Stahlhelm (German for "steel helmet") refers to a series of German steel combat helmet designs intended to protect the wearer from common battlefield hazards such as shrapnel.
The armies of the great powers began to issue steel helmets during World War I as a result of combat experience and experimentation. The German Army began to replace the boiled leather Pickelhaube with the Stahlhelm in 1916. The Stahlhelm's distinctive coal scuttle shape was instantly recognizable and became a common element of propaganda on both sides, like the Pickelhaube before it. The name was used by Der Stahlhelm, a German veterans' organization that existed from 1918 to 1935.
After World War II, both East and West German militaries adopted helmets unrelated to the archetypical German helmet designs from the world wars, but continued to refer to the new models as Stahlhelm. The WWII era Stahlhelm continued to be used by police and border guards in West Germany until the 1990s, when they were replaced by modern kevlar helmets.
Due to its association with Nazi Germany, and potential design drawbacks, the Stahlhelm and its silhouette fell out of favor after world war 2. But it has persisted in a small number of countries.
