Wehrwirtschaftsfuhrer Abzeichen

[Runic]

My Defense Economy Leader's Badge.
IMO, one of the coolest awards, kind of rare, and great design!

[Runic]

More pics.

[Wim Vangossum]

Looks awesome.



Regards, Wim

[JoeW]

Runic, yours is a fine example with a superb finish. In addition, many recipients received the KVK I for their exemplary service. The award of the KVK was touted in many factory publications as evidence of an individual's contribution to the war effort, just like the DAF awards and special flags.

As posted elsewhere, here is my example of the WWiFü Abz. along with the miniature.

[der-hase-fee]

Great badge, congratulations !

[Runic]

Thanks to everyone for replying!
JoeW, Thanks for your posting your badge with the miniature!!! You can tell that mine and yours were made by the same manufacturer. Yours has an excellent finish as well, an incredible, hard to beat example!
I must get a miniature to complete the set - maybe one day.

Also, thanks for the info on the DAF touting the KVK and other civil awards - that is one of my passions. - I have posted elsewhere a Musterbetriebe Plakette that is probably only beautiful to me, to others just a big hunk of metal that once hung outside a factory wall.

To those who like them, these are beauties!

Cheers and thanks again to everyone - Der-hase-fee, and Wim also, thank you!

R

[JoeW]

Perhaps you can post a photo of the entire Musterbetriebe plaque? Your posted images were not the entire piece.

[Stan]

I too find these badges fascinating.

Here is mine plus docs. You can see more examples here:http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...+economy+badge

Stan

[Runic]

Stan, thanks for that! Also thanks for your link, which like JoeW's links on another thread, clues me in (duh , that you guys have been pursuing this subject lots longer than I have. It is really a big boost to know that other collectors are fascinated by this badge. We all have the aluminum, yeah?

Stan, your badge is amazing, the special documents you have are really quite something - what an incredible rarity!

Thanks to you and Joe and EricS and Der-hase-fee for discussing this earlier, I have learned a lot.
Joe - you got the mini - Stan has the mini - now I have to find one. It's every bit as important as the larger version. I actually have a much rarer miniature I'd be willing to trade for one.

JoeW, i'll try to take a pic of the entire front and back of the Musterbetriebe Plaque when I get some more time.

Cheers to all - when I find the Miniature, I'll post it.

[JoeW]

Stan, again thanks for sharing your WWiFü Ausweis and associated documents. I thought I would add two examples of the WWiFü Urkunde which were lately in the Weitze offerings.

The first is an Urkunde for the WWiFü Abzeichen presented to Max Friz, a major aircraft engine designer for BWM and later a senior company official. The company identified in the document was the BMW aircraft engine factory in Eisenach, Thüringen. The award was ordered by the Reichsminister of Luftfahrt effective September 1, 1938. The document signed by Milch appears to confer a general military rank on Friz.


The second document confers the position of Wehrwirtschaftsführer on Alfred Bayer, apparently from the Saarpfalz. The position was conferred on January 30, 1941 by order of the Reichswirtschaftsministerium. So we can see the apparent shift in conferring authority from one of the ministries of the Wehrmacht, to the civil ministry of economics. The Abzeichen is not specifically mentioned in the document, but must be considered to be awarded.

[Stan]

Very interesting Joe

Stan

[Runic]

Joe,
thank you so much for posting these! They are utterly fascinating, like Stan's doucments.
The first bestowed by the RLM, signed by Milch; and a later example bestowed by the Reichswirtschaftsministerium? As you mentioned, intriguing insight into the shift in authority on who had the power to authorize these awards. Or perhaps they all fell under the OKW umbrella somehow?

Thanks again for sharing these, Joe!

R

[JoeW]

Joe,
thank you so much for posting these! They are utterly fascinating, like Stan's doucments.....................................Or perhaps they all fell under the OKW umbrella somehow?

Thanks again for sharing these, Joe!

R

Or perhaps they shared the authority of appointment? Need to find if there was enabling legislation.

[Runic]

That's a excellent thought, Joe.

The possibility that they shared authority somehow, through a legislative action, is really an area that needs research. An enabling action is something that is really quite possible....something that requires thought.

R

[Runic]

Stan, can you post more detailed photos of the WWiFu documents, that give the owner special rights? These seem to be incredibly important if real, and everyone would like to see them in more detail. Are they part of your collection, or are they information you have picked up in your studies?
Either way, they are a tremendous addition to the research of this subject, and we woulld all like to see them in greater detail.

If you can post them, we can compare them to documents I receently acquired, which are absolutely genuine, conferring the rights of, as the Allies translated it, the Leader of the Defense Economy, and through the study of both sets, I think we may get somewhere with the history of this badge.
Thanks Stan!
Please post them in greater detail, ASAP!

We would all love to see more detailed pictures of your Wehrwirtschaftfuhrer special documents, Stan!

Runic