DDR: Stasi Officer School Badges

[John F.]

Hello:

Just going through some of my DDR stuff and was wondering if anyone can tell me the difference (besides the color) between these two MfS school badges? Was one for a Junior Officer Course and the other a Senior Officer School?

Best,
John

[Ralph P]

Hey good morning John...The difference between the two badges in your image is that the white badge was for a graduate at the Potsdam school and the blue badge was used for a graduate of the technical/operative school. There are also different versions to the two badges. The two badges shown in your image are later versions. An early version badge(s) would have a gold color center where the DDR symbol is located. I hope this helps...Ralph

[John F.]

Hi Ralph:

Thanks for the reply! If technical and operative lessons were taught at the one school do you know what was taught at the Potsdam school? Also, was one more prestigious then the other?

John

[Mike G.]

Hi John,

You were up late last night. Ralph pretty much summed up the two badges. Of interest is that your two badges seem to fall between the middle of two production runs. So I would hang on to them, because they at least to me, appear to be the more rare of the three variants.

The Ministry for Public Security of the GDR presented these badges upon graduation from a higher education school with a diploma. The badges were cast from gilded bronze and were 31mm in width and 41mm in height. The staatswappen was displayed in the center, and as Ralp pointed out, in the 1st production run, it was gold, with no colored enamel showing inside the state seal. Graduates of the Legal University in Potsdam, as Ralph pointed out, were issued the white enameled badge. It is the older and more prestigious of the two. The blue enameled badge was issued to graduates of the technical (Trade) university. I think there were several of these Stasi Technical Schools, and I'm not sure where they all were located, but I believe one of them was actually in Berlin.

The white enameled badges were first produced in 1969. The blue enameled badges were first produced in 1974. In 1976 both badges were produced of lesser quality material. The badges were plastic coated and the state seals were colored in.

So John, your badges fit somewhere inbetween, because they clearly are not plastic coated, yet the state seals are colored in. Hang on to these two as your type had a very short production run, which occurred sometime between 74 and 76.

The 1st production run variants were of much nicer quality.
John, your variants also are of nice quality. Much nicer than the last production type.

I'm enclosing examples of the initial issued type (non-enameled staatswappen) and the last type (plastic coated with enameled staatswappen).

[Ralph P]

Hey Mike thanks for adding the additional information and images to show the other versions to the two badges...I would have, but I mailed a money order to upgrade my membership...so for the time being I am in a holding pattern.

John...Thanks...

Ralph

[Mike G.]

Hi Ralf,

I recalled from our earlier conversation that you had not been upgraded where you could post photos yet, so I knew you would understand.

Otherwise, I would have held back knowing you would follow through. Looking forward to seeing pics of your Stasi memorabilia as soon as you gain full Associate Membership. I know we will be impressed.

[Ralph P]

Hey Mike roger that...keep continuing what you are doing and for covering my six...Ralph