1938 World Figure Skating Pins: Craftsmanship On Display.

Last Updated on June 27, 2026 by Netropolitan Museum

A colorful legacy from a championship held in troubled times

Dateline: Berlin, Germany, 1938, less than a year and a half before the onset of World War II. By all accounts, it was a dark and oppressive time, marked by the rise to power of those who sought, through any means, to control or silence all who disagreed with their singular political and cultural agendas and to force compliance. Today, surviving 1938 World Figure Skating Championships pins provide a tangible connection to that complex moment in history. During the championships, held in Berlin for men and pairs,¹ the mood was likely somber, yet the competition went on.

It is quite the contrast, then, that pins issued for the 1938 event are so colorful and beautiful. Part of the reason for this is simply the era—a time when pins and commemorative items were finely crafted rather than mass-produced, as they are today. The artfully handmade silk rosettes attached to the pins are a testament to this bygone craftsmanship. As lovely today as they must have been nearly 90 years ago, these pins would have been proudly worn by competitors, officials, members of the press, and others. Among the most striking examples are those shown in this blog.

Pins Gallery: 1938 World Figure Skating Championships

In the gallery are three pins from the 1938 World Championships, each featuring a detailed metal-and-enamel pin resting atop a specially colored rosette. At the center of the pin is a black bear, an icon closely associated with the city of Berlin and its skating club, with a white skate blade layered over it. Around the upper outer circumference of the pin is the special designation: “Teilnehmer” for Competitor, “Preisrichter” for Judge, and “Presse” for Press. The lower circumference on each pin reads “D.R.L. Fachamt Eissport,” representing the German association for sports and its ice sports division. On the inner circumference, in gold lettering against a rich red background, is the event name and year: “Eiskunstlauf-Weltmeisterschaften, Berlin 1938.” The delicate rosettes, fashioned from silk ribbon, were likely never intended to survive for decades. Exposure to light, humidity, handling, and simple age can cause the fabric to fade, fray, or deteriorate, making examples with intact rosettes increasingly uncommon today.

Also shown in the gallery is a participant medal that displays, as its central design element, the much-despised symbol of the German regime then in power. The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins exhibits this item because of its historical connection to the 1938 World Championships but does not celebrate the symbol or what it represents. Museums, archives, and private collections routinely preserve artifacts associated with difficult chapters of history because they help document the people, events, and circumstances of their time. Their preservation reflects a commitment to historical accuracy and education rather than an endorsement of the ideologies or symbols they may contain.

Above the symbol on the medal is the event name, “Eiskunstlauf-Weltmeisterschaften,” and below is the location, year, and German association designation: “Berlin 1938, D.R.L. Fachamt Eissport.” The medal was acquired from the estate of Ernst Baier, who won the 1938 pairs championships with partner (and later wife) Maxi Herber. Baier and Herber were 1936 Olympic Champions, four-time World Champions, and five-time European Champions. Baier was also the 1936 Olympic silver medalist in men’s singles and a multiple World Championship and European Championship medalist.

Nearly nine decades later, these beautifully crafted pins and medal remain tangible reminders of both a significant championship and the era in which it was held.

¹ The 1938 World Championships for ladies was held in Stockholm, Sweden. It was common during the era for the different disciplines to be held in separate locations and at different times..

This blog was originally published at The Netropolitan Museum of Figure Skating Pins on May 22, 2021, and has been updated with new and expanded information.

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