where did the DDR produce the awards ??

[jon m.]

Alas I knew PRAEWEMA well.

Used to be the old Brehmer firm. In 1988 a huge haul of original III Reich badges and medals were found behind a false wall when a water main broke.

Diane

How big was the haul....more than a ton?

Jon.

[jon m.]

What do you consider awards?......Abzeichen, Medals, Medallions?....Commerative Coins?

Jon.

[Diane]

The 1987-88 Brehmer Factory haul . . .

Hello,

I am told that the Gustav Brehmer hoard consisted of thousands of enameled NSFK badges, various membership badges. Some NSFK Balloon Observer and numbered general / tank assualt badges were also discovered.

The Stasi collected everything and then sold it thorugh militaria dealers in Germany and Austria. Nothing illegal was done. The artifacts has a high intrinistic value and the Stasi recognized that.

I sure wish I had been there when that haul was found!

When I visited the PRAEWEMA factory in the summer of 1990 all production of East German badges had ceased. Anything made during the DDR period and priced in Ost-Mark was being dropped from the company / inventory books as they were switching to a new accounting system based on the German Mark.

To my knowledge NO DDR badges were still being made after the Currency changeover, except for the dagger parts and most of that was assembly from existing parts.

From November 1989 through the Summer of 1990 PRAEWEMA GmbH made an enourmous number of DDR insignia and badges for dealers in the West. This is also true of the Dagger Manufacturer, "M******252;hlhausser Jagd - u.- Schneidwaren GmbH". One could say that they went hog-wild.

These firms knew that once they were privatized and the currency change over was implemented that it would no longer be cost effective to manufacture this material.

1990-91 was a great year for finding DDR stuff. I had to cut my trip there short because I was recalled for Operation Desert Storm and spent nearly a year in training and deployment in support of those operations.

I hope that answers some questions.


Diane

[jon m.]

Yes , that answers my question. Many Thanks, Jon.

[jon m.]

Präwema Matches

Looking at some saved images on my PC and came across this.

Jon.