Alter Kämpfer (German for "Old Fighter"; plural: Alte Kämpfer) is a term referring to the earliest members of the Nazi Party, i.e. those who joined it before the Reichstag 1930 German federal election, with many belonging to the party as early as its first foundation in 1919–1923. Those who joined the party after the electoral breakthrough of September 1930 were known to the Alte Kämpfer as Septemberlings, while those who joined the party after the assumption of power on 30 January 1933 were known as the . As the party's "Old Guard" and of proven dedication to the movement during its so-called "Period of Struggle" (Kampfzeit) in 1925–1933, they were distinguished from the flood of new members who joined in 1933 and later for opportunistic reasons. A number of special awards/insignia were i