My VDA Collection

Troy Tempest · February 5, 2012

Apenrade, T17 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apenrade

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Troy Tempest · February 5, 2012

Arensburg, T18 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuressaare

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Troy Tempest · February 5, 2012

Asch, T19 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C5%A1

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Troy Tempest · February 6, 2012

Aussig, T20 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aussig

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Troy Tempest · February 6, 2012

Bistritz, T21. Of the 58 donation abzeichen (badges) in this series, which is called Städtwappen auslandsdetscher Städte (Town coats of arms of German expatriate towns), 54 were made of metal, 3 of cardboard, and only 1 in both. This collection was distributed during 1934-1939. This example is one of the Pappe (cardboard) badges. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bistri%C5%A3a

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Troy Tempest · February 6, 2012

Cilli, T24 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cilli

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Troy Tempest · February 7, 2012

Dorpat, T26 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dorpat

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Troy Tempest · February 7, 2012

Eupen, T28 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eupen

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Troy Tempest · February 7, 2012

Fünfkirchen, T29 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F%C3%BCnfkirchen

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Troy Tempest · February 8, 2012

Gottschee, T30 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottschee

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Troy Tempest · February 8, 2012

Güns, T32 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%91szeg

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Troy Tempest · February 8, 2012

Hadersleben, T33 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hadersleben

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Paul R · February 8, 2012

Troy, that is a really cool collection of badges. What is the VDA?

Troy Tempest · February 8, 2012

Sorry Paul, I should have put this in the first post, my blunder. Perhaps you or another moderator could place this post at the start of the thread? Another aspect of daily life in the Third Reich was charity collections. The WHW (Winterhilfswerk/winter charity work), was the largest, covering the Third Reich with both a national and regional collections.The VDA (Volksbund für das Deutschem im Ausland/Peoples Association for Germanness overseas) also had their own charity collections. The VDA was originally a means for Germans living abroad to keep in touch with culture back home. It started off as the DSV (Deutsche Schulverein/German School Association) on the 13.5.1880, operating out of Wien (Vienna), but by 1925 had become the VDA, operating out of Berlin. The VDA's donation badges usually centred on aspects of German culture and history, This particular collection was called Städtewappen auslandsdeutscher Städte (Town coats of arms of German expatriate towns), and were distributed between 1934-1939. They measure 30mm x 15mm, and there were 54 made of metal, 3 made of cardboard and only one town had a badge made of both metal and cardboard.

The T number after each piece is the Tieste number. For those who aren't familiar with that, Reinhard Tieste is the acknowledged world authority on the WHW and all the other varied charity organisations, as well as tinnies. He has classified over 20,000 items, and each one has a Tieste number. They are invaluable reference works for anyone interested in these aspects of the Third Reich. Here is the VDA book, it's title being Donation badges of the VDA. Compared to collecting badges and medals, WHW etc donation badges are a relatively inexpensive aspect of Third Reich collecting, and because of the HUGE number of different pieces, it is very unlikely that anyone will ever get the whole set of every different release of donation material. Thus you have literally a never ending hobby I have left a wiki link to the town where one exists. It is surprising how far-flung German settlements were in history, and the wiki articles give a good brief history of the German connection to the town.

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest

Paul R · February 8, 2012

Awesome background Troy. Thank you for sharing this with us. Do you have any other items along this line?

Troy Tempest · February 9, 2012

Indeed I do, I am just working through my VDA collection according to the Tieste book. Next up is Jägerndorf, T36 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A4gerndorf

Edited February 25, 2012 by Troy Tempest