Original Item. Only One Available. The “Association for German Cultural Relations Abroad”, translated from “Verein für Deutsche Kulturbeziehungen im Ausland”, abbreviated to VDA, was a German cultural organization. During the WWII era it was engaged in spying across the whole world, using German minorities living in other countries. Its other goals included preservation of German culture among "racial Germans".

This is a lovely VDA pennant, measuring 6" x 9½”. It retains its two suspension rings at the ends, with the stitching overall in great shape. The letters V.D.A. are chain-stitched onto the pennant and present very well. Near the tail is a small VDA “Tinnie”, with a 1933-1934 date. The pennant has some wear and staining but is a great piece. A very scarce pennant for an organization that we’ve never had something from before! Comes ready for further research and display.

On the 13 May 1880, in Vienna, the Deutscher Schulverein (DSV/German School Association) was formed. In 1881, the Allgemeine Deutsche Schulverein zur Erhaltung des Deutschtums im Auslande (General German School Association for the Conservation of Germanness Abroad), was formed in Berlin by Hamburg lawyer Julius Scharlach. It was modeled on the Viennese DSV. The associations in Vienna and Berlin initially worked closely together. There are donation cards with the imprint of DSV-Berlin and Vienna in existence. In 1908, the Berlin association was renamed Verein für das Deutschtum im Ausland (Association for Germanness Abroad), and the current abbreviation VDA, which is usually used, was adopted. The VDA had its own symbol, a woman's head with braids and Crown. During this time, the DSV in Vienna continued under its original name. During World War I, the VDA was at work in the service of the fighting soldiers. Its collections (donation cards such as folk song cards, Our Field Gray etc.) were there to benefit the wounded, displaced persons and the next of kin of fallen soldiers.

After 1919, the Association in Austria continued under the name Deutscher Schulverein Südmark (German school association South region). In Germany, the work of VDA was long interrupted after the war. It was not until 1925 that the association could commence its work again in Berlin, later Dresden. It was renamed Volksbund für das Deutschtum im Ausland in 1933. VDA welcomed the coming of the German regime, as it shared its ideology with them, including elements such as racism. It was used to promote its political and racist ideas and was especially active in schools. When Klagenfurt in Austria canceled the association's planned rally in 1933, some 18,000 participants flocked to Passau instead.

During the pre-war years and through World War II, the VDA distributed over 1,200 different donation badges, postcards and other items to raise funds for its charity work. This was done alongside other similar charity drives by organisations such as the Winterhilfswerk (WHW), the Deutsches Rotes Kreuz (DRK/German Red Cross) and others. In the middle of 1930s the organization found itself in dispute with AH, as it had more extensive territorial claims against other countries than AH was willing to demonstrate in international arena; after the Second World War started in 1939, VDA together with SS was engaged in preparing and carrying out ethnic cleansing in territories conquered by Germany.