COVERS / ENVELOPES
(1936)

This page was last updated
07-May-2023 01:29

INTRODUCTION:
This section is devoted to general covers, package labels, envelopes and miscellaneous postal items used during the Third Reich period.

SPECIAL CANCELLATIONS

HOCHLAND LAGER
HOCHLAND HITLER YOUTH CAMP
(6th Jul/22nd Aug 1936)

This cover features the special roller cancel used during the Hitler Youth Hochland Camp in 1936.

WELTKEGLERTURNIER
WORLD BOWLING TOURNAMENT
(21st Jul 1936)

The following cover features the special handstamp used during the World Bowling Tournament in Berlin.

BROWN BAND OF GERMANY

The first "Das Braune Band von Deutschland" or 'Brown Ribbon of Germany" horse Race was held in MUNICH in 1934 to compliment the already well-established Blue Ribbon or HAMBURG Derby. In deference to the Nazi's the name 'brown Ribbon' was a nod to the colour of the SA or Sturm Abteilung uniform.

The race was for 3 and 4 year old horses and was run over a 1½ mile course at the Munich-Reim track. There were no commemorative stamps or postmarks used for the first two races but the Reichspost decided to rectify that deficiency and issued commemorative stamps and postmarks from 1936 onwards.

MUNICH to LORCH - (26th Jul 1936)

This first cover features a Michel Block 4 minisheet cancelled at the race course with one of the special handstamps used during the event. This particular special handstamp was only used on 26th Jul, the day of the race itself.

The cover was destined for the town of LORCH in Baden-Württemberg where it arrived 4 days later.

MUNICH to CHEMNITZ - (26th Jul 1936)

Another example with a Michel Block 4 minisheet, sent from the race course on the day of the race, this time destined for CHEMNITZ, in Saxony, where it arrived 6 days later.

MUNICH to WITTENBERG - (26th Jul 1936)

Another example sent from the event on 26th Jul 1936, this time destined for the town of WITTENBERG (Lutherstadt Wittenberg from 1938), in the Saxony-Anhalt region, about 100Km southwest of BERLIN, where it arrived two days later. This Michel Block 4 minisheet has been cut down so that only the portion around the stamp has been used, the rest of the minisheet being discarded.

MUNICH to MISDROY - (26th Jul 1936)

The following registered cover is another to feature one of the special handstamps used during the event. It arrived at its destination of MISDROY (Międzyzdroje in modern day Polish West Pomerania), a famous seaside resort on the Baltic Coast, two days later on the 28th Jul.

KOLBERG to BERGEN - (6th Aug 1936)

The following example features the complete Michel Block 4 minisheet, but does not feature any of the special handstamps used during the event as it was posted afterwards on 6th Aug in KOLBERG, (Kołobrzeg, West Pomerania in present day Poland). The destination was BERGEN auf RÜGEN, in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania (not the one in Norway) and it arrived two days later.

ELTEN LOCAL COVER - (30th Sep 1936)

This registered 'cover' was sent locally in ELTEN (NIEDERRHEIN), a small town in North Rhine-Westphalia, several months after the Brown Ribbon event had finshed. The cover features the complete Michel Block 4 minisheet.

BERLIN OLYMPIC GAMES
(Aug 1936)

LZ129 - ZEPPELIN MAIL

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN to MAINZ
(23rd Mar 1936)

The proving flight, or first postal flight, of the LZ129 took place on 23rd Mar 1936 and was a circular route beginning and ending in FRIEDRICHSHAFEN. All mail carried on this flight was cancelled with the red oval cachet seen below and inscribed "Mit | Luftschiff LZ 129 | befördert".

Several sources say that this was the only flight which carried this special cachet, however this example appears to have been cancelled on 25th Mar 1936 (it isn't clear but looks more like a '25' than a '23'), two days later. The conclusion therefore is that either this cachet was used on dates other than the 23rd or that this example is not a genuine cover.

As with the majority of Zeppelin mail this example is a philatelic creation, two sets of stamps have been used Michel 606 and 607 Zeppelin stamps on top, and Michel 604 and 605 Berlin motor show stamps below, was far in excess of the 100Pfg postage that would have been required.

FRIEDRICHSHAFEN to NOWAWES
(26th Mar 1936)

Here is another example of a cover with the red cachet that was supposedly only used on the proving fligt of LZ129 on 23rd Mar 1936. This example was cancelled on the 26th Mar, but it also has the the same cachet as the cover above. It would appear that the red cachet was not exclusive to the first flight only. There was another circular flight on the 26th Mar and it too was a round trip from FRIEDRICHSHAFEN.

