NSDAP pin

[drmessimer]

I don't collect these, but this one was among an assortment of "stuff" that I have gathered over the years. I don't know if it's a Party pin or just a "I support the Party pin." I don't know where it came from but, obviously, I found it somewhere, I know that I didn't buy it. It's slightly domed, not flat as it appears in the photo, and I think it's made of brass, but it could be copper. It is 17 mm diameter. It was pretty dirty until I cleaned it up a bit, but you can tell that it had been living outdoors for a while. Please, tell me what you think; the usual real/fake and purpose. Thanks. Dwight

[Greenhorn]

Hi Dwight

You were correct in saying it's a Party badge. Only members were allowed to wear these and supporters sported sympathy badges that would not have the NSDAP slogan. It's an early badge, pre '35 and most likely earlier, and with a stylish floating swas. You are already aware of the condition issues but a keeper nontheless. The condition is unfortunate as this is not a common badge with it's razor thin text field leaving nearly no gap between the letters and inner/out borders. Still learning about maker traits so a guess to the maker cannot be made by me. Thanks for posting this workhorse of a Party badge!

Green

[drmessimer]

Green: Thanks for the information. I have a question about the Party badge(s). Many years ago, a colleague had one that was larger than the one I posted, and had a serial number on the back. He thought it was a Party membership number. Did some of them have the member's Party number on the back? Thanks again for your help. Dwight

[Greenhorn]

Dwight

Second time will have to be the charm, I deleted the first response on accident (showing some age here)

Your acquaintance most likely had a Goldenes Parteiabzeichen, golden party badge. They are numbered on the reverse and a possible identification of the original owner may be had. Having a named badge makes these badges quite desireable.

Here's a link for further info.
Golden Party Badge of the NSDAP

[drmessimer]

Green: You suggested that with the previous owner's Party number "...a possible identification of the original owner may be had." One would think so, but let me tell you my experience in that area. My former colleague, mentioned above, asked me to write a letter for him to the Berlin Document Center (BDC) asking for the pin's owner based on his Party number. At the time, the BDC was under the control of US Army. We got a quick reply telling us that the NSDAP member files in the BDC were alphabetical and were not cross-indexed to Party number. It was a catch-22, in that we had to know the man's name to get his name. The German government now has conrtrol of those files and I don't know how they have indexed them. The BDC files are also in the US and British National Archives, on microfilm, but again, I don't know how easy or difficult they are to access. It sounds to me as though my former colleague, unknown to him, had an artifact that was quite valuable. He is long dead and I wonder what happened to it? Thanks for the information. Dwight

[Greenhorn]

Dwight

Typical gov BS, 'know the man's name to get the name', lol. Although, if I understand correctly, students are able to view these files and I happen to know a U.S. student that will travel to Germany in March of next year and she may be able to assist. If you have the number or a pic of it, and an interest to further your knowledge on it, it may be possible. It does sound as if your friend is not with us now and the badge is also gone. Sorry for your loss.

The GPB badge is a valuable badge as you mentioned and highly sought. Being researchable, not in all cases though, makes it morese desireable. However, there are many badges more rare than this badge! Being newer to this hobby, I learned the GPB has enjoyed a dramatic increase in price more recently in the last few years. In other words, the price has gone through the roof, and they aren't all too rare. Millions weren't made but there are badges that thousands or only hundreds were made and nobody gives them any mention. While the GPB is an attractive collectible, I don't mind passing one for their inflated asking price.

Here is a much rarer badge from my collection.

[drmessimer]

Green: Thanks for the offer regarding your student friend who is going to Germany in March, but the whole thing about my former colleague's pin happened in the 1970's and he is long dead. I offered that account simply to illustrate that what one would assume to be obvious, is sometimes not so in reality. I'm surprised that the Germans are allowing such reltively open access to the former BDC files. When they were under US Army control, access was very narrowly limited to "legitimate" researchers, usually government associated. I was given access twice, once in the 80's and again in 1990. I assumed that the Germans, whose privacy laws are among the most stringent on the planet, would allow equally limited access to the files. Dwight

[Greenhorn]

Green: Thanks for the offer regarding your student friend who is going to Germany in March, but the whole thing about my former colleague's pin happened in the 1970's and he is long dead. I offered that account simply to illustrate that what one would assume to be obvious, is sometimes not so in reality. I'm surprised that the Germans are allowing such reltively open access to the former BDC files. When they were under US Army control, access was very narrowly limited to "legitimate" researchers, usually government associated. I was given access twice, once in the 80's and again in 1990. I assumed that the Germans, whose privacy laws are among the most stringent on the planet, would allow equally limited access to the files. Dwight

Dwight, the files may only be available for actual research, I don't know what they allow or don't. I read somewhere that students may search such files but to what extent, don't know. Someone who reads this may be able to offer more.

[drmessimer]

Green: When I went to the BDC in 1988 and again in 1990, I was a history professor at San Jose State University, which qualified me as a "legitimate" non-government researcher. I had to fill out a form describing my need for the research and the purpose. When I got there I went through two layers of armed security, and a reception desk where I had to produce more ID than one needs to board a plane today. Then I was taken into the basement where the files were stored and given a small table to use. Directly in front of me was a German woman who took my briefcase from me, provided me with writing paper and a pencil, and she kept a very close eye on me throughout my stay in the facility. Another staffer brought me one dossier at a time, and took it back when I signaled that I was done with it. I was never left alone in the room. When finished, I was led upstairs where my briefcase was retuned and my handwritten notes were examined and retuned to me. The tight security was probably due to the fact the the BDC sufferred a loss of many high-profile documents in the 1970's, many of which turned up on the collector's market in Europe and the US. I doubt that today's procedures are anything even approaching the security procedures as they were back then. But I'm pretty sure that the Germans will be careful to keep a sharp eye on who ever accesses the records. They might even limit access to microfilm copies rather than the originals, which would not be a bad thing and would prevent losses. But that's a guess. Dwight

[Greenhorn]

Dwight

Good Lord, that's stringent! Interesting too. I doubt my travelling student will have much access if things are nearly this tight. Reminds one of Area 51.