Price: 5.00 euro Size: 6.1cm./2.40inch. Year: 1968
Mao Zedong pin from the 1960’s. This pin once belonged to Mrs. Koomen. In the 1960’s and early 1970’s Mrs. Koomen (who was Dutch) lived in Canada and began to trade in Chinese artificial flowers and later Chinese antiques. She often went to China and was a welcome guest. As the story goes she was one of the first Western woman to meet Mao Zedong. Her brother Theo Koomen was a well known Dutch sports reporter who tragiclly died in a car accident in 1984. On the pcitures there is a news article about Mrs. Koomen and a inventation for a fireworks show on her husband’s name.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 4.9cm./1.92inch. Year: 1968
Mao Zedong pin from the 1960’s. This pin once belonged to Mrs. Koomen. In the 1960’s and early 1970’s Mrs. Koomen (who was Dutch) lived in Canada and began to trade in Chinese artificial flowers and later Chinese antiques. She often went to China and was a welcome guest. As the story goes she was one of the first Western woman to meet Mao Zedong. Her brother Theo Koomen was a well known Dutch sports reporter who tragiclly died in a car accident in 1984. On the pcitures there is a news article about Mrs. Koomen and a inventation for a fireworks show on her husband’s name.
Mao Zedong pin from the 1960’s. This pin once belonged to Mrs. Koomen. In the 1960’s and early 1970’s Mrs. Koomen (who was Dutch) lived in Canada and began to trade in Chinese artificial flowers and later Chinese antiques. She often went to China and was a welcome guest. As the story goes she was one of the first Western woman to meet Mao Zedong. Her brother Theo Koomen was a well known Dutch sports reporter who tragiclly died in a car accident in 1984. On the pcitures there is a news article about Mrs. Koomen and a inventation for a fireworks show on her husband’s name.
Pin made in the DDR. The letters IF stands for Interflug. Interflug was the national airline of the German Democratic Republic from 1963 to 1990. Based in East Berlin, it operated scheduled and chartered flights to European and intercontinental destinations out of its hub at Berlin Schönefeld Airport. Following German reunification, the company was liquidated.
Price: 1.50 euro Size: 6cm./2.36inch. Weight: 4gr./0.14oz.
Pin about, and with the image of, Peterhof Palace. There is also a gold edition of this pin. The Peterhof Palace is a series of palaces and gardens located in Petergof, Saint Petersburg, Russia, commissioned by Peter the Great as a direct response to the Palace of Versailles by Louis XIV of France.
Price: 12.00 euro Size: 3.5cm./1.37inch. Weight: 5gr./0.17oz.
Pin made in China with the image of Mao Zedong. Made of porcelain. Mao Zedong (1893-1976) was leader of communist China for decades. He made major transformations in China, most known are the Cultural Revolution (removal of kapitalist elements) and The Great Leap Forward (the industrialization of China). One of Moa’s most trusted man, Lin Biao, collected quotations of Mao and published them wich would become known as The Red Book. Lin Biao was a chinese general and politician who commanded the troops in the Korean war. Later he got into a power struggle with Mao and he died in a planecrash.
Price: 12.00 euro Size: 4.4cm./1.73inch. Weight: 8gr./0.28oz.
Pin made in China with the image of Mao Zedong. Made of porcelain. Mao Zedong (1893-1976) was leader of communist China for decades. He made major transformations in China, most known are the Cultural Revolution (removal of kapitalist elements) and The Great Leap Forward (the industrialization of China). One of Moa’s most trusted man, Lin Biao, collected quotations of Mao and published them wich would become known as The Red Book. Lin Biao was a chinese general and politician who commanded the troops in the Korean war. Later he got into a power struggle with Mao and he died in a planecrash.
Price: 12.00 euro Size: 4.4cm./1.73inch. Weight: 10gr./0.35oz.
Pin made in China with the image of Mao Zedong. Made of porcelain. Mao Zedong (1893-1976) was leader of communist China for decades. He made major transformations in China, most known are the Cultural Revolution (removal of kapitalist elements) and The Great Leap Forward (the industrialization of China). One of Moa’s most trusted man, Lin Biao, collected quotations of Mao and published them wich would become known as The Red Book. Lin Biao was a chinese general and politician who commanded the troops in the Korean war. Later he got into a power struggle with Mao and he died in a planecrash.
Price: 12.00 euro Size: 5cm./1.96inch. Weight: 13gr./0.45oz.
Pin made in China with the image of Mao Zedong. Made of porcelain. Mao Zedong (1893-1976) was leader of communist China for decades. He made major transformations in China, most known are the Cultural Revolution (removal of kapitalist elements) and The Great Leap Forward (the industrialization of China). One of Moa’s most trusted man, Lin Biao, collected quotations of Mao and published them wich would become known as The Red Book. Lin Biao was a chinese general and politician who commanded the troops in the Korean war. Later he got into a power struggle with Mao and he died in a planecrash.
Price: 12.00 euro Size: 5cm./1.96inch. Weight: 13gr./0.45oz.
Pin made in China with the image of Mao Zedong. Made of porcelain. Mao Zedong (1893-1976) was leader of communist China for decades. He made major transformations in China, most known are the Cultural Revolution (removal of kapitalist elements) and The Great Leap Forward (the industrialization of China). One of Moa’s most trusted man, Lin Biao, collected quotations of Mao and published them wich would become known as The Red Book. Lin Biao was a chinese general and politician who commanded the troops in the Korean war. Later he got into a power struggle with Mao and he died in a planecrash.
Price: 12.00 euro Size: 4.6cm./1.81inch. Weight: 11gr./0.38oz.
Pin made in China with the image of Mao Zedong. Made of porcelain. Mao Zedong (1893-1976) was leader of communist China for decades. He made major transformations in China, most known are the Cultural Revolution (removal of kapitalist elements) and The Great Leap Forward (the industrialization of China). One of Moa’s most trusted man, Lin Biao, collected quotations of Mao and published them wich would become known as The Red Book. Lin Biao was a chinese general and politician who commanded the troops in the Korean war. Later he got into a power struggle with Mao and he died in a planecrash.
Price: 10.00 euro Size: 5.7cm./2.24inch. Weight: 8gr./0.28oz.
Mao pin made in China made from hard plastic. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 17.50 euro Size: 7.2cm./2.83inch. Weight: 11gr./0.38oz.
Mao pin made in China made from hard plastic. Big. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 17.50 euro Size: 7.2cm./2.83inch. Weight: 11gr./0.38oz.
Mao pin made in China made from hard plastic. Big. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 17.50 euro Size: 7.2cm./2.83inch. Weight: 11gr./0.38oz.
Mao pin made in China made from hard plastic. Big. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 17.50 euro Size: 7.2cm./2.83inch. Weight: 11gr./0.38oz.
Mao pin made in China made from hard plastic. Big. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 17.50 euro Size: 7.2cm./2.83inch. Weight: 11gr./0.38oz.
Mao pin made in China made from hard plastic. Big. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 17.50 euro Size: 7.2cm./2.83inch. Weight: 11gr./0.38oz.
Mao pin made in China made from hard plastic. Big. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 17.50 euro Size: 7.2cm./2.83inch. Weight: 11gr./0.38oz.
Mao pin made in China made from hard plastic. Big. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 17.50 euro Size: 7.2cm./2.83inch. Weight: 11gr./0.38oz.
