SARGE Posted February 7, 2020 Share #1 Posted February 7, 2020 Gents, Between the wars there was a resurgence of the German interest in physical fitness and sport competition that continued the tradition of the German Turner groups that had been around since the 1800s. There were a variety of sports club awards, state awards and national awards for meeting certain physical fitness goals and winning various sporting contests. Let's look at a few. First, there were various portable and non-portable German awards for sporting competitions. Some were in the form of medals or plaques and some were simply prizes such as bottles of wine or cigarette boxes. Not necessarily the healthiest prizes in retrospect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRA227 Posted February 8, 2020 Share #2 Posted February 8, 2020 Nice. Rich A. in Pa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted February 8, 2020 Author Share #3 Posted February 8, 2020 The German Police were heavily involved in physical fitness and produced sporting events such as motorcycle rallies, military shooting and obstacle events such as the Hindernslauf (won by the recipient of the silver cigarette box shown above). They even fielded football teams and had cigarette trading cards for their players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted February 10, 2020 Author Share #4 Posted February 10, 2020 Second, there were the National Sport Badges that were worn on both civil and military uniforms. The first of these pin back awards issued by the German National Committee for Physical Training was the "DRA" (Deutscher Reichs-Ausschluss) Sports Badge. They were first instituted for men in two classes (bronze and gold) around 1920. They were also produced in silver after 1920 and women became eligible in 1921. These badges had no swastika and were issued until they were replaced with the similar "DRL" badge in 1933. The recipient had to pass a national physical fitness test under supervision and receive a certificate showing completion of the required tests within a twelve month period in order to wear the badge. Notice that the pin has been period replaced during the time of wear on the bronze version of the badge shown below. Also notice that the patent numbers, from the same maker, are different on the bronze and silver versions of the badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRA227 Posted February 11, 2020 Share #5 Posted February 11, 2020 Nice stuff. Rich A. in Pa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted February 12, 2020 Author Share #6 Posted February 12, 2020 Thanks Rich. Here is an example of the "DRL" badge made by the same maker as the DRA badges shown above. These were issued by the Deutscher Reichsbund fur Leibesubungen (German National Organization for Physical Training) in gold, silver, and bronze with the same award criteria. Early badges had no swastika and those awarded after 1937 had a swastika at the bottom of the oak leaf wreath. A new grade of the DRL Award for war wounded athletes was produced after 1942 that had silver letters inside the gilt finished wreath. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed101 Posted February 12, 2020 Share #7 Posted February 12, 2020 DRL Qualification Booklet. It has a cardstock cover, is 5&1/2 by 8&3/4 inches, 16 interior pages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed101 Posted February 12, 2020 Share #8 Posted February 12, 2020 More. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed101 Posted February 12, 2020 Share #9 Posted February 12, 2020 more... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ed101 Posted February 13, 2020 Share #10 Posted February 13, 2020 I took the liberty of posting this sailing award. German Sailing Honor Prize, a bronze plaque for attachment to a wooden base. This would have been engraved/inscribed to the winner of the competition. It is about 2.5 inches wide and 2.75 inches tall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakkasan187 Posted February 13, 2020 Share #11 Posted February 13, 2020 Sarge, Great information.. When I was stationed in Berlin in the 80's, my unit was given the opportunity to test for the German Sports Badge with the Polizei.. We were awarded the post war example of the German Sports badge., the cloth patch and the stick pin. Will have to take some pictures and post them.. Leigh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted February 13, 2020 Author Share #12 Posted February 13, 2020 Ed, That is a great example of the DRL Qualification Booklet. Thanks for showing it! An interesting thing about this award is that after 1945 you could get a replacement DRL badge, without the swastika, if you could show this qualification booklet that entitled you to wear such a badge. So, one must look closely at these DRL badges without a swastika to see if they are pre-war or post-war versions. When the makers cleaned up the dies to remake them after the war they removed almost all of the swastika except the tip of the top arm. The postwar versions have a little triangle of metal that is visible at the top of the ribbon on the bottom of the oak leaf wreath that indicates the die was remade for the postwar version. Not a fake mind you but simply a postwar version of this sports badge. Leigh, I would love to see your version of the Sports Badge. There were several postwar versions issued by both individual states and a national version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRA227 Posted February 14, 2020 Share #13 Posted February 14, 2020 More nice stuff. Rich A. in Pa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakkasan187 Posted February 14, 2020 Share #14 Posted February 14, 2020 Sarge, Per your request. My German Sports Badge.. When I get home I will take pictures of the stick pin and BEVO patch. This was another badge that I was awarded while stationed in Berlin in the 80's. The German Sports Badge can trace it's history back to before the second world war.After World War II, the German Sports Badge was continued as a federal decoration in West Germany and continued in this status after the German reunification. Today, the German Sports Badge is a civilian decoration but it can be worn as an official award of