Picture, by www.innenbehoerde.hamburg.de

Maastricht - Netherlands

In 1991 the European Leaders met in Maastricht to sign the Maastricht Contracts

One part of these contracts was about the Police Uniforms. The European Leaders agreed in the idea, that the police uniforms should be the same blue color in all European Countries.

After years (nothing happened in Germany) the State of Hamburg started to change the uniform into a brand new design and in dark blue. That was in 2004. Since September 1st. 2005 the State of Hamburg Police has completed the changing of colors with all Officers. State of Schleswig-Holstein followed on March 21st. 2006 and the changing must be complete till the end of 2009. State of Bremen and Lower Saxony started the changing to "BLUE" in the end of 2006 and State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern will follow in the future. So all the northern States of Germany which are located at the two Oceans will use the same Uniform, the so called "Model Hamburg" which was designed by "Tom Taylor" and Prof. Luigi Colani. Beside that, it seems they just had a closer look to the NYPD :-)

The other States in Germany will follow but with their own style and that will be more an old fashioned style. The Former "Bundesgrenzschutz" (Border patrol) was renamed in "Bundespolizei" (Federal Police) and they also started a new blue uniform, but an own style, different again. So the good idea of the Germans in the mid seventies, to have one uniform in all 16 German States, has gone now. Good for Collectors, so there will be a lot of different hat styles.

The new Hat I have in my Collection is from the State of Schleswig-Holstein. This Hat is worn by Patrol Officers.   (Constables up to Sergeants) They have a blue Hatband. Higher ranks (Inspectors up to Superintendents) have silver bands and Commissioners have golden Hatbands.

The five new State Police Hats are all the same design. The only Difference is the State Seal in the Hat badge.

Extraordinarily this German Uniform is worn by the City of Baden Police which is a little town in Austria in the near of  Vienna. They have just their own seal on the patch and the hat badge. The rest of the uniform is absolute the same style