Snuffed out by the EU. Banned in Germany. Nearly 30 years after the Fall of the Wall, one of the Cold War’s most iconic jackets is pretty hard to track down.
The German Police “Sommerblouson” is a lightweight, front zip bomber based on the American issue MA-1. Cut in a utilitarian, no-nonsense style it is unfussy, sharp, and damn near unobtainable.
The Sommerblouson, and its famous Förstergrün (forest green) coloration occupy an important place in the history of Germany. Introduced in 1972, Förstergrün hit the streets right as the Cold War turned Europe upside down. With the eyes of the globe on Berlin, Germany’s green-clad Polizei were given the Sisyphean task of maintaining order in the cultural, political, and military chaos that was West Germany. If a punk show ran late, Förstergrün jackets shut off the lights. If a spy needed chasing, Förstergrün jackets were hot on their heels. From the evening news to morning cartoons, forest green Polizei became a quirky, unique part of German national identity.
The iconic green uniform persisted for nearly three decades. That was, until the EU got wind of things and issued a 1998 “recommendation” that “all member nations” switch to an internationally recognized dark blue color.
For the full story, we highly recommend reading our full-length article on the subject. The process of phasing out the uniforms was anything but smooth for Germany. If anything it sparked a miniature culture war — with several German states openly defying the EU mandate.
It’s not much of a spoiler to say that the EU won out in the end. Förstergrün was largely off the streets by the mid-to-late 2000s with the last uniforms formally exiting service in 2016. By the time surplus Sommerblousons worked their way through the German state auction system and into the hands of US and EU collectors, it was far too late to get more.
Inspired by the history of the jacket and repeated requests to source it, we spent months researching the bomber’s supply chain. There were a lot of dead ends, but we were lucky. The manufacturer was still in business — even better, the original factory, original tooling, and original fabric dyer were all still around. Rounds of negotiations between all parties led to a one-time deal: the Sommerblouson could live again if we met their minimum order.
But that was in 2018. We wanted to go bigger — the bomber deserved every bit of support it could get. So after asking our customers for help, we were able to do a much larger scale production run of Sommerblouson without cutting any corners. So once again, the bomber returned to our warehouse. But for how long? Well, that's up to you...
Sizing Notes
The German Police Bomber Jacket fits slightly oversized, similar to other retro-styled bomber jackets. We are providing a wider array of sizes for the 2022 run for the best fit. To get your size, measure your chest width in centimeters (cm), then use the chart provided here.
Ladies, please consult the "women's sizes" section on the above page and measure your bust & waist.
Most people will benefit from going down one size than what their typical Germanic size is due to the fit of the jacket. For example, our model is 6'0" tall with a 37" chest but opted for a 46 instead of a 48.
Specs
- Shawl collar
- Ribbed knit cuffs
- High-quality reflective “POLIZEI” lettering on back
- Removable, Velcro-backed “POLIZEI” state crest patch
- Premium color-matched metal coil-style main zipper
- Slash pockets and zip utility pockets on chest
- “Cigarette pack” zip pocket on bicep
- Hidden interior pocket
- Made by the original German manufacturer to original Polizei specifications
- Jacket: 67% polyester / 33% cotton
- Lining: 100% polyester
