Steiischer Heimatbund pin

[Howard Kelley]

Anyone know anything about this pin?

STEIRISCHER HEIMATBUND to front.

Made by a Wien company.

My thoughts are that this is a pin for Austrian nazi party members, don't know for certain.

Many thanks,
Howard

[Br. James]

Hi Howard,

While I don't recall ever seeing this badge before, there seem to be a few things that can be gleaned from the words and symbols. The central symbol is certainly the coat of arms of the Austrian town of Steyr:

"Steyr is a town located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Steyr and Enns. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and simultaneously the 3rd largest town in Upper Austria. It has a long history as a manufacturing center and has given its name to several manufacturers headquartered there, such as Steyr Mannlicher (a firearms manufacturer best known for the Steyr AUG), Steyr Tractor, and Steyr Automobile."

The words surrounding the coat of arms can be translated as "Steyr Home League" and may have existed as a pro-Nazi support organization prior to the period of 1938-45 when Reichsgau Steiermark (English: Gau Styria) was created as an administrative division of Nazi Germany consisting of areas in Styria, Lower Styria and southern parts of Burgenland, following the Austrian Anschluss.

The only Gauleiter of Reichsgau Steiermark was Siegfried Uiberreither, who was also Reichsstatthalter of Styria and an SA-Obergruppenführer.

I hope these thoughts are helpful.

Br. James

[Howard Kelley]

Hi Howard,

While I don't recall ever seeing this badge before, there seem to be a few things that can be gleaned from the words and symbols. The central symbol is certainly the coat of arms of the Austrian town of Steyr:

"Steyr is a town located in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. The town is situated at the confluence of the rivers Steyr and Enns. Steyr is Austria's 12th most populated town and simultaneously the 3rd largest town in Upper Austria. It has a long history as a manufacturing center and has given its name to several manufacturers headquartered there, such as Steyr Mannlicher (a firearms manufacturer best known for the Steyr AUG), Steyr Tractor, and Steyr Automobile."

The words surrounding the coat of arms can be translated as "Steyr Home League" and may have existed as a pro-Nazi support organization prior to the period of 1938-45 when Reichsgau Steiermark (English: Gau Styria) was created as an administrative division of Nazi Germany consisting of areas in Styria, Lower Styria and southern parts of Burgenland, following the Austrian Anschluss.

The only Gauleiter of Reichsgau Steiermark was Siegfried Uiberreither, who was also Reichsstatthalter of Styria and an SA-Obergruppenführer.

I hope these thoughts are helpful.

Br. James

Thank you, Br. James!

Excellent information! Thanks so much for your help.



Howard

[Br. James]

My pleasure, Howard. It never ceases to amaze me how much information as well as a deeper sense of the period can be obtained from little objects so obscure to common experience within our hobby! Thanks again for sharing this badge with us.

Br. James