NAZI GERMANY
THE ASSUMPTION TO POWER
(Jan 1933)
On 30th Jan 1933 Hitler was inaugurated as the Chancellor of Germany, and this occasion was marked by the publication of a number of postcards. Several of them were similar to the one below where Hitler's portrait is seen alongside that of Friedrich the Great, Otto von Bismarck and President Hindenburg. The message was clear: Hitler was part of a long line of Great Germans and deserved to stand alongside Germany's greatest heroes.
This was the first time a Nazi had attained a position of real power, so they wanted to align themselves with popular figures from Germany's past. For a fledgling party it was a way of gaining legitimacy with the German people by showing the Nazi Party as being continuous with previous popular governments and easing fears that a new radical party had come to power. After years of chaos the Nazi's wanted to show the people that it was back to business as usual. Sadly, it was to be a far different story.
POWER #1
This postcard features images of Friedrich the Great, Otto von Bismarck, Hindenburg, and Adolf Hitler. The card was published by Verlag Johannes Böttiger of Köln and is one of a number of similar designs. There is a caption below each of the figures as follows:Friedrich the Great: The king Conquered.
Otto von Bismarck: The Prince founded.
von Hindenburg: The Field Marshall defended.
Adolf Hitler: The soldier saved.
FROM MY COLLECTION
POWER #2
This postcard features images of Friedrich the Great, Otto von Bismarck, Hindenburg, and Adolf Hitler. This card was also published by Kunstantstalt Johannes Böttiger of Köln-Salz.
This postcard also features the same images of Friedrich the Great, Otto von Bismarck, Hindenburg, and Adolf Hitler. The card was also published by Kunstantstalt Johannes Böttiger of Köln-Salz but ow it has serrated edges and an additional inscription in the top left-hand corner. This inscription reads "Kunstblätter hiervon erschienen im | gleichen Verlag. Groβe: | 18 x 24, -.60 27 x 42, 1.20 42 x 63, 3.- Rpf." - 'Art sheets of this appeared in | same publisher. Size: | 18 x 24, -.60 27 x 42, 1.20 42 x 63, 3.- Rpf.' indicating that large format pictures could also be purchased in addition to the postcards.
Below is a third variation on this postcard, again without the publisher's details.
POWER #3
The following postcard was published by Verlag Bayerl of Munich and features Friedrich the Great, Otto von Bismarck and Adolf Hitler.
This card has an identical image, but it lacks the details beneath each of the individuals that is present on the example above. There are also no publisher's detail listed on the reverse.
COMING SOON
The following version of this postcard has an inscription on the reverse that reads "'Männer der Zeit' Nr. 74. | Friedrich d. Gr., Bismarck, Hitler."
