German WWII HJ Potsdam Youth Day Badge in Bronze

German WWII HJ Potsdam Youth Day Badge in Bronze
HJ (Hitlerjugend Potsdam-Abzeichen ). On October 1st & 2nd 1932, Reichsjugendführer Baldur von Schirach organized the first National Youth Day held in Potsdam. As with most rallies/events sponsored by the NSDAP a small commemorative "day" badge was produced for issue to the participants and sale to the spectators. Originally the badge was only issued in a bronze version for wear on the day of the event. The event was such a great success with roughly 85,000 male and 15,000 female participants, over five times the expected amount, that in November 1936 the badge gained official national status as a Commemorative Honor Badge, and was reproduced in a silver version. After the official recognition of the badge the original bronze version was forbidden from further wear. Bronze washed commemorative version. Badge is in the form of a vertical rectangle with embossed outer border and an embossed, downward pointing broad sword with an oak-leaf wreath encompassing a static swastika superimposed on the hilt of the sword, all on a slightly pebbled background field. Background field has embossed script, "NS I. Reichs Jugendtag", (National Socialist 1st National Youth Day), with a smooth field banner to bottom with impressed date, "1932". Vertical pin back device is intact to reverse. Maker marked to F.Hoffstätter, Bonn. GES. GESCH. - shortcut for „gesetzlich geschützt” (protected by law).
Condition: Good condition with traces of hard wear. As the pictures shown.