GPB real

[planet]

Hello,
would this GPB be the real deal or are there signs of a fake? What do You guys think?
Best regards, Thomas

[ErichS]

It looks real to me.

[tranchant]

gold

hello
me also i like it!
and scarce with this little number!
best regards
patrick

[Kyle Harrington]

100% a ok

Nice piece

[planet]

Thank You for Your thoughts. Can anyone identify the former recipient?
Best regards, Thomas

[Br. James]

Hi Thomas,

This piece is perplexing to me! I do agree that this large GPB appears to be original to the period...but the NSDAP Membership Number on it's reverse is quite concerning. As I understand it, Party Membership Number 1065 was originally held by Josef Klant, who was Gauleiter of Hamburg from March 27, 1925 until November 4, 1926. Klant was discharged from his position as Gauleiter by Reichsorganisationsleiter Gregor Strasser, who traveled to Hamburg to fire him. Apparently Klant was seen to be incompetent in his role as Gauleiter, as membership had stagnated during his brief tenure and the Gau's leadership became faction-ridden and out of control...at least as seen by the Party's national leadership. Klant died of a stroke on September 7, 1927, possibly due at least in part to his dismissal as Gauleiter.

Given that the GPB award system did not begin until late in 1933 and it required the completion of an application which was then endorsed by the member's Gau -- and Pg. Josef Klant had died over six years earlier, something is amiss here! The only possible answer is that NSDAP Membership Number 1065 must have been re-issued to someone else in the late 1920s/early 1930s. Unfortunately I do not know who that second recipient was...!

Br. James

[planet]

Thank You very much for these many informations! So there are no lists of GPB recipients? Or does such a list not contain this number because it was not awarded?
Best, Thomas

[sjl]

Before the recall and reissue of all party numbers in 1925, the original DAP membership list shows Ferdinand Weghofer, a tailor, as member 1065. These numbers were all cancelled and Hitler started over (with himself as #1) with the refounding of the NSDAP.

A completely wild and unsubstantiated thought is that if Herr Weghofer was still alive and active in 1933/34, he might have petitioned to get his old pre-1925 number back to qualify for the GPB since Klant's "new" post-1925 number was retired and available. Just a thought.

Otherwise, it may have been re-issued to someone else - possibly an early member who had left and later rejoined the NSDAP but applied for a low replacement number for the sole purpose of qualifying for the GPB (as sometimes happened), and Klant's number was available.

[planet]

Thank You for Your input. Could make sense.
Any other thoughts? Are there GPB lists which contain this number? That would surely clarify the question.
Best, Thomas

[Br. James]

"Are there GPB lists which contain this number? That would surely clarify the question."

That's quite a question, Thomas. The central files of NSDAP Membership were poorly maintained at war's end and today they only exist on microfilm in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration in College Park, Maryland, in a disorganized fashion. There are a number of collectors who have worked on assembling a list of GPB numbers/holders but none are complete. There are also professional researchers who may be able to produce information for you, but there are fees involved with such research.

Br. James

[planet]

Thank You.