I'll post pictures shortly, but does anybody have this number in their party member database?
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Sorry Craig, but it's not in mine at this time.
Br. James -
Thanks, James. Can someone remind me why we never were able to obtain from the Nazis, a complete list of early party members?Comment
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That's the badge ... bought it at Chatham last weekend.Comment
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Hi Craig,
In response to your note #3 below -- and I hasten to add that this is merely my opinion, arrived at after decades of reading and study on the subject -- the membership records of the earliest years of the DAF from 1919 until Hitler succeeded in adding "National Socialist" to the organization's name in 1920 were not maintained in any logical, permanent way. These records consisted of hand-written paper lists with member's numbers assigned in a fashion to make the organization appear much larger than it actually was. The records were still in seat-of-the-pants form and were maintained by volunteers when Hitler succeeded Anton Drexler as Chairman of the NSDAP and Führer of the Party in 1921, right up through the end of 1923, when the Beer Hall Putsch brought an end to the scant records formality which existed up till that time. When Hitler was released from the Landsberg Prison in February 1925, he immediately began to create the NSDAP anew, and one of his best decisions of those years was to choose Franz Xaver Schwarz as full-time paid Party Treasurer in March of that year. Students of the NSDAP have Schwarz to thank for bringing his methodical mind and considerable organizational talents to address the many questions around membership records and the rapid growth of the organization from 1925 onward. The many millions of NSDAP membership records were kept in file cabinets in the Party Administration Building situated by the Temples of Honor opposite the Führerbau in Munich, and at war's end the paper records were scattered to the winds. Post-war efforts to reconstruct the huge amount of documentary material gathered together in these cabinets was never fully completed, so today we are left with many gaps in the membership history of the Nazi Party.
Br. JamesComment
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How uncourteous to collectors!Comment
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Amen, Craig, Amen!
Br. JamesComment
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Great news, guys ... found the original owner of this badge through a contact of mine ... Karl Weber, off Munich list retired Army Hauptmann, joined thew party in 11/16/1926.Comment
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Many thanks for sharing this, Craig...much appreciated!
Br. JamesComment
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I had chalked this one up to "lost" until I got word back from a friend of mine. I'm really excited to see what else can be learned. I'll keep everyone posted.Comment
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Some research documents, thanks to Mike Constandy!Comment
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More.Comment
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Final photos.Comment
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Oops, one more.Comment
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