In terms of this example being a philatelic creation, it's a little more difficult to say. The postal fee should have been 100Rpf but this cover has 125Rpf, slightly in excess of what was required (Michel 606 and 607), both of the 1936 Zeppelin LZ129 commemorative stamps. In addition this example has been opened whereas most philatelic mail was never opened for fear of damaging the cover.

LZ129 - NORTH AMERICA FLIGHT (6th May 1936)

DOMESTIC AIRMAIL

FRANKFURT (MAIN) to TRIER
(3rd May 1936)

This cover is somehwat confusing. It was posted at the railway station in FRANKFURT (MAIN) and sent via airmail to TRIER on the LUXEMBURG border. The postal rate would have been the intercity rate (12Rpf) plus the airmail surcharge which would have depended on the weight of the letter (10Rpf for upto 20gm and 20Rpf for 20 to 50gm). At most 32 Rpf would have been sufficient postage. The confusing part is the arrival stamp on the reverse side. It shows the letter arrived in NEW YORK on 9th May 1936. This makes no sense since the postage paid was insufficient for a letter to be delivered to NEW YORK and there is no US address on the front of the cover. [Additional Research Required].

INTERNATIONAL AIRMAIL

GOSLAR to BATAVIA
(16th Mar 1936)

MUNICH to to BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
(27th Apr 1936)

This express Airmail cover was sent from MUNICH to BUDAPEST in HUNGARY on 27th Apr 1936. The stamps are the two commemorative stamps, Michel 606 and 607, issued on 16th Mar 1936 to mark the Zeppelin LZ129 first flight to North America. although this particular example was not carried on that flight. There is a rectangular stamp inscribed "Légi Postával Érkezett" - 'Arrived by Airmail' which was applied in BUDAPEST.

The arrival stamps on the reverse side show that the letter arrived on the same day that it was posted on 27th Apr 1936. This would have been an expensive letter to send since it required surcharges for being sent by airmail, registered and Express mail, it must have been an important letter.

HAMBURG to CALLAO, PERU
(23rd Jul 1936)

The next Airmail cover was sent from HAMBURG to CALLAO, PERU on 23rd Jul 1936. The cover has the red airmail "DEUTSCHE LUFTPOST | EUROPA - SUDAMERIKA" cache and three stamps for a total postage of 175Rpf. The stamps consist of two 1934 Airmail stamps Michel 535 and Michel 537 as well as a single 1936 issue Michel 620.

USLAR to BRASIL
(12th Sep 1936)

This next Airmail cover was sent from USLAR in Lower Saxony to Pará, a state in Brasil on 12th Sep 1936. The total value of the stamps applied is 151Rpf. The stamps consist of three 1936 issue 25Rpf Michel 620, a single 40Rpf Hindenburg Medallion Michel 542, two each 1936 issue Reichsparteitag Michel 632 and 633 stamps.

REICHSPARTEITAG

NÜRNBURG to BREMEN
(11th Sep 1936)

The following cover has been franked with a 6Rpf 1936 Reichsparteitag issue Michel 632, as well as an additional 12Rpf Michel 633. The 6Rpf was an over payment and was likley added in order to get the complete set of 1936 Reichsparteitag stamps on a single cover.

The cover was cancelled during the rally (8th to 14th Sep) but does not have the special handstamp used at the venue, instead it has the special roller cancel used to advertise the city as the home of the annual Nazi Party rally.

NÜRNBURG to MÜLHEIM am MAIN
(13th Sep 1936)

This next cover, like the one above has been franked with a 6Rpf 1936 Reichsparteitag issue Michel 632, as well as an additional 12Rpf Michel 633. The 6Rpf was an over payment and was likley added in order to get the complete set of 1936 Reichsparteitag stamps on a single cover.

The cover was cancelled on the penultimate day of the rally (8th to 14th Sep) and has the special handstamp used at the rally.

NÜRNBURG to BOCHUM
(22nd Oct 1936)

The following cover is correctly franked with a 12Rpf 1933 issue Hindenburg Medallion Michel 519, the intercity rate for a standard letter. The cover has the special roller cancel used to advertise the city as the home of the annual Nazi Party rally.

