UBB.threads Forums Uniform & Accessories Medals & Badges of the Third Reich Forum Enamel KdfK badge - Real or fake?

I recently posted a stickpin from this oganisation in the "Organizational pins/badge" thread. The pin is lacquered & is consistent with examples shown in both Hüsken & Angolia's "Labor Organizations of the Reich" book. I am totally comfortable with it as an original example.

However, a pinback enamel version is regularly to be found on dealers sites which I feel needs further investigation.

They all have the same fault on the right arm of the Swastika, are unmarked, & have a peculiar style pin plate which fits a pin with a curve in it.

When compared to the stickpin, the details of Mercury's helmet are not as well defined. The bottom rim where it meets the inverted triangle is sharper on the stickpin, as is the wing. I also feel the hammer shape is somewhat more crude on the enamel version.

The badge doesn't look cast & has a very good over all finish.

Any & all opinions welcome.

Cheers
Don

For easier reference, here's the lacquered stickpin version referred to above.

I see the difference, but badge number one is OK imo .

I feel the stickpin example is a period orig. piece.

The pin back with the ~ to the pin and retaining plate, also the soft appearance of the wings on the helm. and the rim of the helm.
together with the appearance of the swas. set off alarm vibrations. I have been wrong on other items, but I do not feel comfortable about the pin back example.

Anyone noted the KdfK badge depicted in any period publications?
Assmann catalog?

--dj--Joe

I have the stickpin version, with the addition of "GES. GESCH." on the reverse.

I always understood it was not "Mercury's helmet" , but the stymbols of culture, namely the drafting triangle, sculptor's hammer and painter's palette with paintbrushes sticking through the thumbhole.

Not in Assmann.

Thank you for the input Gentlemen, so far we have 1 yea, 1, nay & one sitting on the fence

Stephen,
Is yours lacquered/painted? Also, interesting about the symbols of culture, do you remember where you read/heard it? The "Mercury helmet" was attributed by Angolia in his Labor Organizations book. That's not to say that he's correct.....

Cheers
Don

Hi Don,

I'm trying to recall where I read about the symbolism - it'll come to me eventually. Mercury's helmet is generally like a WWI tommy helmet - not with a flat front. Mercury in Roman mythology is the god of commerce, travel and thievery, Roman counterpart of the Greek god Hermes, messenger of the gods. I don't see a connection with the Kampfbund Deutscher Kultur.

Here's the old messenger of the gods wearing his hat.

And here's the back of mine. It is painted and lacquered.

Would any one have a copy of the Steinhauer & Lück, Spezialkataloge. Abzeichen, Knöpfe, Orden, Medaillen, plaketten.

--dj--Joe

Not me Joe

Thanks for the reply Stephen, I see your point & I must admit I've wondered myself what the Mercury connection was

Cheers
Don

Hermes/ Mercury was a very busy deity. His roles changed throughout the ages. He was thought responsible for many things. The helm style changed also according to artist.
What exactly did the Kampfbund Deutscher Kultur, represent?

--dj--Joe

From Angolia's "Labor organizations of the Reich":

"In February 1929 Alfred Rosenberg, the self appointed 'philosopher' of the Nazi party set up a Fighting Alliance for German Culture which aspired to unite all aspects of the fine arts and theatre."

In 1934 the KfdK was combined with the Reichsbund deutsche Bühne (National Association of German Theatres) forming the NS Kulturgemeinde (NSKG). In 1937 the NSKG was absorbed into the KdF.

Thanks, Don.
A couple of sites I located attributed Hermes deity duties and privileges as numerous. I will list a few.
God of -- Heralds.
" " -- feasts and banquets.
" " -- language and crafty wiles.
" " -- provincial music, poetry and animal fables.
" " -- sleep and dreams of omen.
I have also read, God of travelers, commerce, science and invention, eloquence, luck, cunning and theft, guide of the deceased to hades.
When the Romans invaded Germanic teritory the local deitys tended to meld with the Roman deitys.

Who knows.

--dj--Joe

Bringing this topic back up to see if any one has information or thoughts to add.