Mao pin made in China made from hard plastic. Big. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 15.00 euro Size: 4.5cm./1.77inch. Weight: 3gr./0.10oz.
Mao pin made in China made from bamboo. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 15.00 euro Size: 4.7cm./1.85inch. Weight: 3gr./0.10oz.
Mao pin made in China made from bamboo. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 15.00 euro Size: 4.4cm./o.15inch. Weight: 2gr./0.07oz.
Mao pin made in China made from bamboo. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 15.00 euro Size: 4.4cm./o.15inch. Weight: 3gr./0.10oz.
Mao pin made in China made from bamboo. There is also a green version of this pin. This is the brown version. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 15.00 euro Size: 4.4cm./o.15inch. Weight: 3gr./0.10oz.
Mao pin made in China made from bamboo. This pin comes in variations. Another same pin has got an edge. This one doesn’t. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 3.9cm./1.53inch. Weight: 5gr./0.17oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 3.7cm./1.4inch. Weight: 4gr./0.1oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 6.50 euro Size: 5x4cm./1.9×1.5inch. Weight: 12gr./0.4oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 4.3cm./1.6inch. Weight: 7gr./0.2oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 4(h)x4.2(w)cm./1.5(h)x1.65(w)inch. Weight: 6gr./0.2oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 15.00 euro Size: 5cm./1.96inch. Weight: 3gr./0.10oz.
Mao pin made in China made from bamboo. There is also a brown version of this pin. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 15.00 euro Size: 5.1cm./2inch. Weight: 4gr./0.14oz.
Mao pin made in China made from bamboo. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 15.00 euro Size: 6cm./2.36inch. Weight: 5gr./0.17oz.
Mao pin made in China made from bamboo. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 15.00 euro Size: 4.6cm./1.81inch. Weight: 4gr./0.14oz.
Mao pin made in China made from bamboo. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 15.00 euro Size: 4cm./1.57inch. Weight: 3gr./0.10oz.
Mao pin made in China made from bamboo. This pin comes in variations. This one has got an edge around the pin, an other one doesn’t. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 15.00 euro Size: 5.1cm./2inch. Weight: 5gr./0.17oz.
Mao pin made in China made from bamboo. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 10.00 euro Size: 7.9cm./1.61inch. Weight: 31gr./0.24oz.
Mao pin made in China. Very big. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 4.1cm./1.61inch. Weight: 7gr./0.24oz. Year: 1968
Mao pin made in China, 1968. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 4.1cm./1.61inch. Weight: 7gr./0.24oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 4cm./1.57inch. Weight: 6gr./0.21oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 4.1cm./1.61inch. Weight: 7gr./0.24oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 3.8cm./1.49inch. Weight: 5gr./0.17oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 5.1cm./2inch. Weight: 8gr./0.2oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 4.5cm./1.7inch. Weight: 6gr./0.21oz. Year: 1968
Mao pin made in China, 1968. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 4.2(h)x4(w)cm./1.6(h)x1.5(w)inch. Weight: 6gr./0.21oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 4.2(h)x4.1(w)cm./1.6(h)x1.6(w)inch. Weight: 6gr./0.2oz. Year: 1969
Mao pin made in China, 1969. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 3.8cm./1.4inch. Weight: 5gr./0.17oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 4.2(h)x4(w)cm./1.6(h)x1.5(w)inch. Weight: 11gr./0.2oz.
Mao pin made in China. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 5.00 euro Size: 5.2cm./2.04inch. Weight: 11gr./0.3oz. Year: 1969
Mao pin from 1969. This pin is from a collection of a French press photographer who often got assignments in China because he was able to speak Chinese. It took decades to build his Mao collection. This is a piece from it. No modern remake.
Price: 1.50 euro Size: 2x1cm./0.7×0.3inch. Year: 1982
Pin from the DDR blue edition, 1971. These kind of pins were awarded to children at schools in the DDR for successful proof of basic knowledge in the context of traffic education. The badge was common for generations of schoolchildren from 1969 onwards and usually the decoration of a lifetime. The main focus was on road safety when using the bicycle. Before the acceptance of the “Golden One” there were separate “traffic gardens” or built-up courses.
Pin DDR red edition 1980. These kind of pins were awarded to children at schools in the DDR for successful proof of basic knowledge in the context of traffic education. The badge was common for generations of schoolchildren from 1969 onwards and usually the decoration of a lifetime. The main focus was on road safety when using the bicycle. Before the acceptance of the “Golden One” there were separate “traffic gardens” or built-up courses.
Pin DDR from the FDGB organisation. The Free German Trade Union Federation (German: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or FDGB), was the sole national trade union centre of the DDR which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organisation of the DDR, nominally representing all workers in the country, the FDGB was a constituent member of the National Front. The leaders of the FDGB were also senior members of the ruling Socialist Unity Party. Officially, membership in the FDGB was voluntary, but unofficially it was hardly possible to develop a career without joining. In 1986, 98% of all workers and employees were organized in the FDGB, which had 9.6 million members. This meant that it was nominally one of the world’s largest trade unions.
Pin DDR from the FDGB organisation. The Free German Trade Union Federation (German: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or FDGB), was the sole national trade union centre of the DDR which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organisation of the DDR, nominally representing all workers in the country, the FDGB was a constituent member of the National Front. The leaders of the FDGB were also senior members of the ruling Socialist Unity Party. Officially, membership in the FDGB was voluntary, but unofficially it was hardly possible to develop a career without joining. In 1986, 98% of all workers and employees were organized in the FDGB, which had 9.6 million members. This meant that it was nominally one of the world’s largest trade unions.
Pin DDR from the FDGB organisation. The Free German Trade Union Federation (German: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or FDGB), was the sole national trade union centre of the DDR which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organisation of the DDR, nominally representing all workers in the country, the FDGB was a constituent member of the National Front. The leaders of the FDGB were also senior members of the ruling Socialist Unity Party. Officially, membership in the FDGB was voluntary, but unofficially it was hardly possible to develop a career without joining. In 1986, 98% of all workers and employees were organized in the FDGB, which had 9.6 million members. This meant that it was nominally one of the world’s largest trade unions.
Price: 1.50 euro Size: 4×2.5cm./1.5×0.9inch. Year: 1977
Pin made for the 60th. anniversary of the October Revolution, made in 1977. The text on the pin reads:”October Glory”. On the pin there is the ship “Aurora” wich fired the first shot of the revolution signalling the start. Above the Aurora there is a Sputnik.
Pin made in the Soviet Union. The text on the pin reads:”Leningrad” now known as St. Pertersburg. On the left there is the medal “Hero Of The Soviet Union”, the highest honorary title that could be given.
Price: 1.50 euro Size: 2x1cm./0.7×0.3inch. Year: 1982
Pin from the DDR green edition. These kind of pins were awarded to children at schools in the DDR for successful proof of basic knowledge in the context of traffic education. The badge was common for generations of schoolchildren from 1969 onwards and usually the decoration of a lifetime. The main focus was on road safety when using the bicycle. Before the acceptance of the “Golden One” there were separate “traffic gardens” or built-up courses.
