NAZI GERMANY
POSTMARKS
1934
The CITY of GOOD KID's SHOES
17th Jan 1934. Cleve is a town on the German / Dutch border famous for the Elefanten-Kinderschuhfabrik (Elefant Children's Shoes Factory)
Special Postmark inscribed "Cleve - die Stadt der guten kinderschuhe" - 'Cleve - the city of good kids shoes"
DONATE for the NATIONAL WORK!
17th Feb 1934. This looks like a generic donation postmark used to encourage people to donate money. These particular slogans have city/date cancels of "KIEL 17.2.1934" and "LEIPZIG 4.10.34".
Special Postmark inscribed "Spendet für die nationale arbeit!" - 'Donate for the national work!'
Special Postmark inscribed "denkt an die Arbeitschlacht" - 'Think of the labour battle'
Although these postmarks appear to indicate that a donation was voluntary that was in fact not the case. For the most part a 'donation' was deducted directly from the worker's salary and peer pressure to donate more was high. The donations went into a special fund much of which was syphoned off to pay for armaments build up and Nazi Party projects not related to improving the lot of the worker.
DEUTSCHE LUFTPOST
(Airmail)
There were two special slogan postmarks used with this issue and both have an aviation theme which ties in with the overall design of the stamps.
Special slogan: "Luftpost nach RIO DE JANEIRO BUENOS AIRES SANTIAGO, CHILE 3-4 Tage" - "Airmail to Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Santiago, Chile 3-4 Days".
Special slogan: "BENUTZE DIE LUFTPOST" - "Use the Airmail"
The SAAR PLEISCITE
There were 3 special slogans issued in conjunction with the two stamps. The first slogan below was used on 65 different towns from 22nd Sep 1934 until 13th Jan 1935. The remaining two slogans were for rallies organized in Coblenz and Cologne.
"Saar - Abstimmung 13. Januar 1935" - 'Saar - vote January 13, 1935'
"Saar - Treue fund gebung auf dem Ehreubreitftein" - 'Saar - faithful foundation on the honorary succession' [Needs confirmation]
"Befucht dir ausfteilung Deutsche Saar Köln 26.3.-30.9" - 'Do you want to be awarded? Deutsche Saar Köln 26.3.-30.9' [Needs Confirmation]'.
HITLER YOUTH CAMP
9th to 15th Apr 1934. This slogan postmark is inscribed "Reichs berufswettkampf der Deutschen Jugend" or 'Reich's professional competition of the German Youth' and seems to advertise a Hitler Youth Camp in Bremen in April 1934
Hitler Youth Camp, Bremen, Slogan Postmark
In 1923, the youth organisation of the Nazi Party had a little over 1,200 members and by 1925 the membership grown to over 5,000. Five years later, national membership stood at 26,000. By the end of 1932, it was at 107,956. The Nazis came to power in 1933, and the membership of Hitler Youth organisations increased dramatically to 2,300,000 members by the end of that year. Much of these increases came from forcible takeovers of other youth organisations. The sizeable Evangelische Jugend (Evangelical Youth), a Lutheran youth organisation of 600,000 members, was integrated on 18 February 1934. In 1934, a law declared the Hitler Youth to be the only legally permitted youth organisation in Germany, and stated that "all of the German youth in the Reich is organised within the Hitler Youth" [Source: Wikipedia].
CALL to JOIN the REICHSLUFTSCHUTZBUND
(National Air Raid Protection League)
The postmark was a generic postmark, the purpose of which was to encourage people to join the The Reichsluftschutzbund (RLB) (National Air Raid Protection League) an organization charge of air raid precautions in residential areas and among smaller businesses. The 8-pointed shield is the symbol of the RLB and the inscription "werdet mitglied im Reichsluftschutzbund" translates as 'Become a member of the Reichsluftschutzbund'.
Generic Reichsluftschutzbund Slogan Postmark.
The RLB was organized by Hermann Göering in 1933 as a voluntary association and all existing volunteer air raid precaution associations were forced to merge with it. In 1939 the RLB had about 15 million members, 820 000 volunteer functionaries (of which 280 000 women) and 75 000 local units. The RLB was in charge of educating and training ordinary German men and women in civil defence procedures necessary for the basic level of local self-help of the civil population against air raids. The local level was formed around air raid wardens and operated in small first intervention squads. The training included firefighting, protection against chemical weapons, communication procedures and preparation of houses and apartments against air raids. [Source: Wikipedia]
HOFENHEIM FESTIVAL
1st to 9th Sep 1934. The postmark depicts a German youth clad in traditional lederhosen performing a dance with the festival tent and the spire of the village church in the background.
