NAZI GERMANY
THE "ETERNAL JEW" EXHIBITION
(1937/1938)
The Eternal Jew (Der Ewige Jude) exhibition was an anti-Semitic display of 'art', held at the Library of the German Museum in Munich from 8th Nov 1937 until 31st Jan 1938. The exhibition was designed to reinforce the Nazi ideology that presented Jews as inferior people who were only interested in bringing Germany to its knees. The postcard below depicts a stereotypical Jew, complete with kaftan and over-exaggerated features. The character carries a handful of gold coins in his right hand, reinforcing the idea that Jews were only interested in making money. He also carries a whip in his right hand, implying that Jews made their money on the backs of Germans. Under his right arm is a map of Germany, complete with the Communist symbols, in an attempt to link the Jews with the Communists, two of the Nazi's favourite bad guys.
An average of 5,000 people per day attended the exhibition making a total of over 400,000 visitors. After the exhibition ended in Munich, it moved on to in Vienna from 2nd Aug until 23rd Oct 1938, with a final show in Berlin where it opened on 12th Nov 1938 and closed on 31st Jan 1939.
As well as this postcard there was an advertising poster that had the same design, and several special postal cancellations, some of which can be seen below.
There were three versions of this card, all with the same image. The two 1937 versions, PP127-C-31 and PP142-C-18 used in Munich, have either a 6Rpf Hindenburg Medallion or a 5Rpf Luftpost pre-printed stamp respectively. Both of the 1938 cards have two lines of text below the image.
The third version, published in 1938 in Vienna, does not have a pre-printed stamp, and also differs from the 1937 versions in that the text below the image is now on three lines of text rather than two lines.
PP127-C-31
6Rpf HINDENBURG MEDALLION
(1937)
The first of the 1937 versions has two lines of text below the image, and a 6Rpf pre-printed Hindenburg Medallion pre-printed stamp. The inscription reads "GROSSE POLITISCHE SCHAU IM BIBLIOTHEKSBAU DES DEUTSCHEN MUSEUMS | ZU MÜNCHEN - AB 8. NOVEMBER 1937 - TÄGLICH GEÖFFNET VON 10-21 UHR" - 'LARGE POLITICAL SHOW IN THE LIBRARY BUILDING OF THE GERMAN MUSEUM | TO MUNICH - FROM NOVEMBER 8, 1937 - OPEN DAILY FROM 10 am to 9 pm'.
PP127-C-31
6RPf HINDENBURG MEDALLION
6RPf HINDENBURG MEDALLION
FROM MY COLLECTION
PP142-C-18
5Rpf LUFTPOST
(1937)
The second of the 1937 versions has two lines of text below the image, and a 5Rpf pre-printed Luftpost pre-printed stamp. The inscription reads "GROSSE POLITISCHE SCHAU IM BIBLIOTHEKSBAU DES DEUTSCHEN MUSEUMS | ZU MÜNCHEN - AB 8. NOVEMBER 1937 - TÄGLICH GEÖFFNET VON 10-21 UHR" - 'LARGE POLITICAL SHOW IN THE LIBRARY BUILDING OF THE GERMAN MUSEUM | TO MUNICH - FROM NOVEMBER 8, 1937 - OPEN DAILY FROM 10 am to 9 pm'.
The example below has the special cancel used in Munich and inscribed "MÜNCHEN HAUPTSTADT DER BEWEGUNG | Der Ewige Jude | GROSSE POLITISCHE SCHAU".
PP142-C-18
5Rpf LUFTPOST
5Rpf LUFTPOST
FROM MY COLLECTION
NO PRE-PRINTED STAMP
(1938)
The 1938 versions has three lines of text below the image and there is no pre-printed stamp. The inscription reads "GROSSE POLITISCHE SCHAU IN DER NORDWESTBAHNHALLE IN WIEN | AB 2. AUG 1938 - TÄGLICH GEÖFFNET VON 10-20 UHR" - 'BIG POLITICAL SHOW IN THE NORDWESTBAHNHALLE IN VIENNA | FROM AUG 2, 1938 - OPEN DAILY FROM 10 A.M. TO 8 P.M.'
This example from my collection has the special cancel used in Vienna and inscribed "AUSSTELLUNG -DER EWIGE JUDE | WIEN" as well as the related special slogan cancel inscribed "BESUCHT DIE | AUSSTELLUNG | "DER EWIGE JUDE" | WIEN" - 'VISIT THE | EXHIBITION | "THE ETERNAL JEW" | VIENNA'
NO PRE-PRINTED STAMP
(1938)
(1938)
FROM MY COLLECTION