NAZI GERMANY
1938
MICHEL P268
OFFICIAL POSTCARD
6Rpf
Issued 8th Apr 1938 to commemorate the vote on the Anschluss (Union) with Austria. There are two versions of this postcard: The first features a pre-printed stamp depicting a German and an Austrian bearing a swastika flag. The second does not have a pre-printed stamp.
On the front of the cards is a relief map of Greater Germany (including Austria) with Hitler's head.
This first postcard is a blank P268, without any form of cancellation, but with the 6Pf pre-printed 'Anschluss' stamp.
OFFICIAL P268
The following example features both the pre-printed 6Pf stamp as well as an additional, Austrian Issue stamp. They have been cancelled on the day of the vote, with the special Vienna "Ein Volk, Ein Reich , Ein Führer | 10th April 1938" - 'One People, One Empire, One Leader' cancel, which was used on extensively on Austria mail at this time.
In addition there is a second cancel, also common at the time, inscribed "Tag der Grossdeutschen-Reichs | Wien 9. April 1938" - "Day of the Greater German Empire | Vienna 9 April 1938". Also of note is the ink used for both cancels, the colour is purple unlike the more common black ink.
OFFICIAL P268
OTHER P268
WITHOUT PRE-PRINTED STAMP
The following cancelled-to-order example, is one without the pre-printed stamp, although the self-adhesive version has been applied. There is the special slogan cancel inscribed "Am 10 April dem führer dein "Ja" - 'On 10th April say 'Yes' to the leader', an attempt to persuade Austrians to vote for the union with Germany.
Two special cancels have also been applied, the first is the same 'Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Führer", as on the example above, and the second is the special cancel issued to commemorate Hitler's birthday 10 days later, on the 20th April. Both cancels are the examples used in Vienna.
NO PRE-PRINTED STAMP
Unlike the example above, the following card does apper to have been sent through the postal system and it has been cancelled twice with the "Tag des Grossdeutschen-Reichs" cancellation that we see on the second postcard above, only this time with the more usual black ink.
NO PRE-PRINTED STAMP