Reichsbetriebsnummer - Reichsfirmennummer

[GregSingh]

This subject pops up from time to time, mainly in Militaria & Collecting section of the Forum, when people look for a maker of the equipment they own/collect. Some previous discussions:
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 6&t=214930
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=224849

As most of the original German documentation on subject is lost/not uncovered yet, the process of matching known numbers to names/addresses of the makers has been going for many years now. Perhaps the most extensive research happens on War Relics Forum, for example this topic here: The Reichsbetriebsnummer RB numbering system, started by Adrian Stevenson, Eduardo R and others.

Recently I came across an article about Reichsbetriebsnummerung in the March 13, 1943 issue of the magazine for Mining and Steel industry engineers. It mentions that work on that numbering system is being conducted by Zentralstelle für das maschinelle Berichtswesen beim Reichsminister für Bewaffnung und Munition. It also briefly explains meaning of a number. That has been already explained on War Relics Forum, but here is original in German from the article:

Bei der Reichsbetriebsnummerung erhält jede örtliche Betriebseinheit eine 9 stellige Kennziffer, die aus den folgenden 3 Nummernteilen besteht:
a) der Nummer der Organisation der gewerblichen Wirtschaft, zu der der Betrieb gehört - 1 stellig
b) der Kreiskennziffer, d.i. Kennzeichnung der geographischen Lage - 4 stellig
c) der laufenden Nummer des Betriebs im Kreis - 4 stellig

For the Reichsbetriebsnummer, each local operating unit receives a 9-digit code, which consists of the following 3 numerical parts:
a) the number of the organization of the commercial economy to which the business belongs - 1 digit
b) Kreiskennziffer, i.e. marker/label for a geographic location - 4 digits
c) the serial number of the business in Kreis - 4 digits

What's interesting is that Kreiskennziffer (which specifies a location) was divided into two or actually three parts.
First digit specified if location was in "Altreich" or outside it.
Second digit specified cluster of "Wirtschaftsbezierk". There were around 25 Wirtschaftsbezierks in the "Altreich", but only 10 numbers to use (from 0 to 9), so several of them had the same number.
Two remaining digits - it was a Kreis numbers in a particular "cluster".

More to follow....

[GregSingh]

Here is the "work in progress" list for the first and second digit in Kreiskennziffer.
First ten positions, starting with "0" are for "Altreich". Several "Wirtschaftsbezierken" are still missing.

00 Ostpreussen
01 Mark Brandenburg
02 Pommern, Berlin
03 Sachsen, Thüringen
04 Hannover, Hamburg, Weser-Ems, Oberschlesien
05 Westfalen, Köln-Aachen, Nieder-Rhein
06 Rhein-Main, Westmark
07 Baden, Württemberg
08 Südbayern
09 Nordbayern

10 Donauland, Alpenland
11 Sudetenland
12 Böhmen und Mähren
13 Wartheland
14 Generalgouvernement
..
..
..
..

[GregSingh]

In the archives of Secretary of State for the Reichsprotektor in Bohemia and Moravia, there is document listing several factories working for war industry. It's not a complete list as document is from January 1940.
What's interesting is the fact that those factories had already assigned Kreiskennziffer numbers!

Will post all numbers soon (after scanning and correcting). They are all Böhmen und Mähren numbers - 12XX

[GregSingh]

Some Kreiskennziffer numbers for area 12 - Böhmen und Mähren - from January 1940 listing:

1200 Prag, Letňany, Libschitz
1207 Modřany bei Prag
1208 Kladno, Schlan
1211 Raudnitz
1215 Karlshütte, Königshof
1217 Pilzen, Chrást bei Pilzen, Doudlewetz
1218 Hradek, Rokitzan
1227 Strakonitz
1230 Brodce a/Sazawa, Tynec a/Sazawa, Wlaschim
1241 Chotzen
1242 Chrudim
1243 Hedvikov bei Časlau
1244 Kolin
1247 Polná
1248 Ransko
1249 Polička
1255 Königgrätz
1256 Pardubitz, Semtin bei Pardubitz
1257 Tinischt a/Adler, Wamberg
1265 Jungbunzlau
1270 Brünn, Brünn Königsfeld, Adamathal bei Brünn, Česká bei Brünn,Mödritz bei Brünn, Kunowitz
1273 Groß-Meseritsch
1276 Teltsch
1280 Olmütz, Olmütz-Luttein, Olmütz-Řepčín
1282 Boskowitz, Blansko
1283 Prossnitz
1284 Wischau
1288 Napajedl
1291 Mähren Ostrau-Oderfurt, Mähren Ostrau-Witkowitz
1293 Roznau unter Radhost, Wal. Meseritsch
1294 Leipnik a/Bečwa, Mährisch-Weißkirchen
1296 Zlin, Ostrokowitz
1297 Prerau
1298 Bojkowitz, Bohuslawitz, Ungarisch Brod
1299 Wsetin

[dansker3]

GregSingh,
Do you have the RBNr. Kreiskennziffer locations for
1250
1251
1252
1253
1254
Thank you very much!

1272 is Gross-Meseritsch!

[GregSingh]

Those numbers don't appear on January 1940 list.
List is called Anlage zu Rü In Prag Nr.810/40g vom 25.Januar 1940.

Rü In Prag means Rüstungsinspektion Prag