Aluminium W.H.W. ('Winterhilfswerke'-) related badge "Der Führer ruft zum W.H.W. - 1935-36" with flame image.

[PaulW]

Hi, i have this badge coming to me, inscribed "Der Führer ruft zum W.H.W. - 1935-36" ("The Leader calls to the WHW"). I quite liked the flame design and overall quality of this one, plus I prefer them if maker marked and not zinc. It doesn't have any event location information however.

The maker details are "Lauer - Nürnbg.-Berlin" - an abbreviation for Nürnberg (sometimes seen as "L.Chr. Lauer Nürnberg-Berlin" on other various badges and awards in the period - i.e "Ludwig Christoph Lauer"), as this company had 2 offices / outlets. (Ludwig Christoph Lauer was the company name, he was long dead at the time of this badge's production.)

Some history on this company (translated from a German website):- (Munzprageanstalt L. Chr. Lauer :: museum-digital:deutschland)

"Nuremberg Mint 19th/20th Century - Ernst Ludwig Siegmund Lauer (1762-1845) founded the minting company "Nürnberger Medaillenmünze" in Nuremberg - Kleinweidenmühle 12 in 1790.
Ludwig Christoph Lauer (1817-1873) took over the Nuremberg medal coin from his father Johann Jakob Lauer (1790-1865) and founded the L.Chr.Lauer mint in 1860, which was continued by his three sons Johann, Ludwig and Wolfgang (1856-1915). Later also with a branch in Berlin. The company achieved its largest and most extensive production under Ludwig and Wolfgang. In addition to the embossing shop, the individual departments included a belt shop, a mechanical workshop and the enameling, modeling and engraving workshop. In addition to medals, plaques and coins, orders and club badges were also produced. Thousands of tokens, stamps and medals come from the Lauer Mint, the latter mainly on historical occasions. Medals were also made for historically and contemporary significant personalities. The company archives were destroyed during the war in 1945. Only some of the stamps could be recovered from the rubble. In 1982 the limited partnership was transformed into the sole proprietorship L. Chr. Lauer, owner Gert Rockstroh, Freiliggrathstr. 9-19 in Nuremberg."


Perhaps this was simply a generic badge offered nationally in the winter of 1935-36, or referred to a specific event at which Hitler addressed a WHW rally?

Hitler did speak at specific large WHW rallies, here is one the following winter 1936-37:- (Adolf Hitler speaks to a Nazi rally - Goebbels and Goering are on the platform - British Pathe News)

(NAZI RALLY - WINTER 1936) - British Pathe

(Some undated pictures of the Lauer workshops in Nürnberg, likely pre-1945.)

Hopefully the badge looks OK!

Regards, Paul

(Pictures courtesy of the seller - Mario Hiscoll.)