Pin from the DSF organisation. The Society for German–Soviet Friendship (in German, Gesellschaft für Deutsch-Sowjetische Freundschaft/DSF) was an East German organization set up to encourage closer co-operation between the German Democratic Republic and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It was founded as the Society for the Studies of Soviet Culture to teach about Russian culture to Germans unfamiliar with it. It quickly turned into a propaganda tool and eventually changed its name. Due to the immense popularity of Mikhail Gorbachev with ordinary East Germans disillusioned with their own hardline Communist leaders, the DSF’s membership grew massively in the last years of the regime which many interpret as a sign of support of Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika. In 1989 there were 6.3 million members.
Pin from the DSF organisation. The Society for German–Soviet Friendship (in German, Gesellschaft für Deutsch-Sowjetische Freundschaft/DSF) was an East German organization set up to encourage closer co-operation between the German Democratic Republic and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It was founded as the Society for the Studies of Soviet Culture to teach about Russian culture to Germans unfamiliar with it. It quickly turned into a propaganda tool and eventually changed its name. Due to the immense popularity of Mikhail Gorbachev with ordinary East Germans disillusioned with their own hardline Communist leaders, the DSF’s membership grew massively in the last years of the regime which many interpret as a sign of support of Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika. In 1989 there were 6.3 million members.
Pin from the DSF organisation. The Society for German–Soviet Friendship (in German, Gesellschaft für Deutsch-Sowjetische Freundschaft/DSF) was an East German organization set up to encourage closer co-operation between the German Democratic Republic and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It was founded as the Society for the Studies of Soviet Culture to teach about Russian culture to Germans unfamiliar with it. It quickly turned into a propaganda tool and eventually changed its name. Due to the immense popularity of Mikhail Gorbachev with ordinary East Germans disillusioned with their own hardline Communist leaders, the DSF’s membership grew massively in the last years of the regime which many interpret as a sign of support of Gorbachev’s glasnost and perestroika. In 1989 there were 6.3 million members.
Pin DDR from the FDGB organisation. The Free German Trade Union Federation (German: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or FDGB), was the sole national trade union centre of the DDR which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organisation of the DDR, nominally representing all workers in the country, the FDGB was a constituent member of the National Front. The leaders of the FDGB were also senior members of the ruling Socialist Unity Party. Officially, membership in the FDGB was voluntary, but unofficially it was hardly possible to develop a career without joining. In 1986, 98% of all workers and employees were organized in the FDGB, which had 9.6 million members. This meant that it was nominally one of the world’s largest trade unions.
Pin DDR from the FDGB organisation. The Free German Trade Union Federation (German: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or FDGB), was the sole national trade union centre of the DDR which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organisation of the DDR, nominally representing all workers in the country, the FDGB was a constituent member of the National Front. The leaders of the FDGB were also senior members of the ruling Socialist Unity Party. Officially, membership in the FDGB was voluntary, but unofficially it was hardly possible to develop a career without joining. In 1986, 98% of all workers and employees were organized in the FDGB, which had 9.6 million members. This meant that it was nominally one of the world’s largest trade unions.
Pin DDR from the FDGB organisation. The Free German Trade Union Federation (German: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or FDGB), was the sole national trade union centre of the DDR which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organisation of the DDR, nominally representing all workers in the country, the FDGB was a constituent member of the National Front. The leaders of the FDGB were also senior members of the ruling Socialist Unity Party. Officially, membership in the FDGB was voluntary, but unofficially it was hardly possible to develop a career without joining. In 1986, 98% of all workers and employees were organized in the FDGB, which had 9.6 million members. This meant that it was nominally one of the world’s largest trade unions.
Pin DDR from the FDGB organisation. The Free German Trade Union Federation (German: Freier Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund or FDGB), was the sole national trade union centre of the DDR which existed from 1946 and 1990. As a mass organisation of the DDR, nominally representing all workers in the country, the FDGB was a constituent member of the National Front. The leaders of the FDGB were also senior members of the ruling Socialist Unity Party. Officially, membership in the FDGB was voluntary, but unofficially it was hardly possible to develop a career without joining. In 1986, 98% of all workers and employees were organized in the FDGB, which had 9.6 million members. This meant that it was nominally one of the world’s largest trade unions.
Price: 2.50 euro Size: 4x3cm./1.5×1.1inch. Year: 1958
Pin made in the DDR. It says:”10 Years Pioneer Organisation” of the Young Pioneers. The pin is made in 1958. The Ernst Thalmann Pioneer Organisation, consisting of the Young Pioneers and the Thälmann Pioneers, was a youth organisation of schoolchildren aged 6 to 14. They were named after Ernst Thälmann, the former leader of the Communist Party of Germany who was executed at the Buchenwald concentration camp. The group was a subdivision of the Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ, Free German Youth), East Germany’s youth movement. It was founded in 1948 and broke apart in 1989 on German reunification. From the 1960s and 1970s, nearly all schoolchildren between ages 6 and 14 were organised into Young Pioneer or Thälmann Pioneer groups. The pioneer group was loosely based on Scouting, but organised in such a way as to teach schoolchildren aged 6 – 14 socialist ideology and prepare them for the Freie Deutsche Jugend, the FDJ. Its organisation was similar to Scouting and other such organisations. Afternoons spent at the pioneer group mainly consisted of a mixture of adventure, myth-like socialist teaching and the upkeep of revolutionary traditions.
Pin from the DDR and the FDJ organisation. “Gold” edition. The Free German Youth, also known as the FDJ (in German Freie Deutsche Jugend), is a youth movement in Germany. Formerly it was the official youth movement of the DDR and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany. The color blue was their primary colour. The organization was meant for young people, both male and female, between the ages of 14 and 25. In 1981 it had 2.3 million members. After being a member of the Thalmann Pioneers, which was for schoolchildren ages 6 to 14, East German youths would usually join the FDJ. Those who did not join lost access to organized holidays, and found it difficult to be admitted to universities, pursue chosen careers etc. The majority of youths who refused to join did so for religious reasons. While the movement was intended to promote Marxist–Leninist ideology among East Germany’s young people, it also arranged thousands of holidays for young people through its Jugendtourist agency, and ran discos and open air rock concerts.
Pin made in the DDR for celebrating 12 years of DDR. The pin is made in 1961. The DDR was a state that existed from 1949 to 1990, when the eastern portion of Germany was part of the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War. Commonly described as a communist state, it described itself as a socialist workers and peasants’ state. After WWII the Soviet zone surrounded West Berlin but did not include it; as a result, West Berlin remained outside the jurisdiction of the DDR. Soviet forces remained in the country throughout the Cold War. Until 1989. The Berlin Wall was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Construction of the Wall was commenced by the DDR on 13 August 1961. The Wall cut off (by land) West Berlin from surrounding East Germany, including East Berlin. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, accompanied by a wide area (later known as the “death strip”) that contained anti-vehicle trenches, “fakir beds” and other defenses. The Eastern Bloc portrayed the Wall as protecting its population from fascist elements conspiring to prevent the “will of the people” in building a socialist state in East Germany.
Pin with the statue of Ivan Nikitin. The pin is made of glass. This statue of Nikitin is in the city of Voronezh on Nikitin Square. Ivan Savvich Nikitin (1824-1861) was a Russian poet. Ivan Nikitin was born in Voronezh into a merchant family. His father’s violence and alcoholism brought the family to ruin and forced young Ivan to provide for the household. After his first publications, he joined a circle of local intelligentsia that included his future biographer (and the editor of his collected works) Mikhail De-Poulet. He taught himself French and German and read widely in world literature, and in 1859 he opened a bookstore and library that became an important center of literary and social life in Voronezh. His first poems appeared in 1849.
