WWII GERMAN BADGE - RED CROSS BADGE -
The German Red Cross (Deutsches Rotes Kreuz), or the DRK, is the national Red Cross Society in Germany.
Instituted in 1864 by Dr. Aaron Silverman of the Charité hospital of Berlin, the German Red Cross was a voluntary civil assistance organization that was officially acknowledged by the Geneva Convention in 1929.
Following Hitler's takeover of the government in Germany in 1933, the National Socialist Party moved to control the Red Cross as well. Thus the DRK became a legally recognized organization of the NSDAP in December 1937. Finally, at the end of 1938 the German Red Cross officially came under the control of the Nazi Party under the Ministry of the Interior's Social Welfare Organization, becoming de facto a Nazi entity.
After Nazi Germany's defeat in World War II, the American Military Government issued a special law outlawing the Nazi party and all of its branches. Known as "Law number five", this Denazification decree disbanded the DRK, like all organizations linked to the Nazi Party. Social welfare organizations, including the German Red Cross, had to be established anew during the postwar reconstruction of both West Germany and the DDR.
The item featured here is a WWII German Red Cross badge. The design consists of a circular structure with
an enamel front. Two circles, one inside the other, where the outer circle is black and has silver letters
scrolled along the perimeter that read "Helferin Deutsches Rotes Kreuz", which translates to.
"Aid German red Cross". The inner circle is whita and displays a red cross.
Pin back construction. Brass thin pin placed in a horinzontal direction.
The back has the manufacturer markings (F & R) as well as the words Ges Gesch.
This page is a recognition and identification guide for WWII German award and membership pins. Multiple
detailed photos of a specific sample are provided. Descriptions point out clearly defined points
that should be noted.
One of the most commonly asked questions is "How much is my WWII German pin?". A price
guide is included here to address this question. The value of the medals and awards is reviewed
over a period of several years. A trend can be observed. The present worth of the German
medals in the collector's market is illustrated.
This service is provided free of charge to the visitor/enthusiast courtesy of
MilitaryItems.com,
a company dedicated to the preservation of military history and to providing quality military
antiques and collectibles to museums, institutions and the general public.
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WE BUY German German membership, Nazi Party pins and related items - All types of WWII German pins. Whether it is for
fire department, police. civil defense, Nazi party or any military organization.
The process gets started by you sending us an
Email .
We will respond to your inquiry normally within 24 hours and in many cases much faster.
We can tell you what you have, what it is worth and how much we can pay you.
One item or an entire collection -
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Collecting Third Reich Membership Pins
Collecting Third Reich memorabilia is a field that has been growing since the days the GI's rummaged around Europe
bringing back military souvenirs. German soldiers wore many of their awards on their uniforms when they went to
battle. Once the soldier was killed or captured, the American soldiers would take the awards as war trophies.
Eventually all these pieces came back to the United States where military history enthusiasts began to collect them.
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In trying to determine if you should collect WWII German membership pins there are certain factors that should be
considered.
The adjacent table outlines some of the advantages and disadvantages of collecting the WWII German membership pins.
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This award is currently being
reproduced.
It is becoming more difficult to be able to tell the fake ones from the real ones because the quality
of the reproductions is improving. The collector must become familiarized with the construction style
and materials employed in the manufacturing of this badge. Attention to the details is critical in
order to be able to determine the authenticity of the badge.
If you have an interest is seeing other badges and awards of the Third Reich, you can do so by going
to our
WWII German Badges and Awards
identification guide. Where we cover Heer (Army), Navy (Kriegsmarine) and
Air Force (Luftwaffe) items.
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