Contrary to the methods used by the Reich Air Ministry (RLM) for the allocation of aircraft designations, the designers and manufacturers of sailplanes and gliders in Germany enjoyed the freedom of choosing their own designations for their products up until 1945.
Thus a bird name like Habicht could be used, or a number combined with two or more letters, stemming from the designer's or factory's name, such as DFS, RRG or Göppingen.
The RLM assigned every design a separate number to provide a common basis for an exchange of drawings in the event of an intended production under license by firms, clubs or individuala and to secure the provision of spare parts.
A rigid system of rules for the form and order of drawings was applied.
After the Second World War, gliding was prohibited in Germany, but when the sport began again in 1951, glider types were allocated a Geräte-Nummer (Type Approval number).