Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very nice German Pre WWII Era Presentation paperweight, which features a lovely aluminum insignia attached to a gray marble base. We have seen "Table Medals" similar to this, but this is the first paperweight we have seen.

The obverse features an attached aluminum Sturmabteilung-Wehrmannschaft (Storm Division Military Team) insignia, showing the NSDAP Swas (hook cross) inside an oak leaf wreath, with a sword laying on top. This organization was the military training defense group of the SA and was formed in 1939. The purpose of this organization was to provide military training to SA members before and after their military service. By May, 1944, over 3 million Germans had participated in this program.

Surrounding the insignia in Latin style text is GRUPPE FRANKEN · 1938 · KAMPFTAGE DER SA -, which indicates that it was given in recognition of the Group Franconia 1938 Sports Competition. This was an SA district in west central Germany, with the principal cities being Nürnberg (Nuremberg) and Suhl.

The paperweight measures 3 ⅛"W x 2 ¼'H, and really looks great. The back has a paper label indicating the maker, as well as a message regarding how the marble color can vary between different examples. It is possible that this is some kind of sample that was sent out to the group before the final run was made. Definitely some nice research potential here!

The SA had yearly sports competitions and other events, and items such as these were given out yearly during the pre-war era. Once the war began, most of these events ceased.

The paperweight is in very good condition, with a lovely patina, and shows just a bit of chipping and damage on the corners. Ready research and display!

The S.A.-
The Sturmabteilung, literally Storm Detachment, was the NSDAP Party's original paramilitary. It played a significant role in Adolf AH's rise to power in the 1920s and 1930s. Its primary purposes were providing protection for NSDAP rallies and assemblies, disrupting the meetings of opposing parties, fighting against the paramilitary units of the opposing parties, especially the Red Front Fighters League (Rotfrontkämpferbund) of the Communist Party of Germany (KPD), and intimidating Romani, trade unionists, and, especially, Jews – for instance, during the NSDAP boycott of Jewish businesses.

The SA were also called the "Brownshirts" (Braunhemden) from the color of their uniform shirts, similar to Benito Mussolini's blackshirts. The SA developed pseudo-military titles for its members, with ranks that were later adopted by several other NSDAP Party groups, chief amongst them the Schutzstaffel (SS), which originated as a branch of the SA before being separated. Brown-colored shirts were chosen as the SA uniform because a large number of them were cheaply available after World War I, having originally been ordered during the war for colonial troops posted to Germany's former African colonies.

The SA became disempowered after Adolf AH ordered the "blood purge" of 1934. This event became known as the Night of the Long Knives (die Nacht der langen Messer). The SA continued to exist, but was effectively superseded by the SS, although it was not formally dissolved until after NSDAP Germany's final capitulation to the Allies in 1945.