Pin with the General Staff Building in Leningrad, now St. Petersburg. The General Staff Building is an edifice with a 580 m long bow-shaped facade, situated on Palace Square in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in front of the Winter Palace. The monumental Neoclassical building was designed by Carlo Rossi in the Empire style and built in 1819-1829. It consists of two wings, which are separated by a tripartite triumphal arch commemorating the Russian victory over Napoleonic France in the Patriotic War of 1812. The arch links Palace Square through Bolshaya Morskaya Street to Nevsky Prospekt. Until the capital was transferred to Moscow in 1918, the building served as the headquarters of the General Staff (western wing), Foreign Ministry and Finance Ministry (eastern wing). The western wing now hosts the headquarters of the Western Military District. The eastern wing was given to the Hermitage Museum in 1993 and was extensively remodeled inside.
Pin from the Sport and Technology Association (GST). The pin is made of plastic. The Sport and Technology Association was established in 1952 and ended in 1990. In 1988 it had 600.000 members. It was one of the East German “Mass Orgganizationss”. It was established to structure the free time of young people interested in sports and technology in group activities. Each member was asked to bring in their technological equipment such as, motorcycles, aircraft, radios, and to pratice sports and participate in competitions such as motorraces and shooting. The association worked closely with the National People’s Army (NVA) in order to give children a pre militairy and discipline training.
This pin was made for the DFD women’s organisation. The pin came in three classes; gold, silver and bronze. On the front thre is the logo and the text on the back reads:”For Special Services”. The Democratic Women’s League of Germany (DFD) was the mass women’s organisation in East Germany. It was established in March 1947 and had the following official aims: Removal of fascist ideas, Education for women, Equal rights, Fair social living conditions, Education of children in the spirit of humanism and peace and Co-operation with the international women’s movement. The organisation ended in 1990 and had 1.5 million members.
Pin from the DDR from the Ernst Thalmann/Young Pioneers organisation. “Junger Tourist” (Young Tourist) gold edition. Junger Tourist held activities in the great outdoors such as camping, orientation in the area, determination of the native flora and fauna, etc. The Ernst Thalmann Pioneer Organisation, consisting of the Young Pioneers and the Thälmann Pioneers, was a youth organisation of schoolchildren aged 6 to 14. They were named after Ernst Thälmann, the former leader of the Communist Party of Germany who was executed at the Buchenwald concentration camp. The group was a subdivision of the Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ, Free German Youth), East Germany’s youth movement. It was founded in 1948 and broke apart in 1989 on German reunification. From the 1960s and 1970s, nearly all schoolchildren between ages 6 and 14 were organised into Young Pioneer or Thälmann Pioneer groups. The pioneer group was loosely based on Scouting, but organised in such a way as to teach schoolchildren aged 6 – 14 socialist ideology and prepare them for the Freie Deutsche Jugend, the FDJ. Its organisation was similar to Scouting and other such organisations. Afternoons spent at the pioneer group mainly consisted of a mixture of adventure, myth-like socialist teaching and the upkeep of revolutionary traditions.
Pin from the DDR from the Ernst Thalmann/Young Pioneers organisation. “Junger Tourist” (Young Tourist) silver edition. Junger Tourist held activities in the great outdoors such as camping, orientation in the area, determination of the native flora and fauna, etc. The Ernst Thalmann Pioneer Organisation, consisting of the Young Pioneers and the Thälmann Pioneers, was a youth organisation of schoolchildren aged 6 to 14. They were named after Ernst Thälmann, the former leader of the Communist Party of Germany who was executed at the Buchenwald concentration camp. The group was a subdivision of the Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ, Free German Youth), East Germany’s youth movement. It was founded in 1948 and broke apart in 1989 on German reunification. From the 1960s and 1970s, nearly all schoolchildren between ages 6 and 14 were organised into Young Pioneer or Thälmann Pioneer groups. The pioneer group was loosely based on Scouting, but organised in such a way as to teach schoolchildren aged 6 – 14 socialist ideology and prepare them for the Freie Deutsche Jugend, the FDJ. Its organisation was similar to Scouting and other such organisations. Afternoons spent at the pioneer group mainly consisted of a mixture of adventure, myth-like socialist teaching and the upkeep of revolutionary traditions.
Pin from the DDR from the Ernst Thalmann/Young Pioneers organisation. “Junger Tourist” (Young Tourist) bronze edition. Junger Tourist held activities in the great outdoors such as camping, orientation in the area, determination of the native flora and fauna, etc. The Ernst Thalmann Pioneer Organisation, consisting of the Young Pioneers and the Thälmann Pioneers, was a youth organisation of schoolchildren aged 6 to 14. They were named after Ernst Thälmann, the former leader of the Communist Party of Germany who was executed at the Buchenwald concentration camp. The group was a subdivision of the Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ, Free German Youth), East Germany’s youth movement. It was founded in 1948 and broke apart in 1989 on German reunification. From the 1960s and 1970s, nearly all schoolchildren between ages 6 and 14 were organised into Young Pioneer or Thälmann Pioneer groups. The pioneer group was loosely based on Scouting, but organised in such a way as to teach schoolchildren aged 6 – 14 socialist ideology and prepare them for the Freie Deutsche Jugend, the FDJ. Its organisation was similar to Scouting and other such organisations. Afternoons spent at the pioneer group mainly consisted of a mixture of adventure, myth-like socialist teaching and the upkeep of revolutionary traditions.
Pin from the DDR from the Ernst Thalmann/Young Pioneers organisation. “Junger Tourist” (Young Tourist) achievement badge of the young pioneers (JP), was awarded for the proof of knowledge regarding leisure activities in the great outdoors such as camping, orientation in the area, determination of the native flora and fauna, etc. The Ernst Thalmann Pioneer Organisation, consisting of the Young Pioneers and the Thälmann Pioneers, was a youth organisation of schoolchildren aged 6 to 14. They were named after Ernst Thälmann, the former leader of the Communist Party of Germany who was executed at the Buchenwald concentration camp. The group was a subdivision of the Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ, Free German Youth), East Germany’s youth movement. It was founded in 1948 and broke apart in 1989 on German reunification. From the 1960s and 1970s, nearly all schoolchildren between ages 6 and 14 were organised into Young Pioneer or Thälmann Pioneer groups. The pioneer group was loosely based on Scouting, but organised in such a way as to teach schoolchildren aged 6 – 14 socialist ideology and prepare them for the Freie Deutsche Jugend, the FDJ. Its organisation was similar to Scouting and other such organisations. Afternoons spent at the pioneer group mainly consisted of a mixture of adventure, myth-like socialist teaching and the upkeep of revolutionary traditions.
Pin from the DDR from the Ernst Thalmann/Young Pioneers organisation. “Junger Tourist” (Young Tourist) achievement badge of the young pioneers (JP), was awarded for the proof of knowledge regarding leisure activities in the great outdoors such as camping, orientation in the area, determination of the native flora and fauna, etc. The Ernst Thalmann Pioneer Organisation, consisting of the Young Pioneers and the Thälmann Pioneers, was a youth organisation of schoolchildren aged 6 to 14. They were named after Ernst Thälmann, the former leader of the Communist Party of Germany who was executed at the Buchenwald concentration camp. The group was a subdivision of the Freie Deutsche Jugend (FDJ, Free German Youth), East Germany’s youth movement. It was founded in 1948 and broke apart in 1989 on German reunification. From the 1960s and 1970s, nearly all schoolchildren between ages 6 and 14 were organised into Young Pioneer or Thälmann Pioneer groups. The pioneer group was loosely based on Scouting, but organised in such a way as to teach schoolchildren aged 6 – 14 socialist ideology and prepare them for the Freie Deutsche Jugend, the FDJ. Its organisation was similar to Scouting and other such organisations. Afternoons spent at the pioneer group mainly consisted of a mixture of adventure, myth-like socialist teaching and the upkeep of revolutionary traditions.
