NAZI GERMANY
1938
MICHEL P275
OFFICIAL POSTCARD
6Rpf
Issued 2nd Dec 1938. Issued on the occasion of the 'vote' in the Sudetenland (North and East Czechoslovakia) to become a part of Germany. The pre-printed stamp features an Eagle on top of a rock in front of the swastika. Along the bottom edge of the stamp is the inscription '4.Dezember 1938' in white text. On the back is a relief map of Germany and the Sudetenland. This postcard was re-issued in 1939 as Michel P279 which can be identified by the obliteration of the '4. Dezember 1938' text on the bottom edge of the stamp as well as some additional text below the word 'Postkarte'.
This example has been cancelled with a special cancellation inscribed "REICHENBERG | im befreiten | Sudetenland | Wahl-und-Bekenntnistag" - 'REICHENBERG | 4.12.1938 | in the liberated | Sudetenland | Election and Confession Day'. I doubt too many Sudetenland Czechoslovakians felt liberated.
Reichenberg was the German name for the Czechoslovakian town of Liberec and this was the Nazi's way of telling the world that the Sudentenland was now German (changing the name from Czechoslovakian to German), this was a common theme as we shall see later.
(1)
UNUSED P275
UNUSED P275
OFFICIAL P275
Cancelled-to-Order in AUSSIG here is another example of the same special cancellation, where the Czecoslovakian name of the Sudetenland town of ÚSTÍ NAD LABEM, has been replaced by the German name AUSSIG.
(2)
UNUSED P275
UNUSED P275
OFFICIAL P275
USED
On this occasion it's the Sudenland town of KARLOVY VARY being renamed as KARLSBAD, by it's new German masters. The Germanisation of the Sudetenland was swift and deadly for a large number of the population.
(2)
USED P275
USED P275
OFFICIAL P275
OTHER VERSION
Issued 1st Dec 1938. The same as Michel P275 only now without the pre-printed stamp. In addition this version has a shield logo and the word 'Befreiungskarte' in the top left-hand corner. This version of the card was published by Heinrich Hoffman.
The four stamps are all from the 1934 airmail issue Michel 529 to 539 and the special cancels all relate to the flight of the Graf Zeppelin Airship, from FRANKFURT (MAIN) to the newly occupied SUDETENLAND (sep 1938).
The red circular stamp was first used on Zeppelin L.Z.130's maiden flight, a propaganda flight to the annexed Sudetenland on 2nd December 1938. This red cachet was applied to all mail carried on L.Z.130 on that day. This card is dated a day earlier, on the 1st Dec, and requires more research to determine if it is a genuine example.
(4)
USED P275
USED P275