German WWII Militaria & Propaganda

Badge Leipzig Spring Fair 1932 Bakelite

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Start price: $20

Estimated price: $100 - $200

Buyer's premium: 25%

The badge for the 1932 Autumn Fair is made of the plastic "Bakelite" and was manufactured by the Bakelite Society Berlin-Erkner. In 1860, entrepreneur Julius Rutger initiated the first large-scale tar distillation process (raw tar is broken down into various products) in Erkner. In 1907, the chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland in the USA developed a phenolic resin molding compound using the heat-compression process, which he named "Bakelite" based on his name. The Rüdgerswerke in Erkner acquired the license to manufacture Bakelite. Bakelit GmbH was founded together with Baekeland in 1910 and the world’s first industrial production of fully synthetic plastics began.People’s Receiver "VE 301"Bakelite is non-deformable and resistant to heat and acids. It was used in the production of kitchen items, electrical household appliances, telephones, office and business materials, light switches and sockets, among other things. The plastic revolutionized everyday life so much that until the 1950s all types of plastic were called Bakelite. The housing of the first German people’s receiver "VE 301" from 1933 was also made of bakelite. These inexpensive devices could soon be found in many German households. The designation "301" stood for January 30, 1933 – the day of the transfer of power to the National Socialists.