Kriegsmarine “Sweetheart” / Erinnerungs Doll

A very unusual and charming period Kriegsmarine sweetheart or remembrance doll, dating from the WWII period and measuring approximately 50 cm in height.
The female doll has a finely made cloth face with painted blue eyes, long eyelashes, rosy cheeks and red lips, together with curly blonde hair. Particularly interesting is her elaborate miniature dark-blue Kriegsmarine uniform, consisting of matching trousers, a double-breasted jacket with white shirt and black tie, and a carefully constructed peaked cap.
The uniform has been extensively detailed by hand. Gold-coloured thread has been used to reproduce the miniature buttons and various naval insignia, including the elaborate insignia to the front of the cap and a corresponding device on the jacket. Even a small embroidered detail is present on the sleeve. The peaked cap itself is particularly well executed, complete with black visor and chinstrap.
Rather than being a conventional commercially produced sailor doll, the individual construction and hand-worked uniform suggest that this may have been a privately made personal keepsake. It is quite possible that such a doll was made by the wife or fiancée of a Kriegsmarine serviceman, representing his loved one symbolically dressed in his naval uniform and intended as a personal reminder of her while he was away at sea.

These personal pieces are sometimes described by collectors as “Sweetheart”, “Erinnerungs-” or “Braut” dolls. Without accompanying provenance, however, the exact circumstances in which this particular example was made or carried cannot be established with certainty.
A fascinating and highly individual piece of Kriegsmarine-related wartime memorabilia. With its impressive approximately 50 cm size, detailed hand-made uniform and distinctly personal character, it makes for a particularly striking display piece.