Hoffenheim Festival Slogan Postmark.
The GERMAN SETTLEMENT EXHIBITION
Jun to Oct 1934.
The German Settlement Exhibition Slogan Postmark. Inscribed "Besucht die Deutsche Siedlungsausstellung".
PFORZHEIM CAVALRY DAY
8th to 11th Jun 1934. This special postmark advertises the Pforzheim Cavalry Day in June 1934.
Pforzheim Cavalry Day, Slogan Postmark
In MEMORIAM of PAUL von HINDENBURG
2nd Aug 1934. Paul von Hindenburg died on 2nd August 1934 (aged 86). There were two related postmarks issued in Hohenstein which show the Tannenberg Memorial (a monument to German soldiers who died in the second battle of Tannenberg in 1914 where they were commanded by the victorious Paul von Hindenburg).
"HOHENSTEIN (OSTPR)
Tannenberg Nationaldenkmal"
'Tannenberg National Memorial'
Until 1936.
Tannenberg Nationaldenkmal"
'Tannenberg National Memorial'
Until 1936.
"HOHENSTEIN (OSTPR)
Reichs Ehrenmal Tannenberg"
'Reichs Memorial to Tannenberg'
From 1936 until 1940.
Reichs Ehrenmal Tannenberg"
'Reichs Memorial to Tannenberg'
From 1936 until 1940.
6th REICHSPARTEITAG NÜRNBERG
(Nazi Party Rally)
The rally of unity and strength
5th to 10th Sep 1934. This postmark was used to commemorate the 6th Annual Nazi Party 'Reichsparteitag' held in Nürnburg in September 1934.
"REICHSPARTEITAG NÜRNBERG N.S.D.A.P 8.9.34 - 10"
"REICHSPARTEITAG der N.S.D.A.P in NÜRNBERG vom 5 mit 10 Sept 1934"
The 6th Party Congress was held in Nürnberg from 5th to 10th September 1934. The official attendance was recorded at around 700,000 Nazi Party supporters. Initially it did not have a theme. Later it was labelled the "Rally of Unity and Strength" (Reichsparteitag der Einheit und Stärke), "Rally of Power" (Reichsparteitag der Macht), or "Rally of Will" (Reichsparteitag des Willens). The Leni Riefenstahl film Triumph des Willens was filmed at this rally. This rally was particularly notable due to Albert Speer's Cathedral of light: 152 searchlights that cast vertical beams into the sky around the Zeppelin Field to symbolise the walls of a building.
GENERIC CHARITY SLOGAN
This slogan postmark is inscribed "Kämpf mit gegen hunger und kälte" - 'Fight Against hunger and Cold' and appears to be a generic postmark used for a charity drive, likely a forerunner of the Winterhilfswerk organisation charity drives. The city/date postmark is "BERLIN 21.3.34".
Charity Slogan Postmark.
FRIEDRICH SCHILLER
Friedrich Schiller, German poet, philosopher, physician, historian, and playwright."MARBACH (NECKAR) - Fremdenverkehr Württemberg - Schiller National Museum u. Geburtshaus".
"MARBACH (NECKAR) - Schillers Geburtshaus - Schiller National Museum".
"Schwӓbische Schiller-Festspiele 10-17 Nov 34 Staatstheater Stuttgart"
CARL SCHAEFER's MARCHENSTADT - LILIPUT
18th Dec 1934.
Lilliput, Slogan Postmark
| 1. This Special slogan postmark celebrates Carl Schaefer's Mӓrchestadt. This was a group of midget entertainers that lived in the small town of Lilliput and toured the country performing live shows. This was a popular form of entertainment in the 1930's, a very similar postmark was used again in December 1938. |
GENERIC INFORMATIONAL SLOGAN POSTMARK
15th Dec 1934. This slogan postmark is inscribed "vergiss nicht strasse und hausnummer anzugeben" - 'Do not forget to indicate street and house number'. The city/date postmark is "DRESDEN 15.12.34".
Generic Slogan Postmark.