Price: 1.50 euro Size: 3cm./1.1inch. Weight: 4gr./0.1oz.
Pin made in the Soviet Union with the Tsar Bell and the Tsar Cannon. The Tsar Bell is the biggest bell ever made but It has never been in working order, suspended, or rung. It weighs 201,924 kilograms (445,166 lb.), with a height of 6.14 metres (20.1 ft.) and diameter of 6.6 metres (22 ft.), and thickness of up to 61 centimetres (24 inch.). When the bell was made, a major fire broke out at the Kremlin in May 1737. Guards threw cold water on it, causing eleven cracks, and a huge 10,432.6 kilograms (23,000 lb) slab to break off. The fire burned through the wooden supports, and the damaged bell fell back into its casting pit. The Tsar Bell remained in its pit for almost a century. Unsuccessful attempts to raise it were made in 1792 and 1819. Napoleon Bonaparte, during his occupation of Moscow in 1812, considered removing it as a trophy to France, but was unable to do so, due to its size and weight. It was finally successfully raised in the summer of 1836 by the French architect Auguste de Montferrand and placed on a stone pedestal. The broken slab alone is nearly three times larger than the world’s largest bell hung for full circle ringing, the tenor bell at Liverpool Cathedral. The Tsar Cannon is a large early modern period artillery piece (known as a bombarda in Russian) on display on the grounds of the Moscow Kremlin. It is a monument of Russian artillery casting art, cast in bronze in 1586 in Moscow, by the Russian master bronze caster Andrey Chokhov. Mostly of symbolic impact, it was never used in a war. However, the cannon bears traces of at least one firing. It is the largest bombard by caliber in the world, and it is a major tourist attraction in the ensemble of the Moscow Kremlin.
Button made in the Netherlands, in the 70’s. President Jorge Pacheco declared a state of emergency in 1968, followed by a further suspension of civil liberties in 1972. In 1973, amid increasing economic and political turmoil, the armed forces, asked by the President Juan María Bordaberry, closed the Congress and established a civilian-military regime. An CIA-backed campaign of political repression and state terror involving intelligence operations and assassination of opponents. According to one source, around 200 Uruguayans are known to have been killed and disappeared, with hundreds more illegally detained and tortured during the 12-year civil-military rule of 1973 to 1985. Most were killed in Argentina and other neighboring countries, with 36 of them having been killed in Uruguay. Uruguay at the time had the highest per capita number of political prisoners in the world. It is estimated that one in every five Uruguayans went into exile, one in fifty were detained, and one in five hundred went to prison (most of them tortured).”
Button made in the Netherlands to support 182 Marokkan hunger strikers. The text on the button reads:”No Marokkan Hunger Striker Out Of The Country”. In November 1975, 182 Moroccans in Amsterdam, The Hague and Utrecht had gone on a hunger strike. They demanded a residence permit. November 1, 1975 was the closing date for the legalization procedure for foreign workers who did not have a residence permit. The 182 Moroccan hunger strikers had not been able to meet the conditions of legalization. Under the leadership of the Committee of Moroccan Workers in the Netherlands (KMAN), the 182 managed to initiate an enormous solidarity movement in Dutch society under the central slogan “legalization of the 182, no Moroccan hunger striker out of the country”. During demonstrations, this slogan was usually shortened to: “Stay 182”. Finally in 1978 they were allowed to stay in the country.
Demonstration for the 182 Maroccan hunger strikers.
Plastic button with the iamge of Karl Marx. This button is bought in 1983 in the Karl Marx Museum in Trier, Germany. Karl Marx (1818-1883) was a German thinker and philosopher. He created the workers movement. His most important work is Das Kapital and the Communist Manifest. Bassicly he was the inventor of communism. His work and thoughts are called Marxism. Lenin was a strong believer of Marxism when he was turning Russia into the first communist state after the October Revolution in 1917. Friedrich Engels was his lifetime friend and was supporting Karl financially and publiced many of Karl Marx writings after the death of Karl.
Button made in the BDR in the early 1980’s. Purpose of the button is partly unknown. The text on the button reads:”All Guns Against The Dictatorship”. Could be about the Iran-Iraq war but this is unlikely. Probably the button is aimed against Saddam Hussein who was against the Communist Party in Iraq. The Iraqi Communist Party is a political party in Iraq and founded in 1934. The party has played a fundamental role in shaping the political history of Iraq between its foundation and the 70s. The party was involved in many important national revolts and demonstrations in the 40s and 50. The party has heavily suffered from repressive regimes From the Ba’ath party and Saddam Hussein, but remained an important element of the Iraqi opposition, and was a pronounced opponent of the United Nations sanctions against Iraq after the 1990-1991 Gulf War. Also the party resisted the US invasion in Iraq in 2003.
Button probably made in the Netherlands. The button was obtained by somebody during a Dutch demonstration around 1980. The text reads:”Salam or Salaam. Wich means “Peace”.
Price: 25.00 euro Size box: 17.5×14.5cm./6.8×5.7inch. Weight: 214gr./7.5oz.
Box with 4 5 year plan pins and 2 documents from one person. The Soviet Union entered a series of five-year plans which began in 1928 under the rule of Joseph Stalin. Stalin launched what would later be referred to as a “revolution from above” to improve the Soviet Union’s domestic policy. The policies were centered around rapid industrialization and the collectivization of agriculture. The text on the document reads:”Certificate. Ministry of Life of the Ukrainian SSR and the Presidium Republican Trade Union Committee”. The 9th. five year plan was from 1971-1974, the 10th. from 1976-1980 and the 11th. from 1981-1985.
Button made in the Netherlands around 1980. The text on the button says:”Vote Against Animal testing” urging people to vote for a animal friendly party.
Pin made in the Netherlands. The letters ANGB stands for:”General Dutch Graphic Association”. The pin was rewarded when somebody was member for a unknown number of years.
Button made in the Netherlands late 1970’s/early 1980’s. The text on the button reads:”Stop Borssele. No Nuclearpower In The Netherlands”. Borssele was one of the nuclear plants in the Netherlands.
Pin made in the Soviet Union woth the name of Lenin. Lenin’s original name was Vladimir Iljitsj Oeljanov. He lived from 1870-1924. He was a revolutionairy and the first leader of the Soviet Union. His political and social ideas, known as Leninism, was based on the social ideas of Karl Marx, called Marxism. After the october revolution in 1917 he was the first leader of the Soviet Union and put in place the first communist party and the first communist state in the world. His supporters were called the Bolsheviks. In the early 20’s Lenin had a series of strokes on wich he died in 1924. After losing is ability to speak. Lenin’s body was embalmed to preserve it for long term public display in the Red Square mausoleum. During this process, Lenin’s brain was removed. Lenin’s body is still on display. It is assumed that Lenin’s alias was chosen from the river Lena. One of the longest river in the world.
