Konstantin Hierl (24 February 1875 – 23 September 1955) was a major figure in the administration of Nazi Germany. He was the head of the Reich Labour Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst; RAD) a Reichsleiter of the Nazi Party and an associate of Adolf Hitler before he came to national power.

Hierl was born in Parsberg near Neumarkt in the Bavarian Upper Palatinate region and attended secondary school (Gymnasium) in Burghausen and Regensburg. In 1893 he joined the Bavarian Army as a cadet. He obtained the rank of Leutnant in 1895 and graduated from the military academy in 1902. He was promoted to Hauptmann in 1909. He served as a company commander in the Bavarian infantry. In World War I Hierl served as a member of the general staff of the I Royal Bavarian Reserve Corps, part of the German 6th Army fighting on the Western Front, where he achieved the rank of Oberstleutnant and was awarded the Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class and other decorations.

Upon the German defeat and the November Revolution of 1918, Hierl became head of a paramilitary Freikorps unit. Hierl played a role in organizing the Black Reichswehr paramilitary forces in the early years of the Weimar Republic. He was discharged from the service with the rank of Oberst in September 1924, in part due to his support of General Erich Ludendorff's participation in the Beer Hall Putsch. In 1925, he joined Ludendorff's far-right Tannenbergbund political society, which Hierl left two years later. 

In April 1929 he joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP) and became head of Organization Department II that same year, serving as Deputy to Gregor Strasser. In the federal election of 1930, he became a member of the Reichstag parliament. On 5 June 1931, two years before the Nazi Party ascended to national power, Hierl became head of the FAD (Freiwilliger Arbeitsdienst), a state sponsored voluntary labour organization that provided services to civic and agricultural construction projects. There were many such organizations in Europe at the time, founded to provide much-needed employment during the Great Depression.

Hierl was already a high-ranking member of the NSDAP when the Party took power in January 1933. He remained the head of the labour organization - now called the Nationalsozialistischer Arbeitsdienst, or NSAD. Adolf Hitler named him as State Secretary in the Reich Ministry of Labour under Franz Seldte, with the order to build up a powerful labour service organization. Facing Minister Seldte's resistance, Hierl in 1934 switched to the Reich Ministry of the Interior under Wilhelm Frick in the rank of a Reichskommissar. Hierl was also named a member of Hans Frank's Academy for German Law. On 11 July 1934, the NSAD was renamed Reichsarbeitsdienst or RAD (Reich Labor Service) which Hierl would control as its chief until the end of World War II. The Reich Labor Service was divided into two major sections, one for men (Reichsarbeitsdienst Männer - RAD/M) and one for women (Reichsarbeitdienst der weiblichen Jugend - RAD/wJ). The RAD was composed of 40 Gau-sections (Arbeitsgau). In 1936 the Reich Labor Service built the model village of Hierlshagen (present-day Ostaszów in Poland), named after Hierl. He was named Reich Labor Leader (Reichsarbeitsführer) in 1935 and Reichsleiter, the second highest political rank in the Nazi Party, on 10 September 1936. Also in 1936, he was awarded the Golden Party Badge. Hierl was further appointed Minister Without Portfolio in 1943.

Info Credit: Wiki

Reicharbeirsfuhrer Hierl in a somber moment, notice the custom 'Spanierschloss' or cape chain, usually constructed with (10) ten links, the location is unknown, the cape chain shown was from my collection, I now focus mainly on the history of the RAD, and photographical images.

Cape chains are a seldom seen accessory.  

Please forgive my ignorance, but I am understanding the German term mentioned above for a cape chain as ,,Spanierschloss" to mean Spanish Castle? If I am translating that right? Wonder what is behind the name. Thanks.  

Schloss is a German homonym. The meaning can be 'castle' or, like in this case, 'lock'. Together with 'Spanier' (Spaniard) it´s the correct term for the cape chain Gwar has posted.

Here is a Police Cape (Umhang) with a built in strap that serves the same purpose as the chain.  I don't know what this strap is called in German.

 

 

These pictures are quite sizable, 5"x7" inches, I was fortunate enough to purchase these some time ago, they are original press photos taken by the firm of Herbert Ahrens, Koblenz, whether or not they were actually published is unknown, I do know however, that there were several high bids for these, mine being the highest and someone was very persistent in wanting to acquire these. First up, this was a visit or meeting presumably in the RADwJ, Reichsarbeitsdienst der weibliche Jugend (Labor Service of the Reich for the Female Youth / German Third Reich), Bezirk X (Rheinland), Next to Reichsarbeitsfuhrer Hierl (right) is Generalarbeitsfuhrer Arthur Etterich (Gau XXIV Moselland) and a few other unidentifiable others, the reverse is stamped by the firm, however, it is devoid of any Kriegsberichter (war correspondent) photo credit.

15 hours ago, Proud Kraut said:

Schloss is a German homonym. The meaning can be 'castle' or, like in this case, 'lock'. Together with 'Spanier' (Spaniard) it´s the correct term for the cape chain Gwar has posted.

Many thanks for this information.

Reichsarbeitsfuhrer Hierl visiting in Huszlew, Poland,

Reichsarbeitsfuhrer Hierl Arriving in Huszlew, Poland

There were several dignitaries on hand and to the immediate left of Hierl is Generalarbeitsfuhrer Schinnerer

Reichsarbeitsfuhrer Hierl visits RAD Gruppe 2/230 (________) 24. 5. 1938

More images, including Reichsleiter Hierl's signature.

 

Sources:

https://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/autograph-konstantin-hierl-12024-c-17745dcb5d

 

https://www.alexautographs.com/auction-lot/konstantin-hierl_7564B3DBC2