--dj--Joe

Here is mine,while I like my front I am worried about the artificially aged looking back

"Wir stehen heute vor der Tatsache, daß Hand in Hand mit dem von volksfeindlichen Kräften geförderten politischen Niedergang auch ein planmäßiger Kampf gegen sämtliche deutschen Kulturwerte geführt wird. Rassefremdes Literatentum, verbündet mit den Abfällen der Großstädte, gefördert und finanziert durch gleichgerichtete schmarotzende Emporkömmlinge, hat sich mehr denn je zusammengetan, um dem deutschen Charakter seine letzte Widerstandskraft gegen ihm feindliches Wesen zu rauben. Zu diesem Zweck wird durch tausende bezahlte Federn alles Arteigene des Deutschen lächerlich zu machen versucht, werden andererseits dank des international verbundenen Presseringes wirklich werteschaffende Kräfte auf allen Gebieten totgeschwiegen [...]. An Stelle des Volksgemäßen tritt auf allen kulturellen Gebieten der kulturelle Bastard offen in den Vordergrund [...]. An Stelle der germanischen Werte [...] wird bereits [...] Pazifismus, Feigheit, Schiebertum als fortschrittlich und geistig gepriesen."


This is a quote from the founding document.The purpose was actually lets say cleansing of the cultural sector...

the back

Thanks for posting this pin Wachmann (do you want me to call you anything else? )

It's difficult to see from your picture, does the pin plate have the same twist similar to this "~" on it?

I've just received another pin back in the large group I bought, but this is another lacquered, I'll scan it & post it later.

Cheers
Don

Don,
feel free in what or how you call me
Yes,the pin has the ~ and is basically identical on the back.What I noticed is that mine lacks the dot or whatever it is that is amid the helmet left of the "tubes". I am curious about your pin!

Best

I think that the dot is a fault during the manufacture, perhaps a piece of dirt in the die. You can hardly see it on the badge, the bright light of the scanner shows it up.

Here's the new lacquered one that came this week. This shows that this type came in both stick & pin back types. So far I've only seen the enamelled ones in pin back.

Did yours come from a vet/family contact or a dealer?

Cheers
Don

reverse marked Ges Gesch

Very nice!
Hm,my pin is from a private source,but as far as I remember I have it from an old woman,handing me anything she had kept from about all her relatives.I would say not credible.My pin might very well be a fake!!!

Gentlemen, the quest continues.

You may (or may not ) recall from my first post at the top of this topic my concerns on the authenticity of the enamelled versions of this organisations badges.

Well recently I found one of the larger copy manufactures have been selling a version of this badge as a stickpin for years. A picture wasn't available on their site so I ordered one (£7.95).

I have joined it with the pinback from the start of the thread. I think that you will agree that there are very striking similarities, the fault on the edge of the right leg of the Swastika is exactly the same. I cannot see that a copy merchant would bother to make an exact same fault into their product. I have mentioned earlier that all of the enamel versions I've encountered have this fault. So to conclude I think it's fairly safe to say that the enamel versions are extremely suspect to say the least.

I shan't bother to show the reverse unless anyone specifically wishes to see it. The "copy" is maker marked which is different from the other enamels I suspect are fake & the believed period lacquered versions. The maker mark is the infamous letter B in a circle.....

Any other views on this?

P.S. Thanks to Joe for finding this thread again, I'd been searching hopelessly for it for ages .

Cheers
Don

Thanks Don for your dedication to the subject of organizational pins/badges.

I have had a nagging feeling about the enamel version of this particular badge. With all the differences compiled I feel this variation did not period exist.

There is an accepted version of the B in a circle mark isn't there?

--dj--Joe

Not on this badge, all are either totally unmarked or with just Ges.Gesch.

The B mark is seen, & so far is accepted as OK on a number of other organisational badges i.e. The Hitlerbewegung, RDK, Kolonialbund etc. However it is also a favoured mark on copies of many badges as well. To my knowledge there is no information as to who this mark was for assuming that it was used in the period.

Cheers
Don