Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very nice German WWII Era Presentation "Table Medal", a large award usually displayed on a shelf or table, as the name implies. The award itself measures approximately 2 ⅞" wide by 2 ⅞" tall, and appears to be made from zinc alloy with a matte silver wash, now oxidized.

The obverse features a central raised Sturmabteilung (Storm Division) insignia, which shows an Eagle perched on top of the SA emblem. It looks like there is a "sun" behind the SA symbol, however close inspection it looks like it is actually the pedals of an Edelweiß flower. The top border of the medal has SA GRUPPE HOCHLAND, for the SA "Highlands" Group, a district in the far South German mountains, with the principal city being München (Munich). Under the insignia is the smaller text reading DER FÜHRER DER SA GRUPPE HOCHLAND (The Leader of the SA Group Highlands), who gave out the award.

On either side of the eagle is the date 22.-23. FEBR. 1941, and the left and right borders are marked with KRIEGSSKIMEISTERSCHAFTEN - GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, which translates to "Military Ski Championships, Garmisch-Partenkirchen". This is an award given out for participation in the competition that took place in the resort area of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Southern Bavaria during February 1941.

The rear of the medal is marked with FÜR MITARBEIT UND ZUR ERINNERUNG, which translates to “For Cooperation and as a memento”, so this was not given out to a prize winner, more as a sign of appreciation.

The SA had yearly sports competitions and other events, and medals such as these were given out yearly during the pre-war era. Once the war began, many of these events ceased. The table medal is in very good condition, with a lovely patina. 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.