Debunking the Myth and Russian Disinformation. Was Hitlers Badge #1?

Hitler’s Golden Party Badges Numbered “7”

There are 3 well documented number 7 Golden Party Badges (Also referred to as Pin). with provenance named after Anny Winter & Heinz Linge.

The Winter Large And Small Golden Party Badges
Anny Winter was Hitler’s Housekeeper at his residence in Munich from 1929-1945. Winter was arrested by Bavarian State authorities for theft of Hitler artifacts from his home. Winter claimed that the artifacts where given to her by Hitler and disputed the theft charge. A court battle ensued which lasted over 3 years. Listed in a signed 1953 attestation of items in her possession were Hitler’s large and small party badges described as numbered 7.

The Linge .750 Fine Gold Party Badge
One of the closest people to Hitler was Heinz Linge, an SS officer who had served as Hitler’s chief valet and head of his personal service staff. He was one if not the last person to see Hitler alive and the first person to see Hitler’s body after committing suicide. In 1973 Heinz Linge and Heinrich Hoffman Jr. 1916-1988 (son of Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitler’s Personal Photographer and close friend) made a documented written declaration and swore on oath that Hitler’s hallmarked .750 fine gold party badge number “7” was made for Hitler sometime around 1937 and which he wore until 1945.

History, Disinformation, Facts and Theory
On May 3rd, 1945, a report was made in the identification of the corpses of the Goebbels family dated May 3, 1945, by SMERSH (an umbrella organization for three independent counter-intelligence agencies in the Red Army) 9 Russian Intelligence Officers, and a Corps Physician of the Russian 79th Infantry Corps Medical, made the following signed declarations in reference to articles found on or near the bodies of Goebbel and his wife.

They claim that a thorough examination was made. Discovered were the burned remains of a NSDAP uniform jacket and a gold party badge. Near the body of Magda Goebbels was a partially burned gold cigarette case. Noted on the inside of the case was a monogram of Adolf Hitler and dated 29-10-34.

The declaration read that on the body of Magda was a gold NSDAP badge. Reported was that interrogated prisoner of war Vice-Admiral Voss identified the burned body of Magda Goebbels wife by her height and by the burned Golden NSDAP Party Badge. 

On the same day in an almost identical report classified at the time as Top Secret to Joseph Stalin, G,K. Zhukov Marshal of the Soviet Union & K F Telegin Lieutenant General, included the statement of interrogated prisoner Voss that Hitler gave Magda his party badge three days prior to his suicide. (this statement is factual as known to other witnesses and noted in the last letter Magda wrote to her son) mentioned in the report to Stalin was the burned cigarette case bearing Hitler’s monogram and dated 29.10.34.

The cigarette case in the report was well described, with photos of both the inside and outside of the cigarette case, however there was no mention or photos of any description or serial # of any type on the reverse of the Party Badge. It would not have escaped the attention of the Russian investigators report and assuredly would have been mentioned in Zhukov’s classified report to Stalin.

The obverse of the badge was never described or photographed in the initial report. Only in later years was it reported by the Russian Security Service (FSB) that the badge found on Magda’s body having serial numbered “1”, however known photographs in the Russian archives taken at the time of the items described in the report, show only the obverse of two partially burned party Badge, which seem to be the small version of the award. It is interesting to note that photos of both the inside and outside of the cigarette case had been photographed, but no photos have ever been made public from Russian archives that have shown the reverse of the party badges.

It is also highly unlikely, that Voss had seen the party badge on the burned body, as the clothing was mostly burned off, and any decorations or jewelry most likely had been removed before Voss’s identification of the body. 

Photo of Party Badge and cigarette case

Reference: Hitler’s Death
Russia’s Last great Secret from the files of the KGB
by V.K. Vinogradov, J.F Pogonny & N.V Teptzov
PG 77-78

In a 1995 catalog published by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) lists the possession of Hitler’s Golden Party badge and mentions the badge marked with the number “1”. A poor-quality photo showed the obverse of a typical larger version Golden Party badge and the fragmented remains of what was reported to be Hitler’s jaw and teeth. No photos were shown indicating the reverse to be numbered 1.

