, but would you like to share more about it? People really can’t have such information from elsewhere

[@MrHrKaidoOjamaaVKJV]

@@Kaliumes I was on Active Duty in the US Army in Germany from 1988 to 1992. Before during and after the Wall fell with the successful revolts against International Socialism/ Communism. During this time being that I am also a military history student and militaria collector, I was in the right place and time when all of a sudden the flood gates opened for East German/ Polish and Soviet uniforms and militaria become widely available. On my off duty time, I frequently traveled and purchased a lot of militaria from former East German Army, Border Guard, and Police personnel. I also visited multiple military museums and had conversations with the curator employees discussing such topics. During my duty times I frequently worked with former East German Military and Borderguard personnel who were hired by the US Army as Civilian Guards and with German Customs and Border Guards who I worked with as I was a US Army Military Police Officer. During multiple conversations with the former East German Soldiers, Border Guards and Police several of them stated the debate of the M56 helmet being too high that the theory of the new higher helmets harness system to break the helmet's shell away from the wearer in an Atomic/ Nuclear bomb detonation backblast situation was the reasoning. I recall responding that the research and development designers could have still made a deeper helmet shell with a better helmet liner. They responded that there were several helmet liners, some of which made the helmet's shell sit deeper on the wearer's head. I was able to purchase such an M56/76 a newer production helmet with a different type of deeper fitting liner design that sat deeper on the wearer's head. It was made of the leather, plastic, and styrofoam liner material. One former East German Border Guard Grenzer taken into the BGS German Border Guard mentioned to me that the DDR East German military hiarchy and government planned to make a new series of the famous M56 helmet out of Kevlar. The former Grenzer said that he actually was shown in person a model of the proposed new Kevlar material M56 helmet. He further elaborated that the East German government did not have the money to finance the mass production of the planned East German M56 Kevlar helmet.

[@Homeomemus]

I picked one up for $5-10 from a local garage sale cool

[@PRRepublicOfKorea]

Lucky.

[@midnightteapot5633]

I have just one example of this type of helmet and it is a plastic version that was made for musicians of some of the Musikkorps so that long parades and frequent ceremonial duties would be less strenuous . I assume not that many were made so maybe I have a rare piece.

[@ivyssauro123]

Wow this video was VERY informative and cool, thanks a lot

[@muwuny]

Can you please do a video demonstrating on how to remove/install the liners on these? Mine came with the liner backwards and I need to swap it around without damaging it. A video on liner adjustment would be nice too, such as the three different plastic pin slots on the interior of the liner.

[@athirww7414]

From my personal experience, the liner can be adjusted by simply pushing out the the little plastic nibs at the central plastic tongue. This also works similarly for the plastic arms attached to the rivets in the helmet, which allows you to take off the entire liner. Be careful when doing so, don't apply too much force so that nothing breaks. I hope this helps

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

Nice

[@jackiegraham3514]

super video, ive seen alot of your videos super stuff, is there much market for vickers 1927 first free state irish army helmet where u are, i come across these from time to time, these are based on german m16

[@DevinK]

Jackie Graham I've been looking for one for a few years and they come up but if they do the are the white repainted home guard ones or restored I hardly ever see them in original condition and even the best up ones are going for at least $400

[@war.helmets9636]

Lol I payed 70, but its a size 3 and the shell is from 1969 and the liner from 1988. It also came with a camo rain cover and it also has multiple layers of paint.

[@ericscottstevens]

Seen several of the DDR (M56) version helmets for sale. To this day they attract minimal attention as it is so salad bowl shaped. Now if you are lucky enough to find a WWII version (M1945 / BII) you may be a very rich individual.

[@utzius8003]

I'm planning on getting one. Great helmet, imo it doesn't even look that bad.

[@foycur]

My son is interested in collecting military helmets, and we saw one of these in a local antique shop. On the chinstrap are the printed words "Made In East Germany" which I found odd. Why would it be in English if it was made in East Germany? Do other helmets have this?

[@DevinK]

foycur yeah all of them do and the west German ones say made in west Germany

[@meguminreport9558]

From some quick research, when they imported East German stuff as military surplus into the US shortly after the fall of East Germany, most of the stuff was stamped with "Made in East Germany".

[@offtemp5733]

I have one of these and it is in pretty good condition but it does have a very small spot of rust, I was wondering if you have any methods to remove rust without removing the paint or at least keep the helmet from rusting?

[@DevinK]

Bacon Dom you can get rust remover at your hardware store and just treat that spot it might affect to paint so try to get just the rust and then treat the whole shell with some light oil to prevent future rust

[@offtemp5733]

Devin Krueger yea, I might have to use some sand paper because the rust is about 3 inches long and only about an 8th of an inch in width, but I will definitely use your method of covering it in oil to prevent rust.

