Austria-Hungary Austrian Military Sports Badge 1934

[Guest Rick Research]

C... D.... T(urnerbund?) ?(sterreich?). Dated 1934 and with luminous translucent green enamelling. A microscopic faint maker mark appears on the reverse wreath just abocve and to the right of the clip: looks like "MRKWICKA" but is so samll and faint it cannot be scanned.

Political paramilitary? Scanned for a visiting friend.

[Richard V]

Rick, did the Austrians use the same symbol for their Turnerbund as the Germans? This symbol definitely was used by Germany and I think it may be more like C. (perhaps Christlicher?) Deutscher Turnerbund Oestringen (or Oeringen, both in Baden-W?rtemberg. Or for that matter any other city or region that might start the O with umlaut.

Richard V

[Guest Rick Research]

It's the "British cap badge slider" reverse that makes me think of similar Austrian badges. Just guessing.

[Richard V]

The slider is unusual for a German badge. I just can't recall seeing an Austrian Turnerbund badge to see if they used the same symbol as the Germans. I"m just guessing too but basing my guess on the front of the badge and the symbol itself. Do you have any idea if this symbol was somewhat universal in central Europe or possibly used by at least the Austrians as well as the Germans?

Richard V

Edited July 25, 2007 by Richard V

[Josef Rietveld]

Christlich Deutsche Turnerschaft ?sterreichs = Christian German Gymnasts of Austria

the cross on the badge badge ist formed by 4 x the letter F for 'frisch, fromm, fr?hlich, frei' the motto of the German Turnerbund

seems to be am Members Badge

haynau

[Guest Rick Research]

The SWORDS seem an odd motif-- one I've never seen with the Turnerbund before!

[Richard V]

It seems odd with the swords if the first word is actually Christlich. Perhaps they were REAL competative!

Richard V

[Christian Zulus]

Gentlemen,

I think, that's the membership badge of the gymnasts organization ("Turnerbund") of the "Vaterl?ndische Front" from the Christian-Social-Movement in Austria. They had been in competition to the "Deutscher Turnerbund" from the Nazis. I presented such a membership badge here: http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=19881 from Austria of the late 1920s.

The "Krukenkreuz" is the symbol of the "Vaterl?ndische Front" ("Fatherland Front"): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatherland%27...t_%28Austria%29

Best regards

Christian

[Viribus Unitis]

It is the Wehrabzeichen (or Schutzkorpsabzeichen) of the Christlich deutsche Turnerschaft ?sterreichs, and it was somehow awarded for taking part in the battles of 1934 (February and July).

[Guest Rick Research]

So on the side of the Dollfuss government?

[Viribus Unitis]

Yes

[Guest Rick Research]

Thanks. So something that would NOT have been "popular" after 1938!