Attribution: Junák – Český skaut (Czech Scouting), Czechoslovakia
Design: A gilt brass fleur-de-lys bearing a black enamel wolf (or Bohemian shepherd) head on a central shield.
Attachment: Simple horizontal safety-pin clasp (typical Czech badge fitting, 1920s–1930s).
Dimensions: 35 mm W × 40 mm H
Material: Gilt brass with black enamel detail
Maker: Unmarked
Circa: 1925 – 1938
Notes:
This is the larger uniform version of the Junák emblem designed by Mikoláš Aleš, featuring the “Scout lily” (fleur-de-lys) with the wolf’s head, symbolizing loyalty and freedom. Used on caps and tunics by Czech Scouts before WWII. After the occupation in 1939, these badges were banned; surviving originals are scarce.
While Nazi forces entered Czechoslovakia in March 1939, the official, final ban on the organization happened slightly later. Following the Munich Agreement and loss of territory, the distinct Czech Scout and Guide groups formally unified into a single joint association officially named Junák. Rather than a sudden closure in 1939, Junák managed to operate carefully during the first year of the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia. It was officially abolished by force and entirely prohibited by Karl Hermann Frank (the German State Secretary) on October 28, 1940. Following the 1940 ban, scouting property was seized, and wearing this emblem became an act of resistance. Many scouts hid their badges or went underground to join the Czech resistance movements.