Bidspirit auction | German DRL Sports Badge in

German DRL Sports Badge in Bronze Grade by H. Wernstein, Jena-Lobstedt - A DRL (Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Leibesübungen) sports proficiency badge in the bronze grade, featuring the pierced monogram ”DRL” within an oak leaf wreath tied at the base with a ribbon bow. The reverse is stamped ”H. WERNSTEIN JENA-LOBSTEDT” along with a ”DRGM 25269” registration number, identifying the manufacturer. The DRL badge was awarded for achievement in German national sports and athletics tests during the Weimar and early Third Reich periods, with bronze, silver, and gold grades denoting the level attained. The DRL sports badge was established in 1913 under the Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Leibesübungen, the national body coordinating German athletics, and continued to be awarded through the Weimar Republic and into the Nazi era. Recipients earned the badge by passing standardised tests in athletics, swimming, and other physical disciplines, with bronze, silver, and gold grades reflecting the level of performance achieved. After 1933 the scheme was absorbed into the broader Nazi physical fitness apparatus, though the badge's design and testing structure remained largely continuous with its earlier form. Manufacturers such as H. Wernstein of Jena-Lobstedt produced these badges under DRGM registered utility patents, a common practice among German insignia makers of the period.