Original Item. Only One Available. This is an interesting collection of German political, organizational, and commemorative badges, commonly referred to as tinnies, dating primarily from the pre-WWII Third Reich period. The assortment covers a range of subjects, including NSDAP political rallies, regional gatherings, labor celebrations, youth competitions, sporting events, charitable fundraising, and local associations. The dated pieces span 1934 through 1939.

The badges display a variety of designs and construction methods, including circular, oval, shield-shaped, rectangular, and openwork forms. Most are made from stamped or cast metal, with silver-colored, bronze-colored, and gold-colored finishes. Several incorporate enamel, paint, or molded materials. Their designs include political emblems, regional heraldry, industrial and agricultural symbols, portraits, and architectural subjects.

The collection includes the following:

1936 Reichsparteitag Commemorative Badge: Circular silver-colored badge commemorating the 1936 Reich Party Rally in Nuremberg. The obverse depicts three standing figures holding shields beneath the German national eagle, with the inscription REICHSPARTEITAG and the date 1936.
1936 Tag der Arbeit Badge: Oval silver-colored May Day commemorative badge depicting a handshake beneath the inscription TAG DER ARBEIT, or "Day of Labor." The design incorporates industrial and agricultural imagery associated with the annual national labor celebration.
1936 May Day Commemorative Badge: Circular light-colored metal badge dated 1. MAI 1936. The design incorporates agricultural and industrial motifs, including machinery and tools, representing the importance placed on labor and production.
1937 Founding Anniversary Badge: Elaborate shield-shaped commemorative badge bearing the dates 1897-1937, a prominent 20 JHR device, and an inscription reading in part ERINNERUNG A. D. GRÜNDUNGSTAG. The lower portion identifies Kempten, Lindau, and Landsberg. The exact organization commemorated remains unidentified.
1935 Gau Westfalen-Nord Rally Badge: Large shield-shaped badge featuring the Westphalian horse beneath a swas., with the inscription GAUTREFFEN GAU WESTFALEN-NORD. The badge commemorates the regional gathering held July 5-7, 1935.
1937-1938 Gau Düsseldorf WHW Badge: Small rectangular shield-shaped badge featuring a burning flame beneath the inscription UNSER OPFER, meaning "Our Sacrifice." The lower portion bears GAU DÜSSELDORF and 1937 WHW 1938, identifying the Winterhilfswerk fundraising campaign.
1934 NSBO Schwäbisch Hall Labor Rally Badge: Distinctive industrial-themed badge commemorating an Arbeitsfront Kundgebung, or Labor Front rally, held at Schwäbisch Hall on May 13, 1934. Its openwork design incorporates a gearwheel, hammer, and the NSBO abbreviation.
1939 NSRL Gau XII Hessen Heiligenbergfest Badge: Circular bronze-colored commemorative badge inscribed NSRL GAU XII HESSEN HEILIGENBERGFEST 1939. The design depicts a monumental structure and steps, commemorating a regional sporting festival organized under the Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen.
1936 Öhringen Liederfest Badge: Rectangular bronze-colored badge depicting a historic building above a heraldic shield. The inscription includes LIEDERFEST, Öhringen, and the dates 1912 and 1936, identifying a local singing festival or commemorative gathering.
1935 HJ / DAF Reichsberufswettkampf Badge: Shield-shaped bronze-colored commemorative badge associated with the Reichsberufswettkampf der deutschen Jugend, or Reich Vocational Competition of German Youth. It incorporates the HJ diamond, industrial symbolism, oak leaves, and the date 1935.
AH Portrait Badge: Circular gold-colored badge depicting the left-facing portrait of AH, surrounded by the political slogan EIN VOLK EIN REICH EIN FÜHRER, meaning "One People, One Reich, One Leader."
Second AH Portrait Badge: Another circular gold-colored portrait badge bearing the same slogan, with its own aged surface appearance and pin attachment.
1936 Freiheit und Brot Badge: Small circular bronze-colored commemorative badge inscribed FREIHEIT UND BROT, meaning "Freedom and Bread," and dated March 29, 1936. The lower portion incorporates an oak-leaf motif. The date corresponds to the Reichstag election and political referendum held following the German reoccupation of the Rhineland.
Eisenbahn-Verein Scherfede Membership Badge: Small circular enameled badge featuring black, white, and gold-colored decoration, with the inscription EISENBAHN-VEREIN SCHERFEDE around a central railway emblem. It identifies a local railway association.
Aviation-Themed Badge: Circular openwork metal badge displaying a single-engine aircraft within a narrow outer ring. Its precise issuing organization and intended purpose remain unidentified.
Agricultural and Political Emblem Badge: Circular bronze-colored badge displaying a central swas. framed by ears of grain. The design incorporates agricultural imagery with the national political emblem.
Hauptversammlung Commemorative Badge: Shield-shaped metal badge depicting a historic building with additional architectural and decorative details. Its inscription includes HAUPTVERSAMMLUNG, indicating an annual general meeting or formal organizational gathering. The complete inscription and sponsoring organization remain unidentified.
1935 Gau Westfalen-Nord Commemorative Badge: Large pale-colored shield-shaped badge displaying the Westphalian horse beneath a geometric emblem, with floral ornaments and an inscription commemorating the regional gathering of July 5-7, 1935.
1936 Reichsparteitag Shield Badge: Elongated silver-colored badge featuring architectural imagery, a large central political emblem, and the inscription REICHSPARTEITAG. Its design incorporates the date 1936.
1935 Shield-Shaped Commemorative Badge: Silver-colored shield-shaped badge bearing the date 1935 above a detailed central composition with political and decorative elements. The partially legible surrounding inscription indicates an organized gathering, although its precise identification remains open.
Political Flag Badge: Small flag-shaped badge with a red field, dark border, and prominent central swas. It retains a separately fitted metal flagpole and attachment hardware.
Wir Danken Unserm Führer Badge: Pale green molded commemorative badge bearing the inscription WIR DANKEN UNSERM FÜHRER, meaning "We Thank Our Leader." The design incorporates an outline resembling a regional map, together with decorative relief.
Political and Organizational Emblem Badge: Large circular bronze-colored badge displaying a central swas. above a stylized agricultural motif. Its plain outer border and raised central design give it a simple, distinctive appearance.

