Saxon fencing school

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The Saxon Fencing School was a charity and campaigned for support for those in need of Saxony . It had nothing to do with fencing with a weapon.

history

On October 1, 1881, the “Saxon Fencing School” was founded in Dresden from the former “Fortuna” savings association. If you wanted to join the Reichsfechtschule first, to which some members already belonged, the decision was quickly made to found your own Saxon charity. The Reichsfechtschule raised funds to build Prussian orphanages . This was not necessary in Saxony, however, as the state built and maintained the orphanages here. In accordance with the statutes, the purpose of the Saxon Fechtschule was to support those in need within the Kingdom of Saxony who were in need through no fault of their own, in particular those affected by devastating natural events. As early as 1882, the first branch club was established in Pieschen , or as it was called at the time, the association of the “Saxon Fencing School”. In 1885 the "Saxon Fechtschule" already had 59 associations with around 36,000 members.

August Berge, co-founder of the association, became its first chairman. The young club was now called "Oberfechtschule Dresden" after its model of the realm fencing school. At the general meeting on November 20, 1884 a restructuring and renaming took place. The name "Oberfechtschule" disappeared and the "Saxon Fencing School" remained. Disagreements about the use of the money, which had to be transferred in full to the directorate in Dresden, led to resignations from the entire association. The Leipzig Association dissolved completely and founded its own charity under the name "Fechtschule Leipzig".

Also at the end of 1884 the first associations came together more closely and formed district associations. At the state general assembly in Döbeln on March 19, 1889, the then board announced the takeover of the protectorate by the later King Friedrich August , Duke of Saxony. On March 31, 1898, the 100th association, Cossebaude , was incorporated into the "Saxon Fechtschule". The Leipzig Association, which had previously resigned, had now rejoined the main club.

On August 7, 1901, the Dresden District Court entered the "Saxon Fencing School" in the register of associations . From April 16, 1916, there was a separate office at Grosse Zwingerstraße 6 in Dresden. Many patrons and friends of the "Saxon Fencing School" made it possible through their generous donations in 1920 to purchase the Henselschen Gut with manor house and extensive land in Sohland on the Spree. A children's rest home was founded here, which was inaugurated on July 3, 1921. The period of inflation did not pass the "Saxon Fencing School" without a trace. The entire fortune was lost in 1923, but was largely offset by donations during the post-inflation period.

The introduction of the Winter Relief Organization in the 1930s obliged the whole people to work on a large scale in the fight against hunger and cold. Many small charities became redundant and disbanded. The larger organizations of voluntary welfare work were subordinated to the Office for People's Welfare NSV within the NSDAP after a detailed examination. The "Saxon Fencing School" was also incorporated here.

The "Saxon Fencing School" existed until the end of the Second World War and was only dissolved by the Control Council Act of the Allies with the ban on National Socialist organizations.

The award system of the "Saxon Fencing School"

Every member could acquire a membership badge when joining the “Saxon Fencing School” association. The badge showed the Saxon royal crown, under it in a stylized ribbon until 1884 the writing "Sächs. Ob. Fechtschule", after the renaming in 1884 the writing "Sächs. Fechtschule". It was made of solid gold-colored tombac and showed the same image on both sides. There was also a scaled-down version as a pin . If the member received a fencing badge, the member badge was exchanged for a version with a fastening hole below the tape. Members of the association's executive boards wore a green and white enameled badge in the shape of a rosette, with the silver-colored fencing school badge placed in the middle. Depending on the function in the board, a lettering with the corresponding text was soldered on below. These badges appear on the back with and without the manufacturer's stamp.

The award of the fencing badge was tied to certain conditions. The statutes of 1916 say : Anyone who has sold 10 membership cards or brought in at least 20 marks to the club in a calendar year becomes a fencing master. Anyone who has either sold 100 membership cards or brought in 50 marks for the club in some other way and already has the title of fencing master becomes a chief fencing master. Both awards expire if the person concerned does not sell at least one fencing school (equivalent to 10 membership cards) in each subsequent year. At the turn of the century, however, it was completely sufficient to sell 10 membership cards. With that one was a fencing master and was entitled to buy the badge.

Fencing title and associated fencing badge:

  • Fencing students - membership badges only
  • Fencing master - small white cross with a green core
  • Oberfechtmeister - small green cross with a white core
  • Honorary Oberfechtmeister - large white cross with a green core and inscription
  • Honorary member of the association - large white cross with star, green core and inscription
  • State Honorary Member - large green cross with a star, white core and inscription

In the book Fifty Years of the Sächsische Fechtschule (eV) charity , published in 1934 by the regional secretary Johannes Kirschen, Radeberg , the fencing badges of the Saxon fencing school were depicted, the badges of honor, however, as of the time as type 2 without a crown. The crosses are designed as pendants and were worn on the membership badge. The badges of honor had a fastening for the watch chain . When acquiring a higher class, the previous decoration had to be returned.

Award numbers of the Saxon Fechtschule are not available, but in the documents of the Chemnitz Association we find award numbers from the period from 1884 to 1934, which show the rarity of the fencing badge:

  • 7 state honorary members
  • 15 honorary members of the association
  • 21 Honorary Oberfechtmeister
  • 1 honorary fencing master
  • 72 Oberfechtmeister
  • 100 fencing masters