GERMAN POSTAL HISTORY
ASSOCIATION FOR GERMANNESS ABROAD
THE VDA
UNDATED POSTCARDS
Most, but not all of these cards were issued in sets of 6 postcards, all without any pre-printed postal charge. The undated cards, unlike the 1940 and 1941 cards are not in the least bit propagandist, depicting regional costumes and artistic scenes without the usual Nazi paraphernalia that can be found on many cards from the period after 1933. Because of this it is not unusual to find examples of these cards that were postally used after the war had ended, and well into the 1960's.
P1.R1
TRADITIONAL COSTUMES
This first set of 6 postcards is titled "Deutsches Reich: Volkstrachten" - "Germany: Traditional Costumes". The title "Deutsches Reich" places the publishing date sometime after 1933.
No. 1
SCHWABIA
SCHWABIA
No. 2
HAMBURG
HAMBURG
No. 3
THÜRINGIA
THÜRINGIA
No. 4
THÜRINGIA
THÜRINGIA
No. 5
No. 6
BUCKEBURG
BUCKEBURG
P1.R2
TRADITIONAL COSTUMES
This set of 6 postcards is titled "Deutsches Reich: Volkstrachten" - "Germany: Traditional Costumes". The title "Deutsches Reich" places the publishing date sometime after 1933.
No. 1
MÖNCHGUTERIN
MÖNCHGUTERIN
No. 2
BÜRGERFRAU aus MITTELFRANKEN
BÜRGERFRAU aus MITTELFRANKEN
No. 3
No. 4
SCHLESIERIN
SCHLESIERIN
No. 5
BANYERISCHER BAUER
BANYERISCHER BAUER
No. 6
MÄDCHEN aus LINDHORST
MÄDCHEN aus LINDHORST
P1.R3
TRADITIONAL COSTUMES
This set of 6 postcards is titled "Deutsches Reich: Volkstrachten" - "Germany: Traditional Costumes". The title "Deutsches Reich" places the publishing date sometime after 1933.
No. 1
No. 2
FRAU aus SCHLITZ
FRAU aus SCHLITZ
No. 3
BAYERISCHER BAUER (TÖLZ)
BAYERISCHER BAUER (TÖLZ)
No. 4
MÄRKISCHE BÄUERIN
MÄRKISCHE BÄUERIN
No. 5
SCHWARZWALDERIN aus GUTACH
SCHWARZWALDERIN aus GUTACH
No. 6
ALTE SCHWÄBIN
ALTE SCHWÄBIN
P1.R4
TRADITIONAL COSTUMES
This set of 6 postcards is titled "Deutsches Reich: Volkstrachten" - "Germany: Traditional Costumes". The title "Deutsches Reich" places the publishing date sometime after 1933.
No. 1
FREISIN (FREISING?)
FREISIN (FREISING?)
No. 2
EGERLÄNDERIN
EGERLÄNDERIN
No. 3
SCHLESIERIN
SCHLESIERIN
No. 4
SUDTIROLER aus dem SARNTAL
SUDTIROLER aus dem SARNTAL
No. 5
TIROLERIN aus dem OKTAL
TIROLERIN aus dem OKTAL
No. 6
WACHAUER DIRNDL (NIEDERDONAU)
WACHAUER DIRNDL (NIEDERDONAU)
P1.R20
FAMOUS BUILDINGS
This particular set had at least 17 different designs all depicting famous buildings in Germany. The inscription reads "Das Grossere Reich" which translates as "The Greater Empire". Most of the places depicted on these postcards are located in Elsass and Lorraine, which had become part of France after the Treaty of Versailles, so maybe this was an attempt to remind Germans that these two regions were once part of Germany and that they would one day become part of a Greater Germany.
No. 1
STRASSBURG mit MÜNSTER
STRASSBURG mit MÜNSTER
No. 2
SCHLETTSTADT
SCHLETTSTADT
No. 3
HOHKÖNIGSBURG
HOHKÖNIGSBURG
No. 4
OBEREHNHELM 1. ELSASS
OBEREHNHELM 1. ELSASS
No. 5
REFTENHOLZ 1. ELSASS
REFTENHOLZ 1. ELSASS
No. 6
WEISSENBURG i. ELSASS
WEISSENBURG i. ELSASS
No. 7
No. 8
MÜLHAUSEN
MÜLHAUSEN
No. 9
THANN an der THUR
THANN an der THUR
No. 10
SULZERNER SEE mit OBEREM
SULZERNER SEE mit OBEREM
No. 11
KOLMAR
KOLMAR
No. 12
RANFERSBERG 1. OBER ELSASS (KAYSERSBERG?)
RANFERSBERG 1. OBER ELSASS (KAYSERSBERG?)
