Original Item: Only One Available.This is a very nice German WWII 1939 Kreissieger Abzeichen im Reichsberufswettkampf, or District Winner Badge in the National Vocational Competition, manufactured by Ferdinand Wagner of Pforzheim. This is the bronze-grade award presented at the Kreis, or district, level and features the distinctive combination of German Labor Front (DAF) and HJ symbolism associated with the competition.

The badge is an especially attractive design, constructed from bronzed Tombak with multicolored enamel work. A large spread-winged eagle dominates the obverse and is positioned across a circular white enamel field bordered by a detailed laurel wreath. Beneath the eagle is the cogwheel emblem associated with the German Labor Front, over which is mounted the familiar red, white, and black enameled HJ diamond.

The upper portion of the white enamel field is clearly marked:

KREISSIEGER

while the date is divided beneath the eagle: 1939

The raised bronze eagle remains particularly well defined, with strong feather, wing, and body detail. The surrounding laurel wreath likewise retains crisp definition. The white enamel background is substantially intact and remains quite attractive. The smaller HJ diamond retains particularly strong red and white enamel, with its stippled red fields and central black emblem still sharply presented.

The bronzed surfaces have developed a very pleasing untouched appearance with age. Considerable bronze coloration remains throughout the eagle, wreath, cogwheel, and reverse, accompanied by patination and small areas of oxidation in the recessed portions.

The reverse retains its vertical pinback assembly, consisting of a long tapered pin mounted to a barrel-style hinge and retained by the lower catch. The pin, hinge, and catch are all present. The reverse also retains a pleasing, even aged surface with scattered oxidation.

Most importantly, the center of the reverse is clearly manufacturer marked in two lines:

FERD. WAGNER
PFORZHEIM

This identifies the maker as Ferdinand Wagner of Pforzheim, a period German manufacturer known to collectors for its production of political and organizational badges and insignia.

The first Reichsberufswettkampf der deutschen Jugend was held in 1934 under the direction of the German Labor Front and Reich Youth leadership. The competition was part of a broader effort to organize vocational education and training within the National Socialist state. Apprentices and young workers competed in numerous professional and industrial fields, demonstrating their practical abilities as well as completing theoretical examinations.

Participation grew rapidly. Contemporary German government records indicate approximately 500,000 participants in 1934, increasing to more than one million by 1936 and approximately 1.8 million by 1937. By 1939, the competition had expanded to include millions of participants, including adults following the widening of eligibility during the late 1930s.

The DAF cogwheel represented the German Labor Front and organized working life, while the HJ diamond represented the youth organization that played a major role in vocational training and the early development of the competition. The prominent eagle and laurel wreath completed the official award design.

The regular Reichsberufswettkampf was discontinued with the beginning of WWII after the 1939 competition. A wartime form of vocational competition was later conducted under the Kriegsberufswettkampf program during the war.