1938: The National Socialist People’s Welfare (NSV) and the Winter Relief Agency (WHW)

The Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt (NSV, National Socialist People’s Welfare) was the relief organisation of the Nazi Party. The aim of the NSV was to foster a feeling of community and solidarity within the Nazi Volksgemeinschaft (“people’s community”). People who did not fit the ideology—for example Jews, people with disabilities or the long-term unemployed—were excluded from receiving support. The NSV was organised locally and activities were coordinated by local chapters. The NSV became active in the territory of present-day Austria immediately after the “Anschluss” (“annexation”). It was able to build on the structures of the “illegal relief agency of the Nazi Party”, which after the failed putsch attempt and the subsequent ban on the Nazi Party in 1933 had helped National Socialists who had fled, were imprisoned or were unemployed.

The Winterhilfswerk (Winter Relief Agency, WHW) was an independent organisation of the Nazi Party with close links to the NSV in terms of organisation and personnel. The WHW was an initiative of the Propaganda Ministry, which used the name for the regular fund-raising campaigns it ran via various organisations such as the Hitler Youth or the Wehrmacht. Street collections and house calls were a way of mobilising the entire Volksgemeinschaft. The WHW campaigns, which generated positive publicity, were intended to create the appearance of solidarity in the battle against poverty. Donors received a token for their donation in the form of a pin badge or pendant. These were distributed in their thousands and shaped the everyday image of the Nazi regime. Their playful forms made them popular collectable items.