Spiegel Photo

This archived Photo of the Badge and fragmented remains of Hitler’s jaw and teeth were displayed in a special exhibition with other German military bounty in 2003, to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the founding of Soviet military intelligence. No further photos were published showing the obverse or reverse of the badge.

The actual badge and other Nazi artifacts were to be displayed in 2005 at the State Archive of the Russian Federation Museum marking the 60th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War. The badge however disappeared before it actually was to be on public display.

A news article dated November 19, 2005, from “The Times in London” reads: (in entirety as reported)

Trophy hunter steals Hitler badge By Jeremy Page and Luba Vinogradova

Russian security is embarrassed as exhibition loses the Nazi leaders No 1 party membership badge IT WAS, until recently, one of the most sinister and valuable trophies in the archives of the Russian agency that succeeded the KGB. For five decades Adolf Hitler’s gold Nazi party membership badge lay in a special room in the depths of the Lubyanka, the headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB), along with other trophies from the Third Reich.Only this year did the FSB put it on display for the first time at a special exhibition to mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. But, to its enormous embarrassment, the badge was stolen from the exhibition, The Times has learnt.

Investigators say that they have little hope of retrieving the trophy, whose theft, they believe, was commissioned by a wealthy collector, possibly a neo-Nazi. They say that the burglar was clearly a professional, who cased the exhibition and used climbing equipment to lower himself from the roof and in through a window after removing the glass. “It could have been smuggled abroad or could still be in the country,” an investigator, who declined to be identified, said.

The FSB insists that the badge was a copy and of no value. But many Russian experts believe that it was the original and could be worth up to €3 million (£2.1 million). “Only after it was stolen did people start saying it wasn’t the original,” said a source at the State Archive of the Russian Federation, where the exhibition was held.

One theory is that the theft, on June30, may have been ordered by one of Russia’s neo-Nazi groups, which have become increasingly active in the past 5 years, with a string of deadly attacks on foreigners and non-Slavic Russians. The FSB, which inherited the KGB archives after the collapse of the Soviet Union, revealed that it possessed the badge in a catalog published in 1996.

The catalogue listed several items taken from the bunker where Soviet troops found the bodies of Hitler, Eva Braun and Joseph and Magda Goebbels — all of whom committed suicide — in 1945. They included documents, personal belongings, uniforms and the jawbones of Hitler and Eva Braun. But the prize trophies were Hitler’s and Goebbels’ party membership badges — among 10,000 issued to its first members in 1934. Hitlers was marked “1” on the reverse side. Many historians believe that Hitler gave the badge to Magda Goebbels as a token of thanks just before killing himself on April 30, 1945. Goebbels and his wife had refused to leave Berlin and moved into Hitler’s bunker on April 22, 1945. They committed suicide on May 1 after killing their six children.

Soviet military intelligence officers sent the items to Moscow in 1948. In 1954 Ivan Serov, the KGB chief, handed them to the KGB archive, where they were stored in a special room for the next 51 years.

The public caught its first glimpse of the badge in 2003 in a photograph at an exhibition to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of Soviet military intelligence. But it was not put on display until this year.

A notice announcing the exhibition read: “Among the exhibits will be such rare items as the scorched map from Hitler’s bunker and his personal NSDAP membership badge.” Closed-circuit television footage showed that the burglar was a man of slight build acting alone. He triggered sensors as he scaled the 3m (10ft) wall around the museum, but guards thought that it was a cat. He also set off an alarm when sensors detected him entering the exhibition hall. But he quickly smashed the window of the display cabinet with a hammer and snatched the badge, along with eight other items, before climbing out of the window using a rope.

“If only our policemen on guard hadn’t been tying up the laces on their boots,” the investigator said, “he would have been caught on the spot.”

The article was written in its entirety as reported by “The Times” The Times is a British daily national newspaper based in London.