No. 13
METZ
METZ
No. 14
METZ
METZ
No. 15
FINSTINGEN an der SAAR
FINSTINGEN an der SAAR
No. 16
NIEDERSTINZEL
NIEDERSTINZEL
No. 17
DAGSBURG
DAGSBURG
No. 18
P1.R30
THE BIG TRECK
This particular set of postcards had at least 11 different designs all commemorating 'The Big Trek', a journey by German minerologist Otto Moritz (I) Ludwig von Engelhardt through the Crimea and Caucasus. Engelhardt travelled extensively through Russia documenting the gold, platinum, and diamond deposits he found along the way. He died in 1842 and this series is dedicated to his work.
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
No. 7
No. 8
No. 9
No. 10
No. 11
No. 12
P1 R40
DR. GABRIEL ENGLER
This particular set had at least 4 (and probably six) different designs entitled "Dr. Gabriel Engler: "Kärntner Köpfe". - 'Dr. Gabriel Engler Corinthian heads', more research is needed on this set of postcards.
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
P1.R41
EAST MARK FOLK COSTUMES
This particular set had at least 15 different designs all depicting men and women in traditional costume. The series is entitled "Ostmärkische Volkstrachten" - 'Folk Costumes of the East Mark'
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
No. 7
No. 8
No. 9
No. 10
No. 11
No. 12
No. 13
No. 14
No. 15
P3.R3
SOUTH TYROLEAN FOLK COSTUMES
This particular set had 6 different designs all depicting people in regional costume. The series is entitled "SUDTIROLER VOLKSTRACHTEN" - 'South Tyrolean Folk Costumes'
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
P5.R2
GOTTSCHEE
More Research required on this set of postcards that depict scenes of the region of Gottschee, now in Slovenia.
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
P6.R1
TRANSYLVANIAN-SAXONY FOLK COSTUMES
This set of postcards has 6 different designs all depicting regional costumes from the Transylvanian-Saxony region and is entitled "Siebenburgisch-Sächsische Volkstrachten".
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
P6.R2
TRANSYLVANIAN-SAXONY FOLK COSTUMES
This set of postcards also has 6 different designs all depicting regional costumes from the Transylvanian-Saxony region and is also entitled "Siebenburgisch-Sächsische Volkstrachten".
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
P6.R3
TRANSYLVANIAN VILLAGE
This set of 6 postcards features different designs all depicting scenes of village life. The series is entitled "Aus einem Siebenbürgischen Dorf" - 'From a Village in Transylvania'
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
P6.R4
TRANSYLVANIA
Another set of at least 6 postcards featuring Transylvania.
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
P7.R3
REGIONAL COSTUMES
This set had at least 6 different designs all depicting regional costumes.
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
P9.R1
ELSASS COSTUMES
This set of 6 different postcard designs all featured regional costumes from the Elsass and Lothringen region.
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
P10.R1
THE NORTHERN MARCH
More research required on this set of postcards which depict scenes from around the Nord mark (Northern March) in the Brandenburg Region of North Eastern Germany.
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
P13.R1
BANAT ROMANIA FOLK COSTUMES
This set of 6 different postcard designs depict regional costumes from the Banat, Romania Region. The area was inhabited mostly by Germans but was ceded to Romania after the First World War.
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
P13.R2
BANAT ROMANIA FOLK COSTUMES
Another set of 6 different postcard designs depicting regional costumes from the Banat, Romania Region.
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
P14 (1-6)
NOBLE GERMAN BLOOD
P14 was a series of 36 postcards (sold in sets of 6) designed by Renowned German artist Wolfgang Willrich. The series is entitled "Deutscher Blutadel in aller Welt" or 'German noble blood all over the world' (remember the VDA's goal was to promote Germany and the Germans anywhere in the world) so this title is in line with the organisation’s goals. This was the first of a number of series of postcards, later issues becoming more militaristic and featuring soldiers, sailors, and airmen of the German Wehrmacht. This series hints at Willrich's racial leanings as all the images in this set are blond, blue-eyed Aryans. Willrich did not however join the Nazi Party (Requires confirmation).
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6
P14 (7-12)
PORTRAITS
This set had at 6 different designs all depicting regional costumes.
No. 7
No. 8
No. 9
No. 10
No. 11
No. 12
P14 (13-18)
PORTRAITS
More research required on this set of postcards
No. 13
No. 14
No. 15
No. 16
No. 17
No. 18
P14 (19-24)
PORTRAITS
More research required on this set of postcards
No. 19
No. 20
No. 21
No. 22
No. 23
No. 24
P14 (25-30)
PORTRAITS
More research required on this set of postcards
No. 25
No. 26
No. 27
No. 28
No. 29
No. 30
P14 (31-36)
PORTRAITS
More research required on this set of postcards
No. 31
No. 32
No. 33
No. 34
No. 35
No. 36
P14 R1
PORTRAITS
More research required on this set of postcards
No. 1
No. 2
No. 3
No. 4
No. 5
No. 6