The group is accompanied by a detached metal pin fitting.

Several badges retain manufacturer markings, including A. RETTENMAIER, SCHW. GMÜND; B. H. MAYER, PFORZHEIM; and M.O.S. One badge also retains a small paper manufacturer's label for DESCHLER U. SOHN, MÜNCHEN 9. The reverse sides display a variety of period attachment arrangements, including horizontal safety pins, long straight pins, and separately applied fittings.

The collection is in good overall condition, with varying degrees of age toning, patination, surface oxidation, and normal handling wear. Many pieces retain clearly defined relief and substantial portions of their original finishes. The architectural Hauptversammlung badge shows more pronounced oxidation and surface deterioration, while the pale-colored Westfalen-Nord shield and molded green badge exhibit noticeable discoloration and staining. The enameled railway association badge remains particularly well preserved. Attachment fittings vary in condition, and a detached pin component is included with the group.

Historical Context

Commemorative badges were widely produced in Germany during the 1930s for political assemblies, organizational meetings, public festivals, and charitable campaigns. Known in German as Veranstaltungsabzeichen or Tagungsabzeichen, these inexpensive souvenirs were generally intended for participants, members, and supporters of particular events. Their inscriptions frequently recorded the date, location, or sponsoring organization, while their designs incorporated political emblems, traditional occupations, historic buildings, and regional symbols.

The practice of issuing such badges was well established before the Third Reich, particularly among German veterans' associations, sporting societies, singing clubs, and other civic organizations. After the NSDAP came to power in 1933, political gatherings and mass celebrations became increasingly prominent features of public life, expanding the demand for commemorative insignia. Many of these badges were sold at events or distributed through the sponsoring organizations, providing participants with a recognizable reminder of the occasion.

The annual Reichsparteitage, or Reich Party Rallies, were among the most elaborate propaganda events organized by the NSDAP. Held in Nuremberg from 1933 through 1938, these gatherings brought together Party members and affiliated organizations for speeches, ceremonies, parades, and carefully orchestrated mass demonstrations. Each annual rally received an official theme reflecting the regime's political priorities. The 1936 gathering was named the Reichsparteitag der Ehre, or Rally of Honor, a reference to the German reoccupation of the Rhineland earlier that year. Held from September 8 to 14, the event was used to promote the regime's claims of restored national prestige and political unity.

The NSDAP also organized numerous gatherings at the regional level. Germany was divided into Party administrative districts known as Gaue, each headed by a Gauleiter. These districts coordinated political activities and organized their own rallies, anniversaries, and public celebrations. Regional gatherings provided opportunities to mobilize local Party members while reinforcing their connection with the national organization. Commemorative badges frequently incorporated traditional heraldry, local monuments, and symbols associated with the host district. The Westphalian horse, for instance, was a long-established heraldic emblem closely connected with the historical identity of Westphalia.

