Milwaukee Jahrmarkt Badge

The Milwaukee Jahrmarkt Badge

Most long time Wisconsin collectors of tokens and medals have seen the medals and tokens from the Milwaukee Jahrmarkt featuring a dancing German couple. The German community had two main festivals back at the turn of the last century. Carnival which preceded Lent and the Jahrmarkt which was like a fall harvest festival much like a county fair with lots of produce, beer and fun for all. In the book The Milwaukee Story published by the Milwaukee Journal in 1946, there is mention of a regular open air German market on Market Square near the present City Hall building. This was later moved to what is near to what is now East Juneau and North Water Streets. This led to the Jahrmarkt which was located at what is now South 5th at West National. It was quite an affair with the street blocked off for close to two weeks. There were many building-like booths and a fancy arched admission gate structure. The Jahrmarkt was a financial success which may explain the need for the issue of badges like the one illustrated here. The badge is similar to the Street Trades badges of Milwaukee and may have been for officials, venders or even served as liquor licenses. There is almost nothing about the Jahrmarkt or it’s badges to be found anywhere. However there is record of Milwaukee Alderman George Himmelstein proposing, on August 25, 1902, that a liquor license be issued just for the Jahrmarkt at the price of $16.66 but only after the Police Department cleared the applications. The badge is 51mm in diameter and looks like it is nickel plated brass with blackened incuse lettering and numbers. Badge number 10 dated 1902 is the only one I can remember seeing.