Finally: A Gau Berlin Badge

[Christian J]

The pebbling under the enamel seems to add up nicely what I can see.

[Stan]

Bob sent me these photos by email yesterday and I like this badge a lot more.

The sizes are almost identical to my own :

Bob: 41.43mm High - 41.59 Wide - 24.62g Weight

Stan: 41.52mm High - 41.56 Wide - 24.4g Weight

As Christian has observed, the dot pattern under the enamel is the same and you can't fake that.

The reverse is also 100% text book.

I was concerned about the lack of detail of the eagle but Launer sometimes had a problem with the detail of the NSKK Motor Sports badge.

All in all I reckon Bob has got a very nice original Gau Berlin badge.

Stan

[Kyle Harrington]

Hi Bob

Used to own a cased silver sold it !!!!!!!!! Your badge is 100% lovely piece

[Mijke]

Congratulations Bob! I guess good things do happen to good people......thanks for your help with my collecting. Mike

[Bob Hritz]

Congratulations Bob! I guess good things do happen to good people......thanks for your help with my collecting. Mike

Thank you Mike. It is always interesting how things work out in the end. It is the passion of collecting that keeps us going.

Bob Hritz

[equirhodont]

Today I got it in the grouping with Honor ring of Dr. Walter Graeschke
15.05.1898, Berlin
SS-Nr. 14470
NSDAP Mitgl.-Nr. 45694
Highest rank: SS-Oberführer, 23.09.1932

[equirhodont]

With miniature...

[equirhodont]

Grouping
Dr. Walter Graeschke
15.05.1898, Berlin
SS-Nr. 14470
NSDAP Mitgl.-Nr. 45694
Highest rank: SS-Oberführer, 23.09.1932

[Mike TM]

Nice group, congrats

Mike

[Br. James]

A very fine archive of personal effects indeed! Dr. Graeschke was a Golden Party Badge holder as well as a recipient of the Gau Berlin Commemorative Award and he was the very first person listed at his rank of SS-Oberführer in the last edition of the DAL for his rank category (9.11.1944), indicating that he was the longest-serving person at that rank. He had held that rank for over twelve years (23.9.1932), which was longer than any of those SS officers in higher ranks than his...except, of course, for Himmler himself, who had been the RFSS since 6.1.1929. Graeschke had served on Himmler's personal staff throughout his career in the SS, and at war's end he was only 46 years old...one wonders why he never ascended the rank structure further than SS-Oberführer during all those years?

Yes, an interesting set -- one worthy of further biographical research! Cheers and congratulations on a fine addition to any collection!

Br. James

[equirhodont]

Thanks a lot for these informations! I´m just waiting for NARA´s folder to find more info.
Wondering, what he was doing in May 1945 in Czechoslovakia... In the ground were found all his medals, but no Golden NSDAP badge...

A very fine archive of personal effects indeed! Dr. Graeschke was a Golden Party Badge holder as well as a recipient of the Gau Berlin Commemorative Award and he was the very first person listed at his rank of SS-Oberführer in the last edition of the DAL for his rank category (9.11.1944), indicating that he was the longest-serving person at that rank. He had held that rank for over twelve years (23.9.1932), which was longer than any of those SS officers in higher ranks than his...except, of course, for Himmler himself, who had been the RFSS since 6.1.1929. Graeschke had served on Himmler's personal staff throughout his career in the SS, and at war's end he was only 46 years old...one wonders why he never ascended the rank structure further than SS-Oberführer during all those years?

Yes, an interesting set -- one worthy of further biographical research! Cheers and congratulations on a fine addition to any collection!

Br. James

[Br. James]

Glad that you're having someone research this interesting person through NARA. It appears that you have an SS-Totenkopf Ring there among the other personal effects -- does that ring bear Dr. Graeschke's name?

If all of this material was buried in the ground in Czechoslovakia, he probably did that as part of his effort to escape arrest and punishment... Very interesting indeed! Please update us when more is discovered!

Br. James

[equirhodont]

Here you are

Glad that you're having someone research this interesting person through NARA. It appears that you have an SS-Totenkopf Ring there among the other personal effects -- does that ring bear Dr. Graeschke's name?

If all of this material was buried in the ground in Czechoslovakia, he probably did that as part of his effort to escape arrest and punishment... Very interesting indeed! Please update us when more is discovered!

Br. James

[equirhodont]

Stunning condition. Looks like never worn. Maybe he wore it in the pocket or paper box...

[Christian J]

Very cool find, Martin! Could you tell us more about it? Was it recently discovered? Metal detector? Very exciting discovery.