German labor organizations underwent extensive reorganization following the NSDAP's rise to power. The Nationalsozialistische Betriebszellenorganisation (NSBO), founded in 1928, had been established to promote Party influence among industrial workers and within individual workplaces. On May 2, 1933, independent German trade unions were suppressed and their assets seized. The Deutsche Arbeitsfront (DAF), or German Labor Front, was established shortly afterward under Robert Ley, becoming the principal organization through which the regime sought to control workers and employers. The NSBO initially continued to operate within this changing structure, although its independent importance declined as the DAF consolidated authority. By 1935, it had been absorbed into the larger labor organization.

Public labor rallies were important instruments of this transition. They combined speeches, organizational ceremonies, and political propaganda with imagery emphasizing the importance of industrial and agricultural work. Hammers, gearwheels, spades, and ears of grain became prominent symbols of the regime's concept of labor as service to the nation. Such imagery was widely incorporated into organizational insignia and commemorative badges, particularly during the early years of the DAF.

May Day underwent a similar political transformation. Traditionally associated with the international labor movement, May 1 was declared a national public holiday by the German government in 1933. Under the designation Tag der nationalen Arbeit, or Day of National Labor, it became an annual celebration organized around mass demonstrations, parades, and political speeches. The holiday promoted the concept of a unified national workforce, bringing farmers, industrial workers, and employers together under the authority of the regime. Annual commemorative badges formed part of these celebrations, often combining industrial machinery, agricultural implements, and national symbols.

The Reichsberufswettkampf der deutschen Jugend, or Reich Vocational Competition of German Youth, was established in 1934 as a nationwide program intended to encourage occupational training and recognize young workers' practical abilities. Organized through cooperation between the HJ and the DAF, the competition involved young people working in industrial, commercial, agricultural, and craft occupations. Participants were assessed through vocational exercises and examinations, with successful competitors advancing through local and regional stages toward national recognition. The program combined practical occupational assessment with political education, promoting professional achievement as a contribution to the national community. Its commemorative insignia incorporated the symbols of the sponsoring organizations alongside imagery associated with work, craftsmanship, and technical skill.

Another important feature of German public life was the Winterhilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes (WHW), or Winter Relief Organization, established in 1933 to coordinate seasonal charitable collections for people experiencing poverty and economic hardship. Its campaigns were conducted primarily during the colder months and involved collecting money, clothing, food, and fuel. The organization became closely connected with the Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt (NSV), which oversaw much of the regime's welfare activity. Public collections took place in streets, workplaces, and residential neighborhoods, often accompanied by political appeals emphasizing sacrifice and participation in the national community.

Commemorative donation badges became one of the most recognizable features of these fundraising campaigns. Produced in numerous materials, including metal, wood, glass, ceramic, and molded compositions, they were distributed in connection with contributions and were often worn to indicate participation in a particular collection. Some campaigns featured themes drawn from German history, regional traditions, occupations, and folklore, while others incorporated political emblems and slogans. The practice created considerable demand for inexpensive commemorative objects and involved numerous manufacturers throughout Germany.

Organized sport also came under increasing political control after 1933. German sporting associations were progressively brought under centralized national organizations, with physical training promoted as an important component of education, public health, and preparation for military service. The Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen (DRL), or German Reich League for Physical Exercise, was established in 1934 to coordinate the country's sporting organizations. On December 21, 1938, it was renamed the Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen (NSRL) and formally incorporated into the NSDAP organizational structure.

Regional sporting gatherings continued under this centralized system, often retaining their traditional names and local associations. The Heiligenbergfest belonged to this tradition of regional sporting festivals, combining organized physical competitions with public ceremonies and social activities. Such events preserved elements of Germany's older gymnastics and sporting culture while operating within the political framework of the late 1930s.

Alongside national political organizations, Germany retained a wide variety of local societies devoted to music, transport, professional activities, and regional traditions. Singing festivals, railway association meetings, and local anniversaries continued to generate commemorative insignia, often placing greater emphasis on the sponsoring association or host town than on national political symbolism. Architectural illustrations, railway emblems, heraldic shields, and anniversary inscriptions identified the events concerned. These badges preserve details of local civic and cultural life during a period when many traditional associations were increasingly subject to political supervision.

The extensive production of commemorative badges supported an established German medal and metalware industry. Manufacturing centers such as Pforzheim, Lüdenscheid, Munich, and Schwäbisch Gmünd were particularly important in the production of stamped metal goods, badges, medals, and uniform insignia. Manufacturers employed a variety of techniques, including die stamping, casting, enameling, and the application of colored finishes. Small commemorative pieces could be produced economically in substantial quantities, making them practical souvenirs for organizations with large memberships or limited budgets. Many firms applied their names, trademarks, or abbreviated manufacturer codes to the reverse, leaving useful evidence of the businesses responsible for the wide range of badges manufactured during the period.