Hitler Youth HJ Leader’s Sports Proficiency Badge

Hitler Youth HJ Leader’s Proficiency Sports Badge, extremely rare maker A.G. Tham Gablonz A.N. marked on back.

From January 1937, officers in the Hitler Youth and Jungvolk were required to pass an annual fitness test covering a number of different sports. In May 1938 a special Leader’s Sports Badge in Gold (German: Goldenes Fuhrersportabzeichen der Hitler Jugend) was instituted for award to those officers who achieved the highest scores in these tests.  The gold gilt badge consists of a swastika surrounded by a ring bearing the inscription: ‘Für Leistunger in der HJ’ (For achievers in the HJ) in runic-style script, set in front of a large tyr or tiwaz rune, surrounded by a narrow laurel wreath.  Over 11,000 were awarded.

The first Nazi youth organization was created in Germany in 1922. In 1926, this organization took on the name “Hitlerjugend” (Hitler Youth) and by 1930, it had over 25,000 members. From 1933 to 1945, the Hitler Youth was the only official youth organization in Germany. The Hitler Youth was for boys aged 14 to 18, and also included the “Deutsche Jungvolk” for boys aged 10 to 14, and the “Bund deutsche Mädel” for German girls. This was primarily a paramilitary organization. Members learned military skills, such as drill and marching, and were arranged in units with a command structure similar to that of the military. These units were subject to political lectures and other types of indoctrination using Nazi propaganda. By December of 1936, the Hitlerjugend had over 5 million members. During WWII, The Hitler Youth assisted the German postal service and the Reich national railways, among other tasks. By the end of the war, Hitler Youth members were being deployed in combat as anti-aircraft gunners attached as auxiliaries to the Luftwaffe, and as members of the Volkssturm militia units. Hitler Youth personnel had a wide variety of uniforms and headgear, including tan summer uniforms, wool winter uniforms, and specialized clothing for sports competitions or special units. These uniforms were worn with a wide variety of different insignia which designated specific functions and units. Headgear ranged from simple field caps and ski caps, to specialized equipment. Hitler Youth members were also eligible to earn a range of awards. At the end of the war, the Hitlerjugend was disbanded, and later banned by the German criminal code.