1957 European Figure Skating Pin and Medal: A River Runs Through It.

Last Updated on March 14, 2026 by Netropolitan Museum

From the Danube to the collector’s cabinet: a Viennese pin and a champion’s medal

The Vienna Boys’ Choir. Sachertorte. Vienna State Opera House. The Danube. Wiener Eislauf-Verein. Each evokes the charm, elegance, and sophistication of Vienna. In the late 1950s, the city added another claim to fame, this time within the world of sport: hosting the 1957 European Figure Skating Championships, commemorated with a striking keepsake pin that provides a vivid glimpse into mid-century European design and culture.

Pin Gallery: 1957 European Championships

If you’ve been reading along at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins for the past few years, you’ll know that not all figure skating pins are notable, and fewer still are memorable, but the 1957 European Figure Skating Championships pin defies both criticisms. It’s a substantial and striking example of design, reflecting Vienna’s pride in hosting such a prestigious event and the global reach of the sport at the time. The pin features the façade of the Wiener Eislauf-Verein (Vienna Ice Skating Club), one of the oldest skating clubs in the world, which hosted not only the 1957 Europeans event but also the 1952 Europeans and the 1955 Worlds—a remarkable run within the same decade.

Below the façade, the event name, location, and date are proudly displayed: “Europameisterschaft im Kunstlaufen Wien 14.-16. Feber 1957.” The club façade adds a recognizable landmark to the design, giving collectors a sense of place and a tangible connection to the city, while the national flags frame the scene and emphasize the event’s international scope. The silver-colored base metal provides a textured backdrop, and decades of patina have added warmth and shadow. The pin allows history to linger in the hand while inviting the imagination to glide across Vienna’s skating past.

Medal Gallery: 1957 European Championships

An especially meaningful companion piece to the pin in the museum’s collection is a silver medal awarded by the International Skating Union (ISU) to Great Britain’s Gerard Rigby, who earned second place in the event with his partner, Barbara Thompson. The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins is honored to serve as the caretaker of this historic award, a tangible link to the competition itself.

The medal is suspended from a multi-color grosgrain ribbon, fitted with a simple safety-pin attachment—typical of mid-century sporting medals—and remains housed in its original presentation case. On the obverse, divided on either side of an olive branch representing victory, appears the familiar Latin inscription “Palmam Qui Meruit Ferat”—meaning “Let him who has earned it bear the palm” (here, palm meaning reward). This phrase is still featured on ISU winner’s medals, although today’s medals are significantly larger and proportionally more garish. The reverse of the medal is inscribed “European Championship Ice Dancing Wien 1957.” At the top is a figure skating blade, while a speed skating blade appears at the bottom, symbolizing the two ice sports governed by the ISU. Acquired through an auction house near London in the United Kingdom, the medal adds a deeply personal dimension to the story of the 1957 Europeans—transforming the event from a line in the record books into a moment of triumph experienced by the athlete himself.

Beyond their historical value, the 1957 European Figure Skating Championships pin and the winner’s medal are visual delights. Whether displayed in a cabinet, mounted in a shadow box, or carefully stored in a collection, they continue to charm nearly seven decades later.

This blog was originally published at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins on November 20, 2021, and has been updated with new and expanded information.

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