[@offtemp5733]

Devin Krueger most of the rust was on small storage scuffs

[@DevinK]

Bacon Dom it’s probably just surface rust then so it won’t take much sanding or care to remove that

[@offtemp5733]

Devin Krueger Thanks for all the help!

[@WAFFENAMT1]

New version? they must have stopped making these in 1990 around 30 years ago. $5.00 was a super price to pay

[@mcsmash4905]

got one of these today and maybe its just me or i dont know...but how do i adjust it for myself

[@DevinK]

McSmash under the leather there should be a plastic liner and there should be some little ratchet teeth you can pinch together and slide to adjust the circumference

[@volksarmee8425]

where do you get an m56 helmet where its as cheap as that one

[@DevinK]

Buy one years ago and just about anywhere they were that price

[@volksarmee8425]

Devin K. Hmm

[@mitchsmith4292]

where can you get a camo cover?

[@DevinK]

Mitch Smith they didn’t make actual covers for them they covers for these are actually the detachable hood for the parka and the best place to find one is probably ebay

[@tl510]

@@DevinK A universal SSH helmet cover works on my M56 pretty well

[@enderboythree9934]

is $70 a good price for an east german helmet?

[@JohnKolacic]

No

[@athirww7414]

Do you know what type of leather was used for the liner?

[@DevinK]

Athir Ww no idea unfortunately

[@athirww7414]

@@DevinK Oh isok then

[@kaiserwilhelmii5489]

i think its suede leather

[@mrbuttonscat3849]

$5 for a GDR helmet????? I paid £35 for mine but it was for sale at £50

[@williamcattr267]

The problem with this helmet for the Germans is the fact that it sits too far up on the soldier's head. M35/40/42 looked better because it sat lower on the head, which may have offered better protection.

[@DevinK]

William Cattr that was by design to not obstruct vision or hearing and nor tick forward in prone. The earlier design of this helmet did sit lower and had all those problems

[@williamcattr267]

@@DevinK Sure, no doubt about it being intentional (sort of like the British ww1/ww2 helmet sitting high on the head). The British Mark I Brodie helmet offered great protection from shrapnel and debris raining down on top of a soldier; however, it offered limited protection from the sides and rear from horizontally inbound projectiles (unlike the m-16/m-18, m35-m42, American M1, etc.). I happen to own two of these East German helmets and tried them on for comparison with the other helmets that I have. I haven’t seen a comprehensive ballistics test to compare the effectiveness of the M-56 DDR helmet (aside from the link below). It looks like the 7.62X25 round penetrated the helmet, as did the .30 M-1 carbine. But I am sure these same two rounds most likely would have penetrated any steel helmet. The modern Kevlar designed helmets would probably defeat these two calibers. kzbin.info/www/bejne/npXUgJuniNpqpZI The bottom line is that none of these steel helmets are intended to stop a rifle round (or 7.65X25 pistol round).

[@jackiegraham3514]

everything i have has been refurbished or home guard ones but have 1 or 2 that might suit u if u want to see photographs send me your email

[@DevinK]

Jackie Graham are you selling them? Or just showing?

[@jackiegraham3514]

I'll go thru my stuff and show u what I have for sale will take a few days

[@DevinK]

Jackie Graham can I give you my Facebook? so we can use that for the pictures just send them over a Facebook message

[@jackiegraham3514]

yes thats fine

[@darko_dulic]

I really want one. but before I knew what I m56 was I passed one up for $15

[@NoAh-yr5cj]

Is there many fake one on the market or eBay ?

[@DevinK]

NoAh no but there is plastic parade ones that get passed as real ones sometimes

[@NoAh-yr5cj]

@@DevinK ok, thank you for replying

[@DevinK]

NoAh no problem hope it helps

[@matthewr8161]

Where did you buy this? (Awesome video btw)

[@DevinK]

Matthew R unfortunately if your looking for one the only place to find them really is the second hand market like ebay they have pretty much dried up in surplus stocks

[@turkisharmy9906]

Does an east german helmet attract magnets?

[@DevinK]

Which one?

[@turkisharmy9906]

@@DevinK Does the steel part attract magnets?

[@turkisharmy9906]

@@DevinK how many kg east german helmet with lining

[@DevinK]

@@turkisharmy9906 depends on the size and model

[@turkisharmy9906]

@@DevinK do you have an instagram account

[@FordBronco-pz4lv]

Just got one for 20 bucks at a flea market

[@jackobtthoronn5388]

Great Stahlhelm..der NVA Der DDR..