This tin badge documents the first Reich Conference of the National Socialist Teachers League (NSLB), which took place from August 3-5, 1934, in Frankfurt am Main. The term “Ernting” on the badge represents a Germanized designation for the month of August, as was occasionally propagated in National Socialist circles.
The National Socialist Teachers League was founded in 1929 as a professional organization for National Socialist teachers and rapidly developed into the dominant teachers' organization in the German Reich after the seizure of power in 1933. Under the leadership of Hans Schemm, who simultaneously served as Bavarian Minister of Culture, the NSLB pursued the complete coordination of the German educational system. By 1937, nearly all German teachers were members of the NSLB, which comprised approximately 320,000 members.
The 1934 Reich Conference marked a significant moment in the history of this organization. It took place during a time of fundamental upheaval in the German educational system. The year 1934 was also when the Nazi leadership consolidated its power through the elimination of the SA leadership at the end of June. The August conference thus stood under the sign of complete National Socialist penetration of all areas of society.
Such event badges served multiple functions within the National Socialist system. They served as participant credentials, as souvenirs, and not least as visible signs of belonging to the Nazi movement. Production as tin badges was cost-effective and enabled mass production for the numerous participants of such large events.
Frankfurt am Main was not chosen as the conference location by chance. The city was considered an important cultural and economic center and offered the necessary infrastructure for large events. The choice also emphasized the NSLB's claim to be a Reich-wide organization not concentrated solely on Munich or Berlin.
The NSLB pursued the goal of transforming the teaching profession into an instrument of National Socialist education. At such Reich conferences, ideological guidelines were conveyed, pedagogical concepts discussed in accordance with Nazi ideology, and organizational standardization advanced. The events also served for mutual reinforcement and demonstration of unity.
The material design of such badges followed typical patterns of the Nazi era: simple yet distinctive symbolism, clear typefaces, and the use of characteristic Nazi aesthetics. As tin badges with pin fasteners, they could be attached to clothing and identified the wearer as a participant in the event.
Today, such badges are important contemporary historical documents that provide insight into the organizational structures and propaganda methods of the Nazi regime. They illustrate how the regime systematically captured all professional groups and instrumentalized them for its purposes. The educational system was of particular importance, as the ideological indoctrination of youth occurred through the teaching profession.
The condition of the described badge is indicated as “condition 2,” which corresponds to very good to good in the standard rating scale. This suggests careful preservation over the decades. Such objects are today preserved in museums, archives, and private collections and serve historical research and educational work about the Nazi era.
