The front page of the first issue of the Croatian SS Division's magazine, "Khanjar" (Handžar). The magazine was launched in July 1943 (when the unit began moving to France for training), with the aim of contributing to the ideological education of recruits. It consisted of two parts, textual and illustrative, and it was edited by the propaganda platoon of the division's political department (the texts were written in German and Croatian). It was named after the famous Turkish (Arabic) sabre, after which the division was named too, 10 months later. (The unit was originally designated Croatian SS Volunteer Division, then Croatian SS Volunteer Mountain Division, then 13th SS Volunteer Bosnian-Herzegovinian Mountain Division, Croatia – and in May 1944 it got its final designation: 13th Waffen-SS Mountain Division "Handschar", 1st Croatian.) In the upper left corner, next to the name of the magazine, there was the divisional insignia: a khanjar in hand in front of two Sig runes (symbol of the SS). (The insignia depicting a khanjar in a shield, which is today mistaken for the official insignia of the 13th SS Division, was actually designed after the war by Waffen-SS veterans, the same as most of the other SS divisional insignia known today.) The foreword to the magazine was written by the (first) divisional commander, SS-Standartenführer von Obwurzer: "Under the sign of khanjar, may our division's magazine help forge the spiritual unity of all commanders and men, which is essential for military fighting strength. May it clear political judgment and strengthen real love for the homeland. May it awaken a joyful pride in us, being members of a division of the Waffen-SS and serving our Führer Adolf Hitler as loyal soldiers in the fulfilment of his mission."
Text: Ivan Ž.
Sources: Handžar, Zagreb, 15.07.1943, vol. I, no 1, p. 1; Bundesarchiv, NS 19/2601; ibid., RS 3-13/2; National Archives, RG 242, T175, r. 108, 2631269; ibid., r. 111, 2635334; ibid., 2635362; Zvonimir Bernwald, Muslime in der Waffen-SS – Erinnerungen an die bosnische Division Handžar 1943–1945, Ares Verlag, Graz, 2012, pp. 57–59, 329–412; George Lepre, Himmler's Bosnian Division – The Waffen-SS Handschar Division 1943–1945, Schiffer Military History, Atglen, 1997, pp. 44, 47; "SS divisional 'shield insignia'", Axis History Forum, 04.01.2018.
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.
Naslovna strana prvog broja "Handžara", časopisa Hrvatske SS-divizije. Časopis je pokrenut jula 1943. godine (kada je počelo i prebacivanje jedinice u Francusku, radi obuke), sa ciljem da pomogne u ideološkom obrazovanju regruta. Sastojao se iz dva dela, tekstualnog i ilustrovanog, a uređivao ga je propagandni vod političkog odeljenja divizije (tekstovi su pisani na nemačkom i hrvatskom). Časopis je nazvan po poznatoj turskoj (arapskoj) sablji, po kojoj je 10 meseci kasnije nazvana i sama divizija. (Jedinica je izvorno nazvana Hrvatska dobrovoljačka SS-divizija, zatim Hrvatska dobrovoljačka brdska SS-divizija, potom 13. dobrovoljačka bosansko-hercegovačka brdska SS-divizija, Hrvatska – a u maju 1944. dobija svoj konačni naziv: 13. brdska divizija SS-trupa "Handžar", 1. hrvatska.) U gornjem levom uglu, pored naziva časopisa, stajala je oznaka divizije: handžar u ruci ispred dve zig-rune (simbola SS-a). (Oznaku koja prikazuje handžar u štitu, koja se danas pogrešno smatra zvaničnom oznakom 13. SS-divizije, zapravo su osmislili posle rata veterani SS-trupa, kao i većinu ostalih danas poznatih oznaka SS-divizija.) Uvodnu reč za časopis napisao je (prvi) komandant divizije, SS-štandartenfirer fon Obvurcer: "Neka pod znakom handžara časopis naše divizije doprinese stvaranju duhovnog jedinstva celokupnog vođstva i ljudstva, što je neophodno za vojnu borbenu snagu. Neka bistri politički sud i jača pravu ljubav prema zavičaju. Neka u nama budi radostan ponos što smo pripadnici jedne divizije SS-trupa i što možemo našem fireru Adolfu Hitleru služiti kao verni vojnici u ispunjenju njegovog poslanja."
Tekst: Ivan Ž.
Izvori: Handžar, Zagreb, 15.07.1943, god. I, br. 1, str. 1; Bundesarchiv, NS 19/2601; ibid., RS 3-13/2; National Archives, RG 242, T175, r. 108, 2631269; ibid., r. 111, 2635334; ibid., 2635362; Zvonimir Bernwald, Muslime in der Waffen-SS – Erinnerungen an die bosnische Division Handžar 1943–1945, Ares Verlag, Graz, 2012, str. 57–59, 329–412; George Lepre, Himmler's Bosnian Division – The Waffen-SS Handschar Division 1943–1945, Schiffer Military History, Atglen, 1997, str. 44, 47; "SS divisional 'shield insignia'", Axis History Forum, 04.01.2018.
NIJE DOZVOLJENO: uklanjanje naziva izvora sa fajlova; korišćenje teksta bez navođenja izvornog autora; korišćenje fajlova i informacija u političko-propagandne i komercijalne svrhe.