This pin depict a monument at the site were Lenin stayed in a hut. The text on the bottom of the pin says:”Rasliv”, the area were Lenin stayed at the time. In November 1917 a revolution in Russia (November Revolutuiion) ended the Tjarist reign over Russia. The new government considerd Lenin as a terrorist and he went into hiding. He lived secretly in a forest north of St. Petersburg disguised as a hayfarmer. He shaved his baird and wore a wig. In this period he wrote serveral articles for newspapers and recieved fresh fruit daily. Also he worked on theoretical political works and prepared for the October Revolution. He lived in a hut made of branches. After Lenin’s death the hay hut was recreated on the site and also statues were placed and a museum. In the Soviet Era this site ha to be visited by students.
The historical site is surrounded with monuments. This is one of them.
Pin made in the Soviet Union with the name of Lenin on it. Lenin’s original name was Vladimir Iljitsj Oeljanov. He lived from 1870-1924. He was a revolutionairy and the first leader of the Soviet Union. His political and social ideas, known as Leninism, was based on the social ideas of Karl Marx, called Marxism. After the october revolution in 1917 he was the first leader of the Soviet Union and put in place the first communist party and the first communist state in the world. His supporters were called the Bolsheviks. In the early 20’s Lenin had a series of strokes on wich he died in 1924. After losing is ability to speak. Lenin’s body was embalmed to preserve it for long term public display in the Red Square mausoleum. During this process, Lenin’s brain was removed. Lenin’s body is still on display. It is assumed that Lenin’s alias was chosen from the river Lena. One of the longest river in the world.
Pin made in the Soviet Union. The text on the pin reads:”900 Days”. This is referring to the siege of Leningrad by Nazi Germany in WWII. The siege began on 8 September 1941, when the Wehrmacht severed the last road to the city. Although Soviet forces managed to open a narrow land corridor to the city on 18 January 1943, the Red Army did not lift the siege until 27 January 1944, 872 days after it began. The blockade became one of the longest and most destructive sieges in history, and it was possibly the costliest siege in history due to the number of casualties which were suffered during it. In the 21st century some historians have classified it as a genocide due to the systematic starvation and intentional destruction of the city’s civilian population. The 872 days of the siege caused extreme famine in the Leningrad region through disruption of utilities, water, energy and food supplies. This resulted in the deaths of up to 1,500,000 soldiers and civilians and the evacuation of 1,400,000 more (mainly women and children), many of whom died during evacuation due to starvation and bombardment. Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery alone in Leningrad holds half a million civilian victims of the siege. Economic destruction and human losses in Leningrad on both sides exceeded those of the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Moscow, or the bombing of Tokyo.
The diary of Tanya Savicheva, a girl of 11, her notes about starvation and deaths of her sister, then grandmother, then brother, then uncle, then another uncle, then mother. The last three notes say “Savichevs died”, “Everyone died” and “Only Tanya is left.” She died of progressive dystrophy shortly after the siege.
Pin made in the Soviet Union to celebrate Lenin’s 100th. birthday. Lenin’s original name was Vladimir Iljitsj Oeljanov. He lived from 1870-1924. He was a revolutionairy and the first leader of the Soviet Union. His political and social ideas, known as Leninism, was based on the social ideas of Karl Marx, called Marxism. After the october revolution in 1917 he was the first leader of the Soviet Union and put in place the first communist party and the first communist state in the world. His supporters were called the Bolsheviks. In the early 20’s Lenin had a series of strokes on wich he died in 1924. After losing is ability to speak. Lenin’s body was embalmed to preserve it for long term public display in the Red Square mausoleum. During this process, Lenin’s brain was removed. Lenin’s body is still on display. It is assumed that Lenin’s alias was chosen from the river Lena. One of the longest river in the world.
Beautiful pin made in the Soviet Union with the image of Lenin. The text on the pin reads:”Lenin Forever Alive”. Lenin’s original name was Vladimir Iljitsj Oeljanov. He lived from 1870-1924. He was a revolutionairy and the first leader of the Soviet Union. His political and social ideas, known as Leninism, was based on the social ideas of Karl Marx, called Marxism. After the october revolution in 1917 he was the first leader of the Soviet Union and put in place the first communist party and the first communist state in the world. His supporters were called the Bolsheviks. In the early 20’s Lenin had a series of strokes on wich he died in 1924. After losing is ability to speak. Lenin’s body was embalmed to preserve it for long term public display in the Red Square mausoleum. During this process, Lenin’s brain was removed. Lenin’s body is still on display. It is assumed that Lenin’s alias was chosen from the river Lena. One of the longest river in the world.
Pin made in the Soviet Union with the image of a statue from Ivan Krylov. Ivan Andreyevich Krylov (1769-1844) is Russia’s best-known fabulist and probably the most epigrammatic of all Russian authors.Formerly a dramatist and journalist, he only discovered his true genre at the age of 40. While many of his earlier fables were loosely based on Aesop’s and La Fontaine’s, later fables were original work, often with a satirical bent. Krylov’s first collection of fables, 23 in number, appeared in 1809 and met with such an enthusiastic reception that thereafter he abandoned drama for fable-writing. By the end of his career he had completed some 200, constantly revising them with each new edition. From 1812 to 1841 he was employed by the Imperial Public Library, first as an assistant, and then as head of the Russian Books Department, a not very demanding position that left him plenty of time to write. Honours were now showered on him in recognition of his growing reputation: the Russian Academy of Sciences admitted him as a member in 1811, and bestowed on him its gold medal in 1823; in 1838 a great festival was held in his honour under imperial sanction, and the Emperor Nicholas, with whom he was on friendly terms, granted him a generous pension. Towards the end of his life Krylov suffered two cerebral hemorrhages and was taken by the Empress to recover at Pavlovsk Palace. After his death in 1844, he was buried beside his friend and fellow librarian Nikolay Gnedich in the Tikhvin Cemetery.
Pin made in the Soviet Union. The text on the pin reads:”Leningrad”. The building is unknown but probably the Winter Palace.Saint Petersburg (previously Leningrad) is a city situated on the Neva River, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. With 5 million inhabitants in 2012, it is Russia’s second largest city after Moscow. An important Russian port on the Baltic Sea. It was founder by Peter The Great in 1703. During World War II, German forces besieged Leningrad following the Axis invasion of the Soviet Union in June 1941. The siege lasted 872 days, or almost two and a half years. The Siege of Leningrad proved one of the longest, most destructive, and most lethal sieges of a major city in modern history. More than one million civilians were killed, mainly from starvation. Many others escaped or were evacuated, so the city became largely depopulated. On 1 May 1945 Joseph Stalin, in his Supreme Commander Order No. 20, named Leningrad, alongside Stalingrad, Sevastopol, and Odessa, hero cities of the war. A law acknowledging the honorary title of “Hero City” passed in 1965. The Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR awarded Leningrad as a Hero City the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal “for the heroic resistance of the city and tenacity of the survivors of the Siege”. The Hero City Obelisk bearing the Gold Star sign was installed in April 1985.
Price: 2.00 euro Size: 3x2cm./1.1×0.7inch. Year: 1967
Pin made in the Soviet Union to celebrate 50 years of October Revolution, made in 1967. The text on the pin reads:”50 Years Of October Revolution”. The October Revolution was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin. It followed and capitalized on the February Revolution of the same year, which overthrew the Tsarist autocracy and resulted in a provisional government. As the October Revolution was not universally recognized, there followed the struggles of the Russian Civil War (1917–22) and the creation of the Soviet Union in 1922. The Bolsheviks would become the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Stalin was one of the militairy leaders of the Bolsheviks and took control over the Soviet Union after Lenin’s death in 1924.