It is most difficult to imagine that one burglar with the intention to steal the badge from the highly secured Federation Museum in Moscow (which houses Russian documents from the highest bodies), would have been successful and then written off as a blunder by the guards? Why would it have been reported that the FSB insisted that the stolen badge was a fake and of no value? Who were those Russian experts that had seen the badge and believed it to be genuine? Why would Investigators report that that this theft may have been ordered by neo-Nazi groups, commissioned by a wealthy collector and that there was little hope of retrieving the badge? Why was The Times the only news source reporting on this theft? Why are there no known Photos published of the reverse of the badge? These questions remain unanswered, and one can only conclude that this was a total fabricated report as given to the “Times.” The article however is widely used by several militaria website and Wikipedia to justify that Hitler’s Party badge was numbered “1.”

State Archives of the Russian Federation Building

It is very likely that the Russian FSB fabricated the theft since they knew that the party badge was not Hitler’s, eliminating the discovery of Russian misinformation that for years claimed to be Hitler’s Party Badge and numbered “1 on the reverse.

The theory is that the sale of Hitler’s Party Badge, numbered as “7” with the facsimile signature of Hitler, auctioned off by a prominent German Auction house one year prior for nearly $100,000 could also have affected a decision to somehow make the badge disappear ending the controversy and discovery of disinformation for half a century by the FSB?

The badge offered in the 47th auction 15 October 2004 of Hermann Historica in Munich was described as follows: Adolf Hitler his golden party badge.

His personal badge in a special version of gold and enamel. The inscription on the medallion as well in gold in contrary to the silver inscriptions on a normal Golden Party Badge. On the reverse side engraved the number “7” and the facsimile signature “Adolf Hitler” along with the stamped hallmark “750”. On a threaded badge with a small, toothed, screw disk. Diameter 31mm. In a case with blue velvet lining. There is also a pictured certificate of August 9/10, 1973, with a handwritten declaration of authenticity by Heinz Linge (Head of Adolf Hitler’s personal servants) and Heinrich Hoffmann (Reichs Press Photographer for the NSDAP and Hitler’s personal photographer). They swear under on oath that this is the party insignia that “was made for Hitler sometime around 1937, and which he wore until 1945”

Literature: Klaus D. Patzwall “Das Goldene Parteiabzeichen “, (the Golden Party Badge) Norderstedt 2004, page 51 f. According to the testimony of those present, Magda Goebbels received this party badge as a personal gift in the evening of 27 April 1945, (three days before Hitler’s suicide). 32088 -End of the Catalog Description-

The Linge Badge
The Golden Party Badge offered at the auction had one major issue with several collectors and historians! “The swastika was misaligned” It was that the point of the swastika the inscription circle, was not in place exactly above the knot of the oak leaf wreath as issued.

Was it therefore a counterfeit?

Photo of badge as described in Auction Catalog

The controversial misalignment of the wreath can easily be explained as the party badges was constructed in two parts. The outer ring made from 18K gold with a wreath completely encircling the badge. The inner part was the enameled part of the medallion. The enameled part of the medallion must have come off at one point and not properly affixed as it should have been, in which the correct position is that the point of the swastika lies above the “A” of D.A.P. in the inscription circle and is placed exactly above the knot of the oak leaf wreath. This was corrected after the purchase of the badge by the directions of Hermann Historica and the buyer. The enameled medallion was carefully removed from the gold base under heat, cleaning both surfaces to be connected and then soft soldering the medallion back to the gold base in the correct position. This was amazingly done as documented by a 94-year-old former employee living in Munich by Messrs. Fuess, whose father was involved in designing both the Party Badge and the Honor Badge of 9th November 1923. Father and son, then doing his apprenticeship at Fuess made the original tools for both badges.

Documentation and Corrected Badge.

