Jerry, it was a sort of militia made up of civilians who were concerned about the rebellions and unrest throughout Germany in the years between 1918 and 1922. It was known as the Einwohnerwehr and were locally formed organizations made up of responsible citizens who would stand up against the rowdys and reds who were terrorizing Germany right after the war. These Einwohnerwehr were sponsored by the local governments and should not be confused with Freikorps units which were also forming at this time.
The EWB marking indicates Einwohnerwehr Bayern or Bavarian Militia. As far as I know the EWBs (Bavarians) were the only such marked weapons. Bavarians have always been "conflicted" by an identity issue. Mr Still covers this subject in his book "Weimar Lugers".
Super cool stuff.
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