NÜRNBERG to GERA
(18th Dec 1936)

This following cover was posted in NÜRNBURG on 18th Dec 1936 and was sent to GERA in Thüringia. This cover also has the correct intercity rate of 12Rpf, this time comprising two 6Rpf 1933 issue Hindenburg Medallion stamps Michel 516 and also has the special roller cancel used to advertise NÜRNBURG "The state of the Reichsparteitag".

BAHNPOST

BERLIN to FRANKFURT - (22nd Nov 19360

NACHNAHME - CASH ON DELIVERY

GERMERSHEIM to LUDWIGSHAFEN - (17th Apr 1936)

This cash on delivery card was sent from GERMERSHEIM in the Rhineland-Palatinate to nearby LUDWIGSHAFEN. The card is franked with 26Rpf consisting of a 1933 issue 1Rpf Hindenburg Medallion Michel 512 and a 25Rpf 1935 issue Michel 575 stamp. This amount is calculated as 6Rpf for the regular domestic postal rate plus a 20Rpf presentation fee (Vorzeigegbühr). Upon delivery of the card the recipient was to pay 1 Mark and 16Rpf.

The payment appears to be a tax due and the text on the reverse translates as:

Municipality of Germersheim
Tax cdc 1935
Allocations 1935
Reich food rate 1935
Sum of postage costs 1 Mark 16Rpf

OFFICIAL MAIL

BERLIN to MUNICH - (12th Jul 1935)

This cover was an offical letter from the Reichs Ministry of the Interior to a resident of MUNICH. The letter was cancelled in BERLIN on 12th Jul 1935 and did not require a stamp (the cover is printed with the "Frei Durch Ablösung Reich" notation indicating that no postage was required).

BERLIN to GREIZ - (15th Dec 1935)

Below is another official letter not requiring any postage fee. The letter was sent from the Reichs department of motor vehicles in BERLIN to a similar office in GREIZ in Thuringia. The cancellation is a regular BERLIN C2 handstamp with a slogan cancel that reads "Luftpost Bringt Zeitgewinn" - 'Airmail Saves Time'.

REGISTERED MAIL

BAYREUTH to PLAUEN - (20th Jan 1936)

This cover was mailed from the Bavarian State Bank in Bayreuth, Northern Bavaria to an address in PLAUEN, in Saxony. The postage paid comprises of three official stamps: a 12Rpf, 1934 issue Michel 138 and two 1927 issue, 15Rpf, Michel 118 stamps for a total of 42Rpf. The postage paid was derived from the intercity rate of 12Rpf plus the registered letter rate of 30Rpf.

SCHWEINFURT to PLAUEN - (28th Feb 1936)

This cover is very similar to te one above only now from the a branch of the same bank located in SCHWEINFURT. It too was registered and postage of 42Rpf was paid, only this time the two 15Rpf stamps have been replaced with a single 1927 issue, 30Rpf stamp, Michel 120.

LORCH to GROSSENGOTTERN - (9th Apr 1936)

This registered cover was sent from Hermann E. Sieger, a stamp dealer in LORCH, Württemberg, to a pharmacist in the rural region of GROSSENGOTTERN, a village in Thuringia. The postage paid was 54Rpf and was made up of 24Rpf for an intericity letter weighing 20-250 gm and a 30Rpf Registered letter fee.

The stamps consist of a single 1933 issue, 3Rpf Hindenburg Medallion Michel 513, a 1935 issue 5Rpf Michel 590, a 6Rpf Michel 591 and a 40Rpf, 1936 issue Michel 603

BERLIN LOCAL COVER - (7th Jun 1936)

This cover is a purely philatelic creation consisting of the four stamps Michel 617 to 620 that were issued on 3rd Jun 1936 to commemorate the 6th International Congress held in BERLIN. In addition to the stamps this cover also has the special handstamp used during the congress.

MISCELLANEOUS MAIL

LEIPZIG to HAMBURG - (19th Feb 1936)

Nothing special about this cover only it has the special slogan cancellation used to advertise the 1936 Leipzig fair which took place from 1st to 9th Mar 1936. The cover is correctly franked at 12Rpf for the intercity rate comprising two 1933 issue Hindenburg Medallion stamps: a 4Rpf Michel 514 and an 8Rpf Michel 517

HELMSTEDT to HAMBURG - (23rd May 1936)

BERLIN to LUDWIGSHAFEN

ERFURT to TOLEDO, OHIO, U.S.A - (23rd Jan 1936)

BAD LANDECK to LONG ISLAND, U.S.A - (7th May 1936)

BERLIN to HALLE - (26th Nov 1936)