RE: Stasi Sports Fest Badges

[AR-11]

Unfortunately, I cannot remember. I believe, more than in the regiment I have never seen. And I cann´t remeber if anyone ever wore a badge...

My battery chief had no big opinion of this cultural things. And because the ammunition had to be constantly dappered, I received during the cultural time the suitable order...

AR-11

[Ralph P]

My battery chief had no big opinion of this cultural things. And because the ammunition had to be constantly dappered, I received during the cultural time the suitable order...

AR-11

...thanks for the info...

[Mike G.]

Comrades,

sorry, but I am not sure whether they are really sports badges.
"Soldatenfestspiele" means a lot other than sports. The troops performed music, small theater plays, sketches, poems and so on, which were written partly by themselfes. I think sports was not the main thing. "Soldatenfestspiele" we had also in the normal NVA.
And this declared the Lyra in the upper right...And the saying at the backside:
"Art is a weapon"

But I´m not specialist.
If I am wrong, please do not hunt me to devil .
AR-11

Hi Dirk,

I'm in total agreement with your observations. I don't believe the intent was to imply the badges were specific to sports or only sports. The names of the badge are suggestive of some sort of large sports oriented festival, that given the appearance of the Lyre on the medal, is suggestive of some sort of annual military "Cultural" event. Nevertheless, the word Sports is part of the name of the badge. However, I would envision the activity therein was more related to a cultural and musical theme, for the military. It would be of interest if you or Dag, even if you didn't personally attend, could add some information on just what did go on, where, and for how long? Also, in the case of these particular badges, it would appear this was perhaps specific to the Stasi? Not sure. Perhaps these badges indicate the event was sanctioned, sponsored or overseen by the Stasi.

[AR-11]

Hi Dirk,

I'm in total agreement with your observations. I don't believe the intent was to imply the badges were specific to sports or only sports. The names of the badge are suggestive of some sort of large sports oriented festival, that given the appearance of the Lyre on the medal, is suggestive of some sort of annual military "Cultural" event. Nevertheless, the word Sports is part of the name of the badge. However, I would envision the activity therein was more related to a cultural and musical theme, for the military. It would be of interest if you or Dag, even if you didn't personally attend, could add some information on just what did go on, where, and for how long? Also, in the case of these particular badges, it would appear this was perhaps specific to the Stasi? Not sure. Perhaps these badges indicate the event was sanctioned, sponsored or overseen by the Stasi.

One is absolutly fact: this badges are especially Stasi, Wachregiment "Feliks Edmundowitch..." !
What I know ist, "Soldatenfestspiele" were without Sports. I hope, Dag knows more about that...

AR-11

[Mike G.]

Dirk,

Got it. No Sports. Kein Sportspiele.

Thanks much for the info and the help.

[Hagen]

I recently acquired one of these, a large, second variant in bronze. And while doing a google search looking for info on this badge I came across this thread. No surprise to me really.

So just a thanks to Mike G. for starting this thread back in 2005 and Ralph P. for pics and info, and Dirk (AR11) for further info.

Thanks guys!

[Hagen]

Has anyone come across a "large first variant" of this badge yet??

[Ralph P]

Hagen - Thanks for reviving this thread and for your comments, there is some information in volume II of STASI Decorations and Memorabilia pages 378-380. Not sure if that is what you are looking for.

Has anyone come across a "large first variant" of this badge yet??

[torstenbel]

This is a very interesting thread! It seems like the NVA and the MfS stressed cultural arts, as well as physical fitness more so than other countries. Was the Dynamo an exclusive MfS branch, or did the NVA also tie into it?

Dynamo was the sportsclub of the MdI and the MfS. It was tied in with the Police and the Staatssicherheit and all other MdI organisations, but mostly it was seen as the sportsclub of the police, eventhough Mielke was the Chairman of the SG Dynamo. The NVA had no tie ins with the SG Dynamo as such. The sportsclub of the NVA was the ASV of which we all had to be members while on active service in the army. I was never a member of a Dynamo organisation, but could have been if I had wanted to join the Judo or Boxing clubs in Schoenebeck which were Dynamo and were sponsored and run by the Volkspolizei. I was a member of the shooting club, which was part of the GST and I was a member of the swimming club and the table tennis club (both at competition level) which were both part of Motor Schoenebeck and were sponsored by the big heavy engineering firms in Schoenebeck the Traktorenwerk and the Dieselmotorenwerk. There were also some fairly major chemical companies in Schoenebeck and so Chemie Schoenebeck was the other big sportsclub in town which mostly concentrated on athletics. Cheers, Torsten.

[speedytop]

Hi,

here is, to the right, the "large first variant". To the left is one of four other and older variants of the large version in my collection:



Uwe

[speedytop]

Hi Dirk,

"One is absolutly fact: this badges are especially Stasi, Wachregiment "Feliks Edmundowitch..."!"

Not quite correct, as you can see it on the left badge. There is no Feliks Dzierzynski, because the name came in 1967, and the first badge Soldatenfestspiele came in 1961.

Additional to the 7 variants you can find different ribbons like complete red ribbons, you can find different thickness and weight and you can find for example different gilding.

Uwe

[Hagen]

Hi,

here is, to the right, the "large first variant". To the left is one of four other and older variants of the large version in my collection:



Uwe

Very nice Uwe thanks for the additional information and the pictures. It's appreciated.

[Gordon Craig]

Ralph,

The write-up on these badges in your book is very interesting. Here is a photo of an early award document from "Auszeichnungen im Ministerium fur Staatssicherheit der DDR by Klaus and Uta Feder. It appears to be the same one as is printed in you Voll II.
This document brings up the question "Where does the FDJ fit into the awarding of these early badges."? Subsequent award documents in Ralph's book don't appear to have any link to the FDJ.

Uwe,

Excellent info on all the many possible variations of these badges.

Regards,

Gordon

[torstenbel]

There would also have been an FDJ Grundorganisation in each military unit in the NVA and with the MfS troops and the FDJ would have been one of the organisors of the Soldatenfestspiele within those units and so, any awards may also be co-sponsored by the FDJ. Cheers, Torsten.

[Ralph P]

Thanks Torsten for your post. I was out of town yesterday for work.