A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve 2014., Új folyam 1. (Szeged, 2014)
TÖRTÉNETTUDOMÁNY - Sallay Gergely Pál — Ujszászi Róbert: Első világháborús osztrák-magyar katonai alakulat- és emlékjelvények, propaganda- és jótékonysági jelvények a Móra Ferenc Múzeum gyűjteményében
Gergely Pál Sallay - Róbert Ujszászi Military Unit, Propaganda and War Charity Badges from the First World War Austro-Hungarian Military Unit Badges, Propaganda and War Charity Badges from the First World War, in the Collection of the Móra Ferenc Museum Gergely Pál Sallay - Róbert Ujszászi Austro-Hungarian military unit badges, propaganda and war charity badges that can be found in private and public collections alike are special memories of the Great War. This catalogue presents the First World War badge collection of the Móra Ferenc Museum in Szeged, as a commemoration of the centenary of the outbreak of the War. The collection, numbering 160 pieces, was acquired from several sources during and after the First World War. Austro-Hungarian First World War military unit badges, which were worn by soldiers on the side of the field cap and therefore came to be called cap badges (or Kappenabzeichen in German), mirror the military structure of the Austro-Hungarian armed forces in a unique way, consequently the catalogue presents the collection in correspondence with the military structure. The majority of these badges were produced in specialised factories, primarily in Vienna and Budapest, but sometimes jewellers and even soldiers created unique badges that served as souvenirs of the war. In the case of unit badges the designer was often an artistic soldier of the unit or a famous artist who spent his military service in the battlefield. The designers' and makers’ names can usually be read on the obverse or the reverse of the badges. The images and inscriptions on the badges served both to symbolise the esprit de corps and to commemorate the fights of certain units. Propaganda badges, which were issued to boost morale and to mock the enemy, appeared in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy already during the early days of the war in 1914. The manufacturing of military unit badges started later, the first ones being issued in the spring of 1915, but they remained popular until the end of the war, as they were highly effective and practical means of expressing team spirit. Although they were semi-official items, they became an integral part of soldiers’ uniforms. Due to this, several attempts were made throughout the war to control their wearing. The unit badges could be worn anytime in the theatres of operations or in the home front when off-duty. Theoretically they were to be pinned on the right side of the cap. Soldiers, however, eagerly decorated both sides and the front of their caps, as well as their tunics with the badges. Propaganda badges were typically enamelled, colourful items to attract attention. Unit badges, however, were mostly made of bronze, iron or, mainly during the second half of the war, of low-quality metal alloys, which were not indispensable for the production of weapons and military equipment. The larger quantity the badges were produced in (army badges for example could come in tens of thousands) the cheaper they were for the soldiers to purchase. They usually cost between 50 fillér and 3 korona by the piece (the price obviously also depended on the material they were made of). Sometimes different units’ badges were produced based on the same design to save money. Several units had their badges made in different versions. The more beautifully finished (enamelled or made of silver or gold) they were, the more soldiers had to pay for them. According to popular opinion, there were officer's and 433
