Werkfrauengruppe cufftitle

[WWIIBUFF]

I couldn't find anything on this cuff title and I would like some opinions on it
Thanks
John

[Neil Hever]

Not much out there. There was a group formed in 1933 called Werkfrauen. I found this poster - it reads something like "In every trade - women factory groups." NH

[HPL2008]

Werk and Betrieb both mean factory or plant, with additional possible translations for Betrieb being enterprise, company, shop etc.; Frauen are, of course, women.

The text on the poster roughly translates as "A factory women's group in every business".

The Werkfrauengruppen were formed in 1936 by the Frauenamt der DAF [Women's Office of the German Labor Front]. These were groups of female DAF activists in individual businesses and as such something like the female equivalent to the male Werkscharen. The focus of their work was to be in the field of cultural and social activities (mostly after-work) for their respective company's employees, the aim being to further a sense of community and comradeship within the workforce. They were also in engaged in more general (non-factory-specific) activites like sending gift parcels to soldiers at the frontline etc.

In a speech at the 1937 Reichsparteitag, Reichsfrauenführerin Gertrud Scholz-Klink elobarated:

[...] 22.000 Jungarbeiterinnen über 21 Jahre haben wir im letzten Jahr in Werkfrauengruppen zusammengeschlossen. Sie sollen ihren Kameradinnen in festlichen Tagen des Betriebs Stunden der Gemeinschaft verschönern, in schweren Tagen dem Betrieb Halt und Stützte sein - immer aber die Brücken weiter schlagen zu allen übrigen Frauen der Nation und zu den gemeinsamen volkverpflichtenden Aufgaben."

([...] last year, we have united 22,000 young female laborers over 21 years of age in the Werkfrauengruppen. In festive days for the company, they are to make the hours of community more beautiful, in hard days, they are to be a support and pillar for the company - however, at all times, they are to keep building the bridges to all other women of the nation and to the people's binding communal duties.")

As far as I know (and I will gladly stand corrected here) nothing is known about the exact purpose of this cuff title.

The Werkfrauengruppen were not uniformed in the sense of the term, although the wearing of a more or less identical clothing ["Gleichtracht"] within a business was encouraged. However, this was to be of a clearly civilian nature ["rein zivilen Charakter"], so it would be a bit odd to adorn that with a cuff title. (Perhaps it was intended for a uniform that was never implemented or worn by personnel authorized to wear a political uniform - such as that of the NS-Frauenschaft - if they were also involved in the Werkfrauengruppen?)

The cuff title's blue borders appear to signify a duty assignment at local level.

(By the way, this thread should be in the "Non-Combat Uniforms" sub-forum; this is clearly not a decoration.)

[Adrian Stevenson]

I have moved this thread to the correct forum.

Good original item.

Cheers, Ade.