Pin made in the Soviet Union with the image of Lenin. Lenin’s original name was Vladimir Iljitsj Oeljanov. He lived from 1870-1924. He was a revolutionairy and the first leader of the Soviet Union. His political and social ideas, known as Leninism, was based on the social ideas of Karl Marx, called Marxism. After the october revolution in 1917 he was the first leader of the Soviet Union and put in place the first communist party and the first communist state in the world. His supporters were called the Bolsheviks. In the early 20’s Lenin had a series of strokes on wich he died in 1924. After losing is ability to speak. Lenin’s body was embalmed to preserve it for long term public display in the Red Square mausoleum. During this process, Lenin’s brain was removed. Lenin’s body is still on display. It is assumed that Lenin’s alias was chosen from the river Lena. One of the longest river in the world.
3D pin with 2 sides of images of Leningrad (now known as St. Petersburg). On one reflction the St. Isaac’s cathedral is visible with and the statue “The Bronze Horseman” wich is a statue of Peter The Great. The ship is on top of the Admirality building. On the other reflection there is the Winter Palace.
Pin made in the Soviet Union with the image of Lenin. Lenin’s original name was Vladimir Iljitsj Oeljanov. He lived from 1870-1924. He was a revolutionairy and the first leader of the Soviet Union. His political and social ideas, known as Leninism, was based on the social ideas of Karl Marx, called Marxism. After the october revolution in 1917 he was the first leader of the Soviet Union and put in place the first communist party and the first communist state in the world. His supporters were called the Bolsheviks. In the early 20’s Lenin had a series of strokes on wich he died in 1924. After losing is ability to speak. Lenin’s body was embalmed to preserve it for long term public display in the Red Square mausoleum. During this process, Lenin’s brain was removed. Lenin’s body is still on display. It is assumed that Lenin’s alias was chosen from the river Lena. One of the longest river in the world.
Pin made in the Soviet Union. The text on the pin reads:”Leningrad”. On top of the pin there are medals. Medals could not only be givin to persons but also to city’s. Due to the struggle and suffering of Leningrad in WWII. On the backgroud there is a map of Leningrad and the image of a famous statue of Lenin.
Pin made in the Soviet Union. The text on the pin reads:”Shchuchinsk” wich is a town in Kazakhstan. Shchuchinsk is a city in northern-central Kazakhstan, located 75 kilometres south-east of Kokshetau on Lake Shchuchye and is the centre of a large agricultural area. Shchuchinsk was founded as a Cossack settlement called Shchuchye in 1850.
Pin made in the Soviet Union with the image of Lenin. The text on the pin reads:”Lenin”. Lenin’s original name was Vladimir Iljitsj Oeljanov. He lived from 1870-1924. He was a revolutionairy and the first leader of the Soviet Union. His political and social ideas, known as Leninism, was based on the social ideas of Karl Marx, called Marxism. After the october revolution in 1917 he was the first leader of the Soviet Union and put in place the first communist party and the first communist state in the world. His supporters were called the Bolsheviks. In the early 20’s Lenin had a series of strokes on wich he died in 1924. After losing is ability to speak. Lenin’s body was embalmed to preserve it for long term public display in the Red Square mausoleum. During this process, Lenin’s brain was removed. Lenin’s body is still on display. It is assumed that Lenin’s alias was chosen from the river Lena. One of the longest river in the world.
Pin made in the Sovit Union with the image of Lenin. The text on the pin reads:”Vladimir Ilyich Lenin 1870-1924″. Lenin’s original name was Vladimir Iljitsj Oeljanov. He lived from 1870-1924. He was a revolutionairy and the first leader of the Soviet Union. His political and social ideas, known as Leninism, was based on the social ideas of Karl Marx, Marxism. After the october revolution he was the first leader of the Soviet Union and put in place the first communist party. His supporters were called the Bolsheviks. It is assumed that Lenin’s alias was chosen from the river Lena. One of the longest river in the world.
Pin made in the Soviet Union with the image of the Aurora. The Aurora was made in 1903 and most of the crew joined the Bolshevics who were preparing a communist revolution led by Lenin in 1917. This ship fired the first shot signalling the start of the October revolution. In WWII the guns was taken off the ship to use it for the defence of Leningrad. After the war the Aurora was a navy training vessel and later, till this day, a museum located at St. Petersburg (formaly known as Leningrad).
This pin is probably made in the DDR. Although under western rule it was unikely that there was a friendship organisation with the Soviet Union in West Berlin.
Pin made in the Soviet Union. The text reads:”Ulyanovsk”. The city of Ulyanovsk is the birthplace of Lenin in 1870. Ulyanovsk is a city and the administrative center of Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River 705 kilometers (438 mi) east of Moscow. Nowadays it has little more than 600.00 inhabitants. The city, founded as Simbirsk but was named Ulyanovsk after Lenin’s death in 1924. Ulyanovsk has been designated a UNESCO City of Literature since 2015. The building on the pin is the Lenin Memorial Building. On the left side on the pin is the Lenin Order. One of the highest civilian order.
(1.5.21) Price: 1.50 euro Size: 3.5×2.5cm./1.3×0.9inch.
Pin made in the Soviet Union. The text on the pin reads:”Heroic Defenders Of Leningrad”. The image on the pin is the statue on the Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery. The Piskarevskoye Memorial Cemetery is the main WWII memorial in the city of Saint-Petersburg (Leningrad). It is a resting place for over 470.000 people who died of hunger inside the city, as well as over 50.000 soldiers. The central figure of the memorial is the sculpture “Motherland”. It depicts a grieving woman with a wreath, standing over the graves of her sons. Near the entrance to the cemetery, a museum was built telling a story of the life inside a city at war. Inside the museum, one can see a diary of Tanya Savicheva, a Leningrad girl who survived the horrors of the 1941-1942 winter.
Pin made in the Soviet Union. The image of the pin is a statue of A.S. Pushkin wich stands in St. Petersburg, formaly known as Leningrad. Alexander Pushkin was a poet who is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet and the founder of modern Russian Literature. He lived from 1799 until is death in 1837. He died in a duel. Along with other famous Russian writers he belonged to the golden age of Russian literature in the 19th. century.
Pin made in the Soviet Union with the image of Lenin. Lenin’s original name was Vladimir Iljitsj Oeljanov. He lived from 1870-1924. He was a revolutionairy and the first leader of the Soviet Union. His political and social ideas, known as Leninism, was based on the social ideas of Karl Marx, Marxism. After the october revolution he was the first leader of the Soviet Union and put in place the first communist party. His supporters were called the Bolsheviks. It is assumed that Lenin’s alias was chosen from the river Lena. One of the longest river in the world.
Pin made in the Soviet Union. The text on the pin reads:”Leningrad” also known as St. Petersburg. The statue of Lenin on the pin is the statue at Finland Station in Saint Petersburg is one of the most famous statues of Vladimir Lenin in Russia. Erected in 1926, it was one of the first large-scale statues of Lenin, being completed within three years of his death. It depicts the man making a speech from atop an armoured car, soon after his 1917 arrival at the station from exile abroad. It was designed in an early constructivist style by sculptor Sergei A. Evseev and architects Vladimir Shchuko and Vladimir Helfreich. The style and pose of the statue were imitated by later works. The statue is one of few in Saint Petersburg that survived after the fall of the Soviet Union. It was damaged in a 2009 bomb attack but has since been repaired.
