Formation of the Croatian SS Division. The commander and founder of the "Prinz Eugen" Division, SS-Gruppenführer Artur Phleps (centre), in charge of the formation of the new, Muslim SS division (which would be named "Handschar"), arrives in Zagreb. He is welcomed by SS-Obersturmführer Karl von Krempler (on the left), who has been put in charge (together with Dr Alija Šuljak) of recruiting volunteers throughout Bosnia (it was a bit awkward that the motivational speeches were held by von Krempler as well, who, being Pirot born, spoke in the Serbian dialect – which very much irritated the anti-Serb oriented Bosnian Muslims). An interesting detail in the photo is a prototype of the uniform of a still non-existing unit; a uniform as worn by von Krempler here would indeed be worn by the "Handschar" Division later, with some minor changes: the Croatian coat of arms would be moved to the left sleeve (and the Edelweiß would be worn on the right one), fez insignia would be centred and a special collar insignia would be produced.
Text © Ivan Ž.
Photographer: unknown.
Date: spring 1943.
Date: spring 1943.
Location: Zagreb, Yugoslavia.
Original caption: unknown.
File source: "Mountain Troops of the Waffen-SS 1941–1945", Roland Kaltenegger.
Number: no number (p. 116).
NOT ALLOWED: removing source credits from the files – using text without crediting the original author – using files and information for political propaganda and commercial purposes.
Formiranje Hrvatske SS-divizije. Komandant i osnivač "Princ Eugen" divizije, SS-grupenfirer Artur Fleps (sredina), zadužen za formiranje nove, muslimanske SS-divizije (koja će dobiti ime "Handžar"), stiže u Zagreb. Dočekuje ga SS-oberšturmfirer Karl fon Krempler (levo), koji je (zajedno sa dr Alijom Šuljakom) zadužen za regrutaciju dobrovoljaca po Bosni (pomalo nezgodno je bilo to što je motivacione govore držao i fon Krempler, koji je, kao rođeni Piroćanac, govorio srpskim narečjem – što je poprilično iritiralo antisrpski raspoložene bosanske muslimane). Zanimljiv detalj na ovoj fotografiji je prototip uniforme jedne još uvek nepostojeće jedinice; uniformu kakvu ovde nosi fon Krempler zaista će kasnije nositi "Handžar" divizija, ali sa malim izmenama: hrvatski grb će biti premešten na levi rukav (a na desnom će biti nošen runolist), oznake na fesu će biti centrirane i specijalna oznaka će biti napravljena za kragnu.
Tekst © Ivan Ž.
Fotograf: nepoznat.
Datum: proleće 1943.
Datum: proleće 1943.
Mesto: Zagreb, Jugoslavija.
Originalni natpis: nepoznat.
Izvor fajla: "Mountain Troops of the Waffen-SS 1941–1945", Roland Kaltenegger.
Broj: bez broja (str. 116).
NIJE DOZVOLJENO: uklanjanje naziva izvora sa fajlova – korišćenje teksta bez navođenja izvornog autora – korišćenje fajlova i informacija u političko-propagandne i komercijalne svrhe.
