Were these ever made or are they a fantasy badge?
SSman
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SSman

Hello,
I could be wrong but I think I have read on various forums that these badges are considered fantasy items by the majority of collectors. I have a badge like this,I believe they popped up around the 80's sometime, which if memory serves me correct is about when I picked up mine. I think there is a whole series of enamelled badges that are considered bogus, to include the HJ Nesselwang ski badge and red cross alpine rescue. Would like to hear any other info regarding these items and where and when they came on market.
Duzig(Bill)

Duzig. I did a google search on this badge and according to some dealers these badges were issued during some student games in Vienna in 1939! I have seen a couple of these before but never owned one. I seen a bunch of these for sale on different sites and countries. I just googled in studentenweltspiele and it brought up quite a few sites on this badge.
SSman

Hello SSman,
Yes they are on quite a few sites for sure and I have seen them in various colors too. I'm certainly no expert on this stuff, just passing along info I've read. I still believe though that the predominance of belief is that these are fantasy items but as stated in my first post I'd like to hear what others think. I have one so it'd be nice if they turn out to be original.
Duzig(Bill)

Bill. I am thinking like you are! If these were original you would thnik there would be more in collections and more for sale? I also seen one with yellow instead of the red!
SSman

Hello,
I would think there would be less of them for sale actually. In any case I'm sure others more knowledgeable regarding these items will post comments.
Duzig(Bill)

I too have seen these badges in different colors, i shure do not claim to be a expert but i believe these are pure fantasy.

Cabbell. I really don't know what to think about them. I googled the word studentenweltspiele and quite a few of these come up! According to some these were supposedly given that the student games held in Vienna Austria in August of 1939!
SSman

Well it is intreging. Could be the different color ones are based on the original and thouse could be fantasy, it really is a tough call, maybee some day a photo will surface.But your right SSman i just dont know what to think.

They are only out there in yellow & red. I have detailed information around here somewhere about those games & will look for it when I have time, & post the info.

Schlesien. So you think these were actually made during the period? Just wondering because I have gotten quite a bit of negative feedback about the originality about these!
SSman

I have no proof one way or the other that these enameled badges existed during the period; the games however did exist, & so did a tinnie that I have a picture of. The round tinnie is silver-aluminum colored & @ the top are 3 javelin throwers, below is the Studentenbund eagle, & around the edge is "Studentenweltspiele Wien 2o.27.August 1939." If I had your email I could send you a scan of it, & you can post it. I'm on the fence til proven one way or the other if the enameled badges are original, or not. The story is that they were found in bulk, in Vienna, & were then offered to the collecting community; the red for regular ranks & the yellow for higher ranks. Many guys balk & get very nervous at the sight of a stack of the same badges. If they were the big stack of those cased badges/medals found recently at Deschler, would they get nervous looking at those hordes?? Were they made & not issued, & placed in storage? Did the maker lose the contract after a samples run was made? or are they recently manufactured? I don't know.
The 1st World Student Games were held in Paris in 1923 under the auspices of the Union Nationale des Etudiants & from 1949 onwards by the Federation Internationale du Sport World Student Games. The 1st official Summer World Student Games event was held in 1957. Britian won medals @ each of the events thruout the years, except for the alternative Games organized in Vienna in 1939, in which Britian of course didn't compete.

Silesien. I would like to see a pic of your tinnie. My email address is [email protected] Sure would be nice to know the truth about these?
SSman

Here is a picture of the front of a tinnie that was issued for the games in Vienna Austria in August of 1939. Posting this picture for Silesien.
SSman