Pin made in the Soviet Union. The text reads:”Ulyanovsk”. The city of Ulyanovsk is the birthplace of Lenin in 1870. Ulyanovsk is a city and the administrative center of Ulyanovsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Volga River 705 kilometers (438 mi) east of Moscow. Nowadays it has little more than 600.00 inhabitants. The city, founded as Simbirsk but was named Ulyanovsk after Lenin’s death in 1924. Ulyanovsk has been designated a UNESCO City of Literature since 2015. The building on the pin is the Lenin Memorial Building. On the left side on the pin is the Lenin Order. One of the highest civilian order.
Pin with the text:”October”. Made to celebrate the October Revolution wich took place in 1917. The October Revolution was a revolution in Russia led by the Bolshevik Party of Vladimir Lenin. It followed and capitalized on the February Revolution of the same year, which overthrew the Tsarist autocracy and resulted in a provisional government. As the October Revolution was not universally recognized, there followed the struggles of the Russian Civil War (1917–22) and the creation of the Soviet Union in 1922. The Bolsheviks would become the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Stalin was one of the militairy leaders of the Bolsheviks and took control over the Soviet Union after Lenin’s death in 1924.
Pin with the image of the lenin museum somewhere in Russia with an armoured car in front wich was used in the October Revolution. At one time Lenin stood on top of the car and gave a speech. In 1984 the car was transported inside the museum so the pin made before 1984.
The armoured car when it was in front of the museum
Pin from Czechoslovakia about labour day. Made in 1953. Labour Day (or International Worker’s Day) is a celebration of labourers and the working classes that is promoted by the international labour movement, socialists and anarchists. Labour day was established in 1890 as an international protest day for demanding a 8 hour working day, labour rights and for keeping the peace.
Button from The Netherlands made around 1980. The text on the button reads:”Ford Must Stay”. The results of the Ford factory in Amsterdam were good except during the Second World War and in 1957. However, from the 1970s onwards the factory started to run at a loss and when the results were again poor in 1979 and 1980 it was decided to close. Ford’s management wanted to transfer production to the factory in Genk (Belgium) because absenteeism and the number of hours on strike were lower at Ford Genk. This threatened to lose 1,650 jobs in Amsterdam. Despite fierce resistance, with workers occupying the factory twice, in April and June 1981, and political pressure, the Dutch Minister of Economic was not willing to help financially, partly as a result of which the management of Ford stuck to the closing decision. The last Ford car was built by Amsterdam Assembly in November 1981. After the closure of the factory, the buildings were demolished. The sales activities of Ford Netherlands moved to the center of Amsterdam.
Button from The Netherlands made in the early 1980’s. The text on the button reads:”Solar Enery. Make It Work”. In the 1980’s serveral environmental groups were opposing the use of nuclear power because of the nuclear waste and were promoting alternative energy.
Button made in the Netherlands, early 1980’s. The text on the button reads:”Atom Energy? No Thanks” In the 80’s there was much debate about nuclear energy and what to do with the nuclear waste. There were several organisations opposing the building of nuclear power plants with debate, actions, demonstrations and making buttons like these.
Button fron The Netherlands from the communist youth organisation ANJV. The Algemeen Nederlands Jeugd Verbond (General Dutch Youth Alliance) was a Dutch communist political youth organization. The organization was founded on June 15, 1945 (right after the liberation of The Netherlands in WWII) with the aim of establishing one socialist youth movement. From an organizational point of view the ANJV was independent, but politically it was affiliated with the Communist Party of the Netherlands. This was evident, for example, from the fact that CPN activists and MPs frequently spoke in ANJV leaflets. A number of CPN leaders such as Marcus Bakker, Henk Hoekstra and Joop Wolff were directors of the ANJV in their early years. Other leaders were Rinus Haks and Han de Leeuw. The ANJV magazine was called Youth. From the mid-nineties of the twentieth century, the ANJV consisted only of the Amsterdam department. In 2012 it dissolved into another left political organisation.
Button made in The Netherlands made by the CPN to celebrate their 65 year anniversary. The button was made in 1983. The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist party. The party was founded in 1909 as the Social-Democratic Party (SDP). In 1918 it was changed in CPN. On May 15, 1940, immediately after the German occupation, the party decided to organize an underground movement. In July 1940 the Nazi occupation force banned the CPN. The party continued illegally. Together with the much smaller anti-Stalinist communist party RSAP the only pre-war organisation that already in 1940 protested against the anti-Semitic measures by the German occupiers. It published a resistance newspaper called De Waarheid (“The Truth”, in Russian: Pravda). Both took part in the February Strike in 1941, the largest act of resistance in the Netherlands. In 1989 the party merged with three other small leftwing parties to form the GreenLeft. In 1991 disstatisfied members left and formed the New Communist Party wich still exist today.
Big button, made in The Netherlands by the Communist Party Netherlands (CPN). Made in the early 1980’s. The Communist Party of the Netherlands was a Dutch communist party. The party was founded in 1909 as the Social-Democratic Party (SDP). On May 15, 1940, immediately after the German occupation, the party decided to organize an underground movement. In July 1940 the Nazi occupation force banned the CPN. The party continued illegally. Together with the much smaller anti-Stalinist communist party RSAP the only pre-war organisation that already in 1940 protested against the anti-Semitic measures by the German occupiers. It published a resistance newspaper called De Waarheid (“The Truth”, in Russian: Pravda). Both took part in the February Strike in 1941, the largest act of resistance in the Netherlands. In 1989 the party merged with three other small leftwing parties to form the GreenLeft. In 1991 disstatisfied members left and formed the New Communist Party wich still exist today.
Button made in the Netehrlands in the 1980’s. In the 1980’s The Netherlands were going thru a economic crisis. The government made huge cuts on al front; healthcare, education and public services. The Communist Party Netehrlands (CPN) was calling for the rich to pay for the crisis. The image of the button is that of the old dutch currency the Guilder. On the coin was the image of Queen Beatrix. The text on the button reads:”Let The Rich Pay The Crisis”.
Button from the communist newspaper De Waarheid in The Netherlands. De Waarheid also means “Truth” in English and “Pravda” in Russian. The button was made early 1980’s. The text on the button reads:”Read The Truth For New Press”. The newspaper had close ties with the formarly Communist Party Netherlands (CPN).
Button made in the Netherlands made by a Chili support group. The text on the button reads:”People’s Resistance”. The button is made in the early 1980’s. A militairy coup with Pinochet as leader overthrew the Popular Unity coalition with force in 1973. President Allende killed himself during the attack of the armed forces. Underground resistance continue to fight against Pinochet’s regime.
Button from the Netherlands early 80’s. In the center the text reads:”Stop The Neutronbomb”. Hollanditis or Dutch Disease is the name for the Dutch resistance against the plans for the deployment of cruise missiles in Western Europe. The term was introduced by the American historian Walter Laqueur in 1981 to indicate that resistance to nuclear weapons was spreading like a virus. The Hollanditis came to a head with the great anti-cruise missile demonstrations in 1981 and 1983.
