Kaiser Wilhelm Gesellschaft / Max Planck Gesellschaft Membership Medal

Kaiser Wilhelm Gesellschaft / Max Planck Gesellschaft Membership Medal
Here we have a rare scientific rather than a military medal in gold plated silver on the original ribbon. Founded in 1911 as the Kaiser Wilhelm Gesellschaft (Society for the Advancement of Science) this very select group of scientific minds survived two World Wars and was renamed the Max Planck Gesellschaft in 1946. The fact that this medal uses the old Kaiser Wilhelm name and does not have a swastika would date this piece before 1934. Membership was not easy to get. If an applicant was not nominated on their scientific merits they could always buy a membership, for 40,000DM or about $20,000! Oh well it was for a good cause after all.