Original German Badge & Tinnie Lot 1928–1938 – Turnfest Köln, Tag der Arbeit & 1 Mai

Description

This original German historical badge and tinnie collection brings together five period pieces dating from the late Weimar Republic through the pre-war Third Reich era. Spanning approximately 1928 to 1938, the group offers collectors an interesting opportunity to acquire several distinct examples of German event, labour and commemorative insignia as one historical lot.

One of the most visually distinctive pieces is the long textile souvenir associated with the 14. Deutsches Turnfest held in Cologne in 1928. The front bears the inscription “14. Deutsches Turnfest 1928” together with “Köln a. Rh.” and a representation of Cologne. The textile retains its decorative borders, metal suspension fitting and lower tassel, with visible age-related wear and fraying that are consistent with an item approaching a century old.

The 14th German Gymnastics Festival took place in Cologne in July 1928 and was a major sporting event of the Weimar Republic, several years before the establishment of the Third Reich. Contemporary and museum records confirm the Cologne event and the existence of numerous commemorative badges and souvenirs produced for participants and visitors.

Also included is an original Tag der Arbeit 1935 commemorative badge. Its oval composition depicts workers beneath the inscription “Tag der Arbeit”, with the date 1935 incorporated into the design. Period examples of this type were manufactured as lightweight commemorative badges and normally fitted with a pin fastening on the reverse.

A further piece commemorates 1. Mai 1938, or May Day 1938. The badge features the characteristic period political and labour imagery associated with the officially organised May Day celebrations of Nazi Germany. The reverse of the present example retains its pin assembly and maker information visible in the photographs. Comparable original examples are documented as period May Day tinnies issued for the 1938 celebrations.

Completing the group are two additional period insignia. One is a small darkened metal eagle-form badge with a circular lower element, while the other is a larger gold-tone wreath-form badge featuring a coloured central emblem. Because the photographs do not provide enough information to establish their precise organisational or event attribution with certainty, they are intentionally described conservatively rather than assigned an unsupported identification.

This makes INS73 particularly interesting as a mixed German historical badge collection rather than simply a group of identical political tinnies. Its chronology starts with the 1928 Cologne Turnfest during the Weimar Republic and continues through commemorative pieces from the German regime of the 1930s.

The collection also retains many details valued by militaria and historical memorabilia collectors: original period-style fastening systems, maker markings visible on several reverses, aged metal finishes, remaining surface detail, textile construction and natural patina. No attempt has been made to disguise age-related wear.

CONDITION

All five pieces are in used historical condition with visible age, patina, surface oxidation, scratches and wear.

The 1928 Turnfest textile piece displays pronounced age-related wear and fraying along its edges but retains its principal decorative elements, suspension hardware and tassel. The metal badges similarly display varying degrees of surface ageing and oxidation. Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the description and show the actual condition of the collection.

COLLECTOR INTEREST

INS73 is particularly suitable for collectors interested in:

• German political and civic badges
• Third Reich tinnies
• German labour-related memorabilia
• 1 May / May Day commemorative badges
• Tag der Arbeit memorabilia
• Weimar Republic sporting memorabilia
• Deutsches Turnfest collectibles
• Cologne 1928 historical souvenirs
• German pre-WWII insignia
• European historical ephemera and badges

The combination of the 1928 Turnfest Köln souvenir with 1935 and 1938 political commemorative badges creates a compact chronological collection covering an important period of German social and political history.

IMPORTANT HISTORICAL NOTICE

This item is offered exclusively as an authentic historical collectible for study, preservation and collecting purposes. The presence of political symbols relates solely to its historical context and does not imply support for, sympathy with or promotion of any totalitarian ideology.