Third Reich - WHW - “Opferschiessen 1935/1936”

The Winterhilfswerk (WHW) or Winter Relief Organization of the German People represented one of the most significant charity organizations in the Third Reich. This badge marked “Opferschießen 1935/1936” (Sacrifice Shooting 1935/1936) documents a special fundraising campaign conducted within the framework of the WHW, which combined National Socialist propaganda with sporting activities and donation collection.

The Winterhilfswerk was officially founded on September 13, 1933, and was ostensibly intended to help needy German “Volksgenossen” (racial comrades) during the winter months. Under the leadership of Erich Hilgenfeldt, who belonged to the staff of the Deputy Führer, the WHW developed into a gigantic propaganda machine and donation organization. The annual collection campaigns typically extended from October to March and mobilized millions of helpers throughout the Reich.

The Opferschießen (Sacrifice Shooting) represented a special form of fundraising that combined traditional German marksmanship sport with National Socialist “Volksgemeinschaft” (people's community) ideology. At these events, participants paid a contribution to the WHW and received the opportunity to participate in shooting competitions. As recognition for their “willingness to sacrifice,” participants received badges such as the iron sheet badge described here.

The 1935/1936 season fell during a time of increasing consolidation of Nazi power. After the reintroduction of general conscription in March 1935 and the proclamation of the Nuremberg Laws in September 1935, the regime intensified its efforts to ideologically penetrate the German population while simultaneously promoting military virtues. Shooting events served a dual purpose: they collected donations and simultaneously promoted paramilitary skills among the population.

The material composition of the badge made from iron sheet reflects the economic priorities of the regime. While earlier badges were often made from more valuable materials, the Third Reich increasingly relied on cost-effective production methods to manufacture as many badges as possible. The long pin allowed wearing on civilian clothing and made participation in the WHW campaign visible to everyone.

The WHW produced millions of different badges, plaques, and collectible figures annually. These served not only as donation receipts but also as instruments of social pressure. Anyone not wearing a WHW badge made themselves suspect of not belonging to the Volksgemeinschaft or refusing “national solidarity.” The collections were theoretically voluntary, but in practice there was considerable social and often official pressure to participate.

The WHW's revenues were substantial. In the 1935/36 season, the organization collected several hundred million Reichsmarks. While part of these funds was actually used for winter relief programs, considerable sums also flowed into the general state treasury and served rearmament purposes. The WHW thus functioned as both a covert tax system and propaganda instrument.

The design of WHW badges followed certain iconographic patterns. Typical motifs included regional costumes, historical personalities, Germanic symbolism, and military themes. The badges for the Opferschießen naturally emphasized the paramilitary sporting character of the event and fit into the general program of militarization of German society.

From a collection-historical perspective, WHW badges today represent important contemporary historical documents. They document the penetration of everyday life by National Socialist organizations and the mechanisms of social control in the Third Reich. The condition grade 2 of the present specimen indicates good preservation, which is not self-evident for iron sheet badges that tend to corrode.

The scholarly examination of WHW badges requires critical contextualization. They are testimonies of a criminal system that instrumentalized charity and connected it with propaganda, social pressure, and ultimately with the preparation for aggressive war. These objects remind us of how totalitarian regimes can pervert even seemingly benign social activities into instruments of control and ideological indoctrination.