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Honorary NSDAP badge

Honorary NSDAP badge
  • Country of origin : Germany
  • Material : Metal
  • Date : October 1933
  • Intended for: For the first 100.000 members of the Nazi Party

The Golden Party Badge (Goldenes Ehrenzeichen der NSDAP) was a special award introduced by Adolf Hitler in October 1933. It was given to early members of the Nazi Party who had registered membership numbers from 1 to 100,000 as of 9 November 1933, provided they had maintained continuous party membership since receiving their number (originally issued on 1 October 1928). Each badge was engraved on the reverse with the recipient's party number. Under these criteria, 20.487 men and 1.795 women received the badge.

Beyond this group, Hitler also awarded the badge at his personal discretion to individuals who had shown exceptional loyalty or service to the Nazi Party or the German state. These discretionary awards were often presented annually on 30 January. These versions featured the initials "A.H." and the date of the award engraved on the back. Notable recipients included General Wilhelm Keitel, for his role in the 1938 occupation of the Sudetenland, and Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz in 1943 for his wartime leadership.

Design-wise, the Golden Party Badge was a standard Nazi Party membership badge, surrounded by a gold wreath. It came in two sizes: 30.5 mm for wear on uniforms and 24 mm for civilian dress. Upon the recipient’s death, the badge was typically kept by the family but was not permitted to be worn by anyone else, due to its unique serial number and certificate.

Interestingly, all three of Adolf Hitler’s known personal badges were stamped with the number “7,” despite his official party number being “555.” Early party leaders had deliberately started membership numbering at 500 to give the appearance of a larger and more established organization.

Most of the items are from my personal collection.
While some major documents are nearly impossible to acquire, every piece on display carries a unique story from the Second World War. That deep connection to history inspired me to start building this small collection, parts of which you see here today.

I believe it’s vital to preserve these pieces of the past, not just as artifacts, but as reminders for future generations. History shouldn’t be forgotten, and with your help, it won’t be.
Do you have a WW2 item?
Consider donating it to my project, where it can be preserved, appreciated, and help tell the story of that important time in history. Even the smallest item can make a big difference.
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