DRL Sportabzeichen (Sportsbadge)

[Tim49980]

Hi all

I've picked this third style (?) sports badge, looks genuine to me with the right marks but as ever I'd love to hear your opinions regarding history and authenticity.

Thanks

[HPL2008]

It's an authentic bronze-grade sports badge. Wernstein of Jena is the most commonly encountered maker.

This is not the third, but actually the second model:

The first model was officially called the Deutsches Turn- und Sportabzeichen [German Gymnastics- and Sports Badge] and bore the letters "DRA" [for "Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Leibesübungen" i.e. "German National Council for Physical Exercise"]. It was awarded in bronze, silver and gold grades.

The second model was known as the Deutsches Reichssportabzeichen [German National Sports Badge], had the monogram changed to the letters "DRL" [for "Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübrungen" i.e. "German National League for Physical Exercise"] and bore a Swastika (as seen here). It, too, was awarded in bronze, silver and gold grades plus a special badge for the war-disabled that was added in 1942.

The badges with the letters "DRL" but no Swastika were long believed to be an intermediary pattern between the "DRA" and "DRL-with-Swastika" badges, were described as such in various older standard references and often still are on dealers' sites, but are now known to be from the early post-war years and worn as replacements for the Third Reich era sports badges.

Have a look at this thread for other examples of various models and grades of these sports badges and some additional information (but ignore what I wrote in post # 7 there, where I had cited the aforementioned outdated information before seeing the light by post # 15):

Deutsches Sportabzeichen

[Tim49980]

Many thanks for taking the time, always glad to hear it's genuine too.

[harryamb2]

its fine.