On the militaria website, http://www.interlog.com/~sjl/GPB/hitlerbadge.htm a Site for Collectors and Historians” the author commented on the auction sale of the numbered 7 badge, he noted that the misalignment of the Golden Party Badge was “the most glaring error, and that Hitler never had party number “7” – he was No. “1” The author points out that his reissue in NSDAP membership book shows his membership number as “1” and that the German style of writing a “1” looks like ”7” to North American eyes. The author also claims that several genuine examples in private collections exist, bearing the number “1,” but that he sadly cannot produce any photos. Mentioned also was the article of “The Times” on the theft of his party badge, as his prove that Hitler’s Party badge was numbered “1”

The author of the site, also goes on to mention, it is hard to his understanding why Hitler’s facsimile signature would appear on his own badge, especially if it is a presentation. He also believes that “The odd screw back attachment would make it very hard to keep attached”.

The Historian of military medals should be aware that Hitler has his facsimile signature on other significant presentation pieces such as “The Mothers Cross” and the “German Order of the NSDAP” which was the most important award that the Nazi Party could bestow on an individual for “duties of the highest order to the state and party.” 

Contrary to the argument that the screw attachment would make it more difficult to stay attached, it is the opposite. Through examination and study, the unique screw attachment on the heavier Special 18K Gold Party Badge made it more secure and easier to apply to a garment through a stitched pin hole/grommet, more so than the soldered pin back issue. The disputing author himself mentions in a contradictory statement, on another link to the website, http://www.interlog.com/~sjl/GPB/genuinelarge.html that most pin type attachments were attached with an irregular, roughly rectangular pin plate with rounded ends, and that were notoriously fragile.

The known facts:
Hitler’s actual party membership as historically known was “555” issued January 1920. Membership started with the number 500 to make the party appear larger. Hitler however referred himself to be Party member #7 as he proclaimed in his autobiographical book of “Mein Kampf” written at Landsberg prison in 1925.

Hitlers first membership card Numbered 555

The Winter Badges

A re-issued Hitler membership card bearing the number 1 was listed in the inventory given to the Bavarian state court in 1953 by Hitler’s Housekeeper Anny Winter who was arrested and imprisoned for attempting the sale of Hitler artifacts and documents. Winter filed a suit against the State as she claimed that Hitler had given her the items to keep. Winter was victorious in having numerous confiscated items returned, except for Hitler’s membership card and some other political documents. One of the items she listed was Hitler’s small and large regular issued version of the Gold party Badge described as having the number “7” on the reverse. Fortunately for Winter, the state did not consider the Party Badge of historical importance and was part of the returned items which was later sold with a testimonial from the Housekeeper.

Hitler’s Golden Party badges from the Munich apartment. Pre 1937 Pin Back Type

Declared items in possession by Winter Dated September 2, 1953
Which includes Hitlers Party badges with serial Number 7
(Item Number 34)

Hitler’s .750 Golden Party Badge numbered “7” 
The most important factor is that the auctioned Hitler #“7” party badge was accompanied by testimonials of Heinz Linge his personal valet, also Hitler’s Reichs Press photographer Heinrich Hoffmann Jr, (son of Hitler’s personal photographer and trusted friend) that the item is genuine. Who would have better known then Linge, the valet who was personally in charge of placing Hitler’s Badge and decoration on his wardrobe that Hitler’s party badge was numbered “7”

Testimonials by Linge & Hoffmann Jr

 

Klaus Patzwall, internationally known German historian, editor and publisher of numerous publications and books on Awards of the German Reich quotes in his book “The golden Party badges” page 45. Authentic Golden Party Badge 750/1000 with engraved “7” (Hitler’s NSDAP Nr.) and his signature. This decoration was in 1970 offered in the trade as the badge, which Magda Goebbels (11.11 1901-1.5.1945) said:” Last night the Fuehrer took of his golden Party badge and pinned it on me” Note the screw cap.

Conclusion
Hitler’s Party badge was numbered 7 and not numbered 1 

The badges recovered by the Russians were the small version of the award worn by Goebbels and not Hitler’s party badge as claimed and pictured in the archival photos.

The concluding theory is that Magda Goebbels, took off Hitler’s party badge prior to her suicidal death and returned it to Linge. She may have replaced it with her own and as a fanatical Nazi, did not wanted to dishonor Hitler, die with his badge, or have it fall into Russian hands. 

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