Postcards of Hitler's Germany
This ten-year study was produced because of an early fascination with the colorful and historical propaganda postcards of the Third Reich era. Studying them and the events they portrayed created a hunger for more knowledge about the German postal system and its function. I soon learned there was much more to this hobby than just propaganda cards. Cards flooded the postal system carrying their blatant, and sometimes subtle, messages alongside equally interesting "official issue" postcards (Amtliche Ausgaben) and the "printed to private order" postcards. It is these three categories of Third Reich postcards that I have addressed in this work.
The "official issues" were available at all post offices or at special counters at exhibitions. Their issuance was ordered by the postal authorities. They are the most common of the postcards encountered because of their numerous distribution outlets. Postage stamps are imprinted.
The "printed to private order" postcards were produced to commemorate special events, from local postal exhibitions to city and district commemorations. Some are common because of their profuse usage over a long period of time (sometimes months), and some are very rare as they may have been produced in limited numbers for a week-end event. On this wide range of subject cards, the postage stamps are also imprinted.
The third category covered in this study is that of "propaganda" postcards. These are the most colorful of the three and are generally political in nature. They required a postage stamp.
As I observed the thousands of cards available to me I noted that all three catagories, in their own way, depicted a mini-history of Germany during the Third Reich period.
When I put the three groupings of cards together in a chronological order, I not only saw most every event that was important to the German populace portrayed, but also the complex latticework of Gerinan culture and society. Not only did they portray the frustrations with the Versailles Treaty, but at the other end of the spectrum, the status of females in the "new order" to the love of nature. It was with this enlightenment that the format you are about to view was developed.
For a purely philatelic approach to the subject of "official issues" and "printed to private order" postcards there are no better references than Michel's "Ganzsachen-Katalog Deutschland," "Privatpostkarten-Katalog Deutschland: Deutsches Reich 1873-1945," "Bildpostkarten-Katalog Deutschland," and Borek's "Ganzsachen-Spezial-Katalog Deutschland ab 1933." Although they are in German, they go into much greater detail on not only postcards but also special cancels. They were my bibles when cross-referencing or confirming details I had gathered from the numerous international collections I was permitted to study and photograph.
What has developed from my years of research are three volumes on the above subject. They are as follows:
Vol. 1: 1923-1936. Only Party struggle cards from 1923 to 1933, and from 1934 to 1936, any dated card in a chronological order.
Vol. 2: 1937-1939. Any dated card in a chronological order.
Vol. 3: 1940-1945. Any dated card in a chronological order plus the postal stationery of annexed and occupied territories.
It should be noted that as extensive as my search was for appropriate cards for this series, I know that I have only scratched the surface and welcome contact from fellow collectors who hold hidden "gems" in their collections which are unknown to me. With their assistance I would like photos of such postcards, special cancels, and publishers' details, which can make up an expanded series in the future.
Format Examples
This volume on Third Reich era postcards illustrates any card that can be dated or tied to a particular event, which in reality, presents a mini-chronological history of Hitler's Gennany. Postcards without a double border or separate stamp (indicating imprinted) is a privately published card. These cards are in the greatest numbers of variations and are classified as "Propaganda Cards." Most often these cards are of a political nature and always require a postage stamp.
Cards with a double border and separate stamp indicates "Official Postal Stationery" with imprinted stanlp. These official issues (Amtliche Ausgaben) are quite common as they were available at all post offices or at special counters at exhibitions and events.
Cards without the double border, but with a separately illustrated stamp, indicate "Printed to Private Order" postcards with imprinted stamps. These issues were printed to commemorate special events.
R. James Bender: "Postcards of Hitler's Germany, Volume 3, R. James Bender Publishing, 2003
The "official issues" were available at all post offices or at special counters at exhibitions. Their issuance was ordered by the postal authorities. They are the most common of the postcards encountered because of their numerous distribution outlets. Postage stamps are imprinted.
The "printed to private order" postcards were produced to commemorate special events, from local postal exhibitions to city and district commemorations. Some are common because of their profuse usage over a long period of time (sometimes months), and some are very rare as they may have been produced in limited numbers for a week-end event. On this wide range of subject cards, the postage stamps are also imprinted.
The third category covered in this study is that of "propaganda" postcards. These are the most colorful of the three and are generally political in nature. They required a postage stamp.
As I observed the thousands of cards available to me I noted that all three catagories, in their own way, depicted a mini-history of Germany during the Third Reich period.
When I put the three groupings of cards together in a chronological order, I not only saw most every event that was important to the German populace portrayed, but also the complex latticework of Gerinan culture and society. Not only did they portray the frustrations with the Versailles Treaty, but at the other end of the spectrum, the status of females in the "new order" to the love of nature. It was with this enlightenment that the format you are about to view was developed.
For a purely philatelic approach to the subject of "official issues" and "printed to private order" postcards there are no better references than Michel's "Ganzsachen-Katalog Deutschland," "Privatpostkarten-Katalog Deutschland: Deutsches Reich 1873-1945," "Bildpostkarten-Katalog Deutschland," and Borek's "Ganzsachen-Spezial-Katalog Deutschland ab 1933." Although they are in German, they go into much greater detail on not only postcards but also special cancels. They were my bibles when cross-referencing or confirming details I had gathered from the numerous international collections I was permitted to study and photograph.
What has developed from my years of research are three volumes on the above subject. They are as follows:
Vol. 1: 1923-1936. Only Party struggle cards from 1923 to 1933, and from 1934 to 1936, any dated card in a chronological order.
Vol. 2: 1937-1939. Any dated card in a chronological order.
Vol. 3: 1940-1945. Any dated card in a chronological order plus the postal stationery of annexed and occupied territories.
It should be noted that as extensive as my search was for appropriate cards for this series, I know that I have only scratched the surface and welcome contact from fellow collectors who hold hidden "gems" in their collections which are unknown to me. With their assistance I would like photos of such postcards, special cancels, and publishers' details, which can make up an expanded series in the future.
Format Examples
This volume on Third Reich era postcards illustrates any card that can be dated or tied to a particular event, which in reality, presents a mini-chronological history of Hitler's Gennany. Postcards without a double border or separate stamp (indicating imprinted) is a privately published card. These cards are in the greatest numbers of variations and are classified as "Propaganda Cards." Most often these cards are of a political nature and always require a postage stamp.
Cards with a double border and separate stamp indicates "Official Postal Stationery" with imprinted stanlp. These official issues (Amtliche Ausgaben) are quite common as they were available at all post offices or at special counters at exhibitions and events.
Cards without the double border, but with a separately illustrated stamp, indicate "Printed to Private Order" postcards with imprinted stamps. These issues were printed to commemorate special events.
R. James Bender: "Postcards of Hitler's Germany, Volume 3, R. James Bender Publishing, 2003
www.bender-publishing.com
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