Andenken aus Eiserner Zeit

This 320-page illustrated book deals with the patriotic donation badges and souvenirs of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy at the time of the First World War. The colourful, sometimes artistic pin-on badges in particular are today popular collectors’ items far beyond the borders of Austria. The almost 2,500 artefacts illustrated in detail show a broad and representative cross-section of the many thousand different badges. The book not only describes the badges of commercial manufacturers, but also and especially the donation badges of individual relief organizations, thus giving an insight into the donation activities of the official war welfare associations. The book offers valuable background information, explains contexts and also illuminates economic and propagandistic aspects of the ‘war mementos’ of the time. The scope extends from badges with the portrait of the old Emperor Franz Joseph I, the colourful Vivat ribbons and the ‘Iron Soldiers’ to the rings ‘Gold gab ich für Eisen’ and picture postcards. In the course of the war the multi-coloured kaleidoscope of patriotic artefacts changed into simple pin-on badges of stamped grey metal that were used as cap badges by the army or treated the subjects of grief and death.