Just on the enamel versions:
The 1936 badges with enamel are not viewed well by collectors but is there anything to show that an enamel version of the badge was available back then, or indeed that it was
not available? Well, the 1934 Hochlandlager in Aidling/Riegsee is covered in detail in a
book by Thomas Wagner. The book contains footnotes and includes the recollections of Erich Klein, the former HJ Obergebietsführer who was of course intimately involved with all of the Hochlandlager.
In the section covering finances, the author notes that badges ("Lagerplaketten") showing the emblem of the Hochlandlager were sold to those attending the event and that they were available in Altsilber or with enamel. He goes on to say that visitors were also able to buy badges; again, in Altsilber and with enamel. He concludes both statements by saying that this was a badge with a pin. His footnote for this section is a local newspaper, Murnauer Tagblatt dated 30.7.1934 which relates to the Hochlandlager "logo". Perhaps the badges are shown? These will, I assume, be the round
Deschler badges and something like the non-portable
Carl Poellath? Or is the author wrong when he says that
all of the badges had pins? Look at this enamel version from the maker Carl Poellath:
https://www.hj-research.com/forum/f93/1936-hochland-lager-plaque-6990/#post49169: Here's another with drilled holes (H. Historika):
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In any case, if there were badges with and without enamel for the 1934 Lager then clearly it follows that there was probably a similar availability for the 1935 and 1936 camps so I think it important to come at the discussion of these badges with the mindset that yes, the precedent set by the 1934 badges means that 1936 badges may well have been available in Altsilber and enamel versions too. This needs to be proven of course but as I say, the 1934 badges set a precedent that can't be ignored.
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Now, 1936 Hochlandlager badges with stamped serial numbers (bottom right).. The suggestions for why some badges have these obverse serial numbers range from them being for judges to being the wearer's serial number during the camp. Neither of those suggestions makes any logical sense to me but I did find another possible reason. A book or pamphlet "Hochlandlager Wachvorschrift"
1 was produced for guard personnel and those on such duties during the 1934 Hochlandlager. This mentions a badge that was produced by
Gebiet 19 Hochland and given to visitors to the camp by gate personnel so that their arrival and time of leaving the area could be registered. The guard system was also mentioned in the book "Unser Hochlandlager". Now, this does seem a perfectly good use for a Hochlandlager badge with a strange serial number roughly stamped onto it. A system that worked in 1934 is unlikely to have changed much two years later so perhaps the Hochlandlager 1936 badges with the serial numbers were held in the guard huts and issued to visitors for the duration of their stay in the camp. It makes perfect sense to me but without more evidence it remains a theory. Subsequent edit: the numbers of visitors in 1936 had to be restricted due to the increasing popularity of the Hochlandlager and this might answer the question of why there are serial-numbered badges around in the 5000 range.
Another subsequent edit (2014): check
THIS out. These camps also used paper visitor passes. Or were they
always paper? That would make all metal badges instantly suspect.
Another thing that often comes up is the matter of 1936 badges marked "A Berger, Garmisch". These are considered to be post-war copies as evidenced by Toby's post here:
https://www.hj-research.com/forum/f27/hochland-lager-1934-badge-2277/#post18861 Does anyone have any background information that could help to confirm the Berger badges as fakes? I don't suspect that they are anything else but fakes but confirmation is always useful.
1 BayHStA (Bavarian State Archives), Slg. Varia, 1303/1, Hochlandlager 1934, Wachvorschrift