Article about: Hi, I have this badge on the way, a commemorative badge from an annual meeting/ conference of the Gau "Koblenz-Trier" of the NSDAP, made in cast aluminium, with IMHO an Art-Deco lo
Hi, I have this badge on the way, a commemorative badge from an annual meeting/ conference of the Gau "Koblenz-Trier" of the NSDAP, made in cast aluminium, with IMHO an Art-Deco look to the design.
This Gau was later renamed "Gau Moselland" in January 1941 when it attempted to absorb Luxembourg into the Reich through a 'Germanisation' policy. Gustav Simon was the Gauleiter throughout, and is reported to have hung himself in prison after his capture in December 1945, though other accounts suggest that he was executed whilst being transported to Luxembourg to stand trial there.
These badges can also be found in stamped tombak, and a 'deluxe' version possibly for higher ranking attendees of this particular event. It is maker marked "Entw. R. Kastner - Robinson". I believe that Entw. is an abbreviation for Entwurf (Design - i.e R. Kastner) and that the maker is the not so German sounding Robinson.
The "Thing" had it's origins in an ancient Germanic/ Norse word for a meeting / get-together. The 'Thing' movement:-
and pre-dated the National Socialists but was adopted by them when they came to power. In essence it was about outdoor 'Volk' bonding get-togethers, sometimes involving sport or theatre, with exposure to the elements/ fresh air. Huge outdoor amphitheaters in the ancient Greek / Roman style were built to accommodate this newly adopted fad. 400 were planned but only 50 were completed in a rapid building project.
The movement was not a success and Joseph Goebbels became so disillusioned with the concept that he had banned the use of the word by the fall of 1935... Goebbels felt that the concept was not 'reaching the masses' effectively and had turned his attention to radio and film etc. The 1935 Koblenz 'Thing' commemorated by this badge was the first and the last of it's kind. Many of the facilities built were re-purposed for outdoor theatres or May-Day celebrations etc, and some are still in use today.
The traditionally Oval shaped 'Thingstätte' for this event was built in front of the Kurfürstliches Schloss in Koblenz.
It was a remarkable structure built at great cost and effort in 1934, inaugurated on 24th March 1935. The oval Thingplatz at the Electoral Palace (Kurfürstliches Schloss) comprised 16,000 terraced basalt columns and could accommodate 20,000 people. The area around the Thingplatz could hold another 80,000 people. A crypt was built at one end in which an eternal fire burned in a basalt block. Dramatic stuff!
In 1944 it was largely destroyed in a bombing raid and infilled with rubble. There is no trace of it today, although similar Thing structures survive today in other German towns, there is even one in Berlin, and it is still in use.
I hope the badge looks OK!
Regards, Paul
(Pictures courtesy of the seller - Mario Hiscoll.)
A rare picture of this one-off 1935 event in Koblenz.
Also a picture of the bomb damaged Palace (top left of the picture, taken in 1945), the oval shaped remains of the Thingstätte (Thing Place) can be seen in front of the building.
By literally the following year it was used for May-Day celebrations etc, the short lived 'Thing' was a Thing of the past!
The Berlin venue (now renamed the Waldbühne), pictured in 2022 and still very much in use, shown about half way down with a period comparison in black and white. This particular venue was re-purposed for the 1936 Olympics after the Thing movement fell out of favour.
I knew nothing about the 'Thing Movement' until I researched this badge, the material objects bringing history to life, and what I like about this fascinating hobby!
Looking again at Gwar's photo, it does seem that the outdoor meeting space has all the appearances of a 'Thing' but there is no mention of Thing anywhere on it. The build began in 1934 at what would have been the height of the Thing's popularity, but was finished in 1936 when the concept had been abandoned by the German leadership (Goebbels was in charge of the scheme), and as I read elsewhere (on a German history site I think), he had even banned the use of the word Thing by the Fall (Autumn) of 1935!
Almost amusingly, one of the problems was the weather, e.g people being less than enthusiastic about listening to German Folk poetry etc in cold drizzling rain, hence it was not serving it's function of bringing the People / Volk together! I suspect that Goebbels was a pragmatist and saw it as a distraction from his aim of winning over the population to the relatively new National Socialist government using the best, and most effective means of disseminating Propaganda, i.e the more modern radio and film. I think the early years of Hitler's regime were likely filled with paranoia about counter-revolutions/ Army coups and so on, that could best be countered by increasing their popularity among the mass of the people, and they probably didn't have time to waste on schemes that were not deemed to be successful.
Nevertheless, I find the Thing Movement quite intriguing and will try to learn more about it in the future.
Hi Glenn,
I think it's the same one as pictured above (2nd and 3rd pictures), interesting trip you had. Heidelberg was the premier site, and a model for others to follow, and Goebbel's himself opened it. He was a student in Heidelberg and it was a 'favoured' town of his. However, as I understand it, like the Koblenz Thingstätte it was also massively over budget, took longer than expected to complete and distracted RAD (Reichsarbeitsdienst / Reich Labour Service) workers from other projects. Shortly after completion:-
"the name “Thingstätte Heidelberg” was changed to “Feierstätte Heiligenberg” by decree" - (Heiligenberg celebration site)
as the Thing Movement popularity waned, possibly as it was consuming too much time and vital resources. It's now a protected monument.
NSDAP Veranstaltungsabzeichen / Event badge - "Gau. Thing Koblenz-Trier 22-23 Juni 1935"
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