A Very Early 1925 Nsdap Golden Party Badge To District Leader Franz Danninger

A small NSDAP golden party badge; in gilded tombac and red, white, and black enamels; with the early member number “9702” and maker marked “Jos. Fuess, München” on the reverse; horizontal pinback; measuring 23.90 mm in diameter; weighing 7.7 grams; extremely fine condition with nearly all of the original gilding present, with the enamels extremely well preserved.

Footnote: Franz Danninger (born January 6, 1986 in Haitzendorf, north-east Austria) was an NSDAP official, member of the SA, and Captain in the German Army. In 1916, after finishing high school, Danninger joined the Austrian army to fight in the First War, at the end of which he had attained the rank of Lieutenant. Afterwards, he planned to get a degree in economics, yet his studies at university were cut short after just one year of study due to lack of money. Disillusioned, he planned to leave Europe for Canada, but was convinced by relatives in Bavaria to stay. There, Danninger worked as a bookkeeper in  a coal mine. Danninger originally joined the NSDAP in 1923, before it was outlawed. After the ban on the NSDAP was lifted, Danninger rejoined on July 10, 1925, as member number 9702. He received his Golden Party Badge on November 30, 1933. Since 1931, he was also a member of the SA. In the late 1920’s, Danninger’s political career began when he became a local NSDAP group leader, before being made the district leader of Miesbach, southern Bavaria, in 1928. He also served as the mayor of Schliersee (district of Miesbach) between 1934 and 1939. On January 30, 1940, Danninger was drafted, and served on the Eastern Front in Southern Russia in the 1st Company of Sapper Battalion 155 between 1940-1942. He achieved the rank of Captain, as well as a SA-Sturmbannfürer in. On May 12, 19142, he received the Iron Cross 1939 First Class. Danninger was taken prisoner by the US Army on May 8, 1945. He was initially tried as a major offender, which was later moderated to simply “offender” upon his release from prison on January 1949. He died on August 16, 1976.