Nazi Party 1939 convention pin with a nude mother with child acquired by a US soldier
Extent and Medium
overall: | Depth: 0.250 inches (0.635 cm) | Diameter: 1.625 inches (4.128 cm)
Creator(s)
- Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter-Partei (Issuer)
- Hans Gnad (Manufacturer)
- Harold B. Goldberg (Subject)
Biographical History
Harold B. Goldberg (1922-2011) was born in Brooklyn, New York to Samuel and Rose Goldberg. Samuel and Rose were born in Russia and immigrated to the United States before the birth of their children. Samuel worked as a presser in a tailor shop. Harold had six siblings and the family spoke Yiddish and English at home. As a young adult Harold worked as a mail carrier and attended City College in New York. On December 7, 1941, Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. The following day the United States declared war on Japan, and on December 11, Germany declared war on the United States. On October 31, 1942 Harold was drafted into the U.S. military. He entered the army on October 31, 1942 as a private, and received serial number 32613738. He served in Europe until the end of the war. Harold then returned home to New York where he married his wife Rita in 1952. The family lived in New York for the rest of their lives.
Archival History
The pin was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2013 by the family of Harold Goldberg.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of the family of Harold Goldberg
Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Scope and Content
Nazi Party Rally [Reichsparteitag] 1939 badge celebrating motherhood and fertility brought back from the war by Harold Goldberg, an American soldier who served in Europe, circa 1945-1946. The Nazi Party held annual rallies on a grand scale at the party grounds in Nuremberg from 1933-1938. These elaborately staged conventions were major propaganda events to inspire loyalty among followers and to showcase the glory and power of National Socialism to the world. Hitler often introduced new initiatives at this time, such as the Nuremberg Laws in 1935. The theme of 1939 was to be Reichsparteitag des Friedens [Rally for Peace.] However, it had to be canceled because of war preparations. The rallies were usually staged around the first week of September, and on September 1, 1939, Germany launched its invasion of Poland.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Circular, corroded, heavy, silver colored metal badge with a relief image of a recliningcnude woman with wheat sheaves across her lap, a baby seated by her knees, and a staked grape vine on the left. At the top is a left facing eagle with spread wings, grasping an enwreathed swastika. Around the bottom edge is the date and German text. The baxk has a maker’s mark and a soldered spring hinge and safety catch pin.
Subjects
- Jewish soldiers--United States--Biography.
- Soldiers--United States--Biography.
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, American.
- Souvenirs (Keepsakes)--Soldiers--United States--Biography.
Genre
- Object
- Identifying Artifacts