kurhessen badge?

[thanson]

Can anybody tell me what this is? It translates into "Electorate of Hesse - greets his guests!" On the back is stamped Gebr.Fest Hanau....behind haunau is a odd marking that I can't make out, looks kind of like a fraction but not sure. I assume this is for some festival but what it is? there is no mounting on the back for it to be mounted to anything? Paperweight? or just a knick knack given as souvenir of the festival? Either way it looks like a pretty neat design, good addition to the collection.

[mike41]

I would guess that it is a non-portable award for what I do not know.

[BOB COLEMAN]

The marking on the rear is the name of the firm that made this non portable award, Gebruder Fest in Hanau.

[HPL2008]

On the back is stamped Gebr.Fest Hanau....behind haunau is a odd marking that I can't make out, looks kind of like a fraction but not sure.

It's not a "%" symbol; it says "A/M" and is an abbreviated suffix to the town name of Hanau: "Hanau am Main".

[harryamb2]

nice badge.

[thanson]

thanks for all the reply's, anyone even have a guess what it might be an award for? I assume its non-military, and what was a person suppose to do with it? lay it on a table? And also there is an ES-K to the left of the tree..does that have any meaning to anyone?

[Walkwolf]

It may have originally come in a case or box.
A very handsome design.........!

[HPL2008]

thanks for all the reply's, anyone even have a guess what it might be an award for? I assume its non-military, and what was a person suppose to do with it? lay it on a table? And also there is an ES-K to the left of the tree..does that have any meaning to anyone?

The "ES-K" is most likely the signature of the artist/designer. This is a presentation piece which the recipients could display in any way they pleased... in a cabinet, a display case or, yes, on a desk. It is definitely non-military.

I can offer a tentative identification:

From 7th to 9th July 1934, the 5. Reichskriegertag [5th National Veterans' Day] was to be held at Kassel in Hesse. Motorist members of the Kyffhäuserbund were to undertake a rallye to Kassel, where they were to be presented with a commemorative plaque with a "Kurhessen grüßt seine Gäste" motif. (The event, however, was cancelled/postponed to 1935 because of the "Röhmputsch" events.)

The aforementioned information is according to Ludwig Arndt's book Militärvereine in Norddeutschland; unfortunately, it doesn't have a photograph of the plaque.

Anyway, it is quite possible that this one of those plaques. However, I cannot positively rule out that the slogan was used on other such pieces as well. (I guess it's also possible that the plaques were not specifically comissioned for the Reichskriegertag event; they may well have been presented for other occasions as well.)