Golden Party Badge

The Golden Party Badge (Goldenes Parteiabzeichen) was an award authorised by Adolf Hitler in a decree in October 1933. It was a special award given to all Nazi Party members who had, as of 9 November 1933, registered numbers from 1 to 100,000 and had unbroken Party membership. The recipient's party number was inscribed on the reverse of the badge. Only 20,487 men and 1,795 women were awarded the badge on these terms.

The Golden Party Badge was also awarded at the discretion of Hitler to certain members of the party who merited special treatment and, on 30 January each year, to persons who had shown outstanding service to the Nazi Party or State. These badges had the initials 'A.H.' and the date of the award on the reverse. Examples of such awards include to General Wilhelm Keitel for his direction of the 1938 occupation of the Sudetenland, and to Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz in 1943 for war services.

The Golden Party Badge was the basic Nazi Party Badge with the addition of a gold wreath completely encircling the badge. The badge was awarded in two sizes: 30.5 mm for wear on service uniforms and 24 mm for wear on a suit jacket. In the event of the death of the recipient, the badge would be kept by the family. However, due to the numbered certificate, no one else was allowed to wear the badge.

While all three of Adolf Hitlers known, personal Golden Party Badges are stamped with the number '7,' his issued party number was '555.' In the beginning, the founding party members wished to make their membership appear larger, so they issued numbers starting with 500.

In Hitler's biographical book, "Mein Kampf," he declared that his Nazi Party membership was number '7. During the creation of his personal .750 gold Nazi Party Badge, it was stamped with number '7' and his facsimile signature. In 1970, this very same badge was sold to a prominent German collector. The sale, along with photographs, was documented in Klaus D. Patzwalls book, "The Golden Party Badge."

There has been, however, an incorrect assumption that Hitlers Golden Party Badge was numbered '1.' This belief stems from Hitler being re-issued Nazi membership '1' during the reformation of the NSDAP in 1925. Additional claims that his badge number was '1' come from several US militaria websites. They cite a single article which was printed in the "Times in London” in 2005. The authors of the news article stated that his Golden Party Badge according to Russian sources, was numbered “1.” The "Times" article also stated that the badge was stolen in 2005, right before being displayed at the State Archive of the Russian Federation Museum. The Russians reportedly explained that the guards thought the alarm was activated by a cat and this is why the break in was ignored. Oddly, according to the article, after the theft was reported, the Federal Security Service insisted the stolen badge was a copy. No known photographs from the Russian archives show the reverse of Hitlers party badge as being numbered 1. In 2004, Hitler's numbered "7" badge was auctioned by Hermann Historical, in Munich, Germany. The sale included written, sworn statements of authenticity by two persons very close to Hitler when he was the leader of Nazi Germany. These statements were made by Heinz Linge, Hitler's personal Valet and Reichs Press Photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann Jr., close friend of Hitler and son of Hitler's personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann, Sr.

In Linge's sworn statement, he explained that, as the valet responsible for dressing Hitler daily, he was able to verify that the special .750 fine gold, number '7' party badge was worn by Hitler from 1937 until his death in 1945. An additional statement regarding Hitler's personal badges was given by his long-time housekeeper Anni Winter, also mentioned in Hitler's Private Will and Testament. Winter was arrested by Bavarian State Authorities for theft of Hitler documents and artifacts from his home in Munich. Winter claimed the items in question were given to her by Hitler. A court battle ensued which lasted over 3 years. Listed in a signed 1953 attestation of items given to her by Hitler, were his small and large pre-1937 golden party badges described as numbered "7".

In the 1930s, Rudolf Hess had explored the possibility of making the Golden Nazi Party Badge the first degree of a multi-degree award of the German Order. In Hess' proposal, the Golden Nazi Party Badge would have been the lowest degree, followed by a 2nd class medal, 1st class cross, and then a Knight's Cross neck order. Hess's degrees were never instituted, but the later German Order retained the Golden Nazi Party Badge as its centerpiece.

The public wear of all Nazi Party badges, including the Golden Party Badge, was banned in 1945.