Forget-Me-Not Badge

The forget-me-not has a very special meaning to freemasons in germany.

In Nazi Germany freemasonary was strictly forbidden. And even wearing a sign of any kind of community other than a nazis organization was illegal.

The „Winterhilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes“ was a public trust and collected money to relieve the distress caused by unemployment and poverty - lead by the nazi government.
As you gave money, you received a pin, that you could wear at your revers as a proof. In the collection campaign in march 1938 they gave a forget-me-not among others. The brethren remembered a sign made out of porcelain, that was released as a badge for one of the last grand-lodge-meetings 1926 in Bremen, which showed a forget-me-not as well - in that case a single flower.
As new pins of the „Winterhilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes“ were released for the next collection, some brethren decided to keep the forget-me-not as a secret, but frankly worn sign. This was possible, because it was an officia