Olympics Medal Regulation for NSDAP Memebrs

[John F.]

This post is in reference to a thread that was started by Rick Lundström titled “1936 Olympics Awards: Medal Bars, Ribbon Bars, & Documents” http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18362 I guess I was late jumping in on this topic and everyone had unsubscribed due to no response to my question (which is so unlike Rick).

My question/statement was: I recalled reading in some reference material that the Olympic Medals could not be worn by NSDAP party members. Was this true and what was the thought / logic behind this move?

John

[Rick Research]

When you get old, your attention wanders and you wander out of threads that have gotten too long...

Or like Marvin's joke thread in Kneipe which is up to about 16 pages now... after 7 or 8 the laughter starts causing internal organs to come undone, so have to click out and then forget where to start again another time....

Since retiring from my Moderator responsibilities here to simple civilian life on my sprawling rural estate, I don't read every post fanatically the way I used to, and often miss things.

I have never heard any such regulation about the Olympics awards. They are often found in Party groups. The ONLY "banned" regulation (never made sense, but THEIR rules, not mine) governed how many and which of the 1938-39 "Flowers Campaign" medals could be awarded to or worn by WEHRMACHT personnel. And even that was not strictly adhered to, since RAD members with say a Sudeten and Westwall illogically "Verboten" for armed forces members did (even if not supposed to) wear same if they were later in the Wehrmacht, apparently on the theory that they had EARNED them outside the armed forces.

[John F.]

Found Reference Material

Rick:

I found the reference that I read that statement in. It is in 1995 Reprint of "Medal & decorations of the Third Reich" By Dr Henrich Doehle (pg 142) that states "Through special regulation of Sept 2, 1936, Hitler decreed that the Olympic decorations can not be worn at parades or similar functions of the Party by members of the Party or Party affiliates".

What's up with that?

John

[Rick Research]

Don't have that book, so couldn't say. I assume this is an English "translation?" Therein lie MANY of the distortions and errors found out there today-- sports badge requirements in the "standard references" being notorious examples. Certainly Doehle did not ever refer at the time to his Beloved Führer as "...1936 Hitler decreed..." so... somebody's been paraphrasing original GERMAN text. And stuck the "not" in there when the opposite was true, apparently.

Check period photos of Himmler, Heydrich... anybody else you can find--not just the big cheeses. These were allowed for wear on all uniforms. The "Commander" grade though was normally worn as a "Kleindekoration" on the ribbon bar in service dress because it really was a stupid lump of pointy enamel not worth wearing full time forever after, no matter how rare it was.