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Dueling Scars: A Badge of Honor in Northern European Countries Dating Back to the 1800s
Facial scars were seen as badges of honor in many cultures. Especially among Nazi Officers.
Scars of Honor
We have all seen the World War Two movies where a Nazi officer in a leather coat and swastika armband sports a large facial scar on the left cheek. Some viewers might think the scar is only a Hollywood prop. In essence, a ruse to make the actor look tough and ruthless. However, the truth is facial scars were extremely common among Austrian and German soldiers going back to World War One.
They are called dueling scars (or “Schmisse” in German) and were seen as a badge of honor since as early as 1825. Alternatively referred to as “Mensur scars,” “smite,” “Schimitte,” or “Renommierschmiss,” they became popular among upper-class Austrians and Germans involved in academic fencing at the start of the 20th century. Consequently, many of these same upper-class men who fashioned them found themselves wearing German army uniforms in both World War One and Two.
