German Amberg GEW 98 EWB Marked Mauser 8mm 1917 WWI

The Amberg 1917 GEW Mauser carries a historical weight as a relic from a tumultuous period in German history. Manufactured in the final year of World War I, it is a late-war example of Mauser's engineering.

Marked "EWB" for Einwohnerwehr Bayern, this rifle is linked to the volatile interwar years in Germany. The EWB was a paramilitary group formed in Bavaria to combat post-war communist uprisings, operating from 1919 until its disbandment in 1921 due to the Treaty of Versailles stipulations. Not just a part of the militaristic response to insurgency, the EWB is noted for its evolution into the Freikorps and, eventually, connections to the early N@zi movement, with key figures like Ernst Röhm amongst its ranks.

The absence of post-war arsenal refurbishment on this GEW 98 suggests it might have been privately retained by an individual with sympathies to these burgeoning nationalist ideologies, potentially an early member of what would become the N@zi party. The rifle remains a matching and notable collector's piece, embodying a significant piece of history.