History

The Navy Brigade Ehrhardt Sports Badge was instituted in 1919 by Commander Hermann Ehrhardt of the Freikorps Marinebrigade Ehrhardt.

The corps was raised in February 1919 and was composed of around 6,000 men, the majority of which were former Navy personnel. The corps participated in the fight for Germany’s central cities and northwestern ports, as well as in the Kapp Putsch. The brigade was disbanded in March 1920, following the failed Putsch.

The sports badge was instituted by successor organisation of the Navy Brigade Ehrhardt, the Viking League (Bund Wiking e.V.). It could be obtained by any German man, age 17 and up, who passed several sports exams, including track and field/athletics, swimming, and target shooting.

The badge is in the form of a laurel wreath with a superimposed letter "E". At the bottom is a ribbon with the inscription "WEHRSPORT" (paramilitary sports).