the Bundeswehr, as well as law enforcement and emergency services. The German Sports Badge is also an entry requirement for certain German Police services.My unit had the opportunity to participate with the Polizei academy located in Berlin,Germany in doing the sporting events to become eligible to be awarded the German Sports Badge. There were several events that we had to complete to include a swimming event, several track and field events to include shot put, high jump, long jump and several distance runs to include 800 meter, 2000, 3000 and 5000 meter runs. After completion of the events we were awarded the German Sports Badge. It was not authorized for wear on the Army uniform but it was a great opportunity to train with the German Police (Polizei). The Polizei academy (Main Berlin Police Barracks) just happened to be located next to Ruhleben Fighting City, a mock city used by British, French and US forces for Combat in Cities training..In addition to the metal badge, we were also given the stickpin version and a BEVO weave cloth patch. We never did receive our Certificates though...and I believe it was because we were never authorized to wear this particular badge...Here are some pictures of the metal sports badge.. Leigh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rakkasan187 Posted February 14, 2020 Share #15 Posted February 14, 2020 Here is the back side of the badge.. Very similar to WW2 era Third Reich award clasps.. Leigh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted February 14, 2020 Author Share #16 Posted February 14, 2020 Leigh, Thanks for posting your "DSB" (Deutscher Sport Bund) badge. An excellent write up on award criteria, etc. as well. I am very familiar with the Berlin Police Academy. I was in Berlin just after the fall of the wall and did a ride-along with some Berlin Policemen that included the academy. I remember at that time they had inherited some DDR Volkspolizei Trabant police cars that the West German cops would not drive. They made the students drive them and the sooner they beat them up and could get rid of them the better. Anyway, here are some photos of this postwar national sports badge in wear. Notice these Niedersachsen Polizei wearing a DSB badge and a "DLRG" LIfe Saving badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted February 15, 2020 Author Share #17 Posted February 15, 2020 Since I showed an Assmann made example of the DLRG badge I thought I would show an example of the paperwork that went along with the badge in 1931. This fellow earned his DLRG (Deutsche Lebens-Rettungs-Gesellschaft) water life saving badge while attending the Police Academy in Bonn on 26 August 1931. This is another example of a badge that outlived issue before and during the war into the postwar period. A scarce badge for one who must be competent in water lifesaving techniques. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRA227 Posted February 15, 2020 Share #18 Posted February 15, 2020 Nice stuff. Rich a. in Pa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share #19 Posted February 16, 2020 There was also a SA Sports Badge that could be awarded to SA and SS members that was instituted by Ernst Rohm on 28 November 1933. There are several versions of this badge but they all consisted of a sword and swastika within a wreath of oak leaves. From 1934 to 1935 the reverse of the badge indicated "Eigentum des Chefs des Ausbildungswesens" or property of the head of physical conditioning. After 15 January 1935 the badge came in bronze, silver, or gold and the reverse indicated "Eigentum der SA-Sportabzeichen Hauptstelle" or property of the SA sport badge office. The official title was changed from SA-Sportabzeichen to SA-Wehrabzeichen or from a simple sports badge to a military defense sports badge. Once again the reverse of the badge wording was changed to "Eigentum der Obersten SA-Fuhrung" or property of the SA Supreme Command after 1939. Early badges were serial numbered and the property of the SA rather than the individual. There was also a version of the badge for War Wounded after 1943. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted February 16, 2020 Author Share #20 Posted February 16, 2020 Each SA Sports badge was authorized with a certificate and a booklet indicating the class of badge awarded as well as detailing the required criteria and re-certification tests. The "Urkunde" certificate was inside the hard bound booklet. Notice that this particular booklet indicates the badge holder had one serial number crossed out and a new numbered badge was awarded. We don't know if he lost his original badge and was issued another one or if he failed a test and his original award was cancelled and perhaps he subsequently received another badge. Interesting none the less. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRA227 Posted February 16, 2020 Share #21 Posted February 16, 2020 Nice uniform and awards. Rich A. in Pa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proud Kraut Posted February 17, 2020 Share #22 Posted February 17, 2020 Excellent thread! A little bit off-topic but since other post war DSB awards were posted before I'm adding some DSB and DRK cloth insignia for wear on the sports dress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted February 17, 2020 Author Share #23 Posted February 17, 2020 Thanks for showing the cloth awards. These cloth versions existed before 1945 as well. Here is one more interesting postwar Sports Award in the form of the "SLA" badge in silver grade. The SLA badge was the Bavarian "Sport-Liestungs Abzeichen" created for Bavaria. It was issued by the Bayerischer Landes-Sporterverband but was superseded by the national DSB badge and is no longer awarded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RRA227 Posted February 17, 2020 Share #24 Posted February 17, 2020 Nice awards. Rich A. in Pa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SARGE Posted February 25, 2020 Author Share #25 Posted February 25, 2020 I forgot to show an example of the circa 1942 War Wounded DRL badge so here it is. Silver letters inside a gilt wreath for this very scarce badge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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