OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1935)

This page was last updated
26-Feb-2025 05:43

MICHEL P258
OFFICIAL POSTCARD
1936 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES
15 + 10 Rpf

Officially released on 25th Nov 1935 and valid for use until 30th Jun 1937.

There were two postcards published to advertise the coming of the 1936 Winter Olympic Games to be held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Feb 1936. The two cards are identical except for the fact that P257 is brown and has a 6 + 4 Rpf indicia stamp whereas P258 is lilac in colour with a 15 + 10 Rpf indicia stamp. Both cards feature a winter scene with snow capped mountains in the background

As well as the official cards there were several official cards with additional private printing.

VARIANTS TO COLLECT

The following are suggested variants that might make good additions to a collection:

1. Cancelled on first day of issue 25th Nov 1935
2. With handstamp "GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN IV. Olympische Winterspiele"
3. With machinestamp "Winter-Olympia 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen" on two lines
4. With machinestamp "Winter-Olympia 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen" on three lines
5. With machinestamp "Olympische Winterspiele" used in 93 cities
6. With handstamp "ALTENBERG (ERZGEB), Deutsche Ski-Meisterschaften"
7. As a domestic long-distance card without any special features
8. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to CSR
9. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to Hungary
10. As a foreign used card with 15 Rpf
11. As a Registered card
12. As a local delivery Express card
13. Posted at the Hamburg tram post office
14. Used as a 15 Rpf Rohrpost (pneumatic) card in BERLIN without express delivery
15. Used as a 16 Rpf Rohrpost card from MÜNCHEN
16. Used as a 55 Rpf Rohrpost card in BERLIN with express delivery
17. Domestic Armail usage
18. European Airmail usage
19. Airmail usage to the USA from Bodensee (Lake Constance)
20. Used as Zeppelin postcard on "Olympiafahrt" flight

I would also add the following items:
1. Postally unused
2. Domestic Bahnpost usage
3. Invalid Usage - either after expiration date or with incorrect postage applied
4. With additional private printing
5. Other special slogan cancels

EXAMPLES FROM MY COLLECTION

POSTALLY UNUSED

CANCELLED on FIRST DAY of ISSUE

Cancelled on the official issue date 25th Nov 1935 this card was sent from ZEULENRODA to ARNHEIM, HOLLAND.

HANDSTAMP
"GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN IV. Olympische Winterspiele"

With handstamp "Garmisch-Partenkirchen IV. Olympische Winterspiele"

MACHINE STAMP
"Winter-Olympia 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen"
on two lines

With machinestamp "Winter-Olympia 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen" on two lines

MACHINE STAMP
"Winter-Olympia 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen"
on three lines

With machinestamp "Winter-Olympia 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen" on three lines

MACHINE STAMP
"Olympische Winterspiele"

With machinestamp "Olympische Winterspiele" used in 93 cities

HANDSTAMP
"ALTENBERG (ERZGEB), Deutsche Ski-Meisterschaften"

With handstamp "ALTENBERG (ERZGEB), Deutsche Ski-Meisterschaften"

DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf TO CSR

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf TO HUNGARY

FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf

CZECHOSLOVAKIA

1. The following P258 postcard was sent from BERLIN C2 to the Czechoslovakian city of REICHENBERG on 20th Dec 1935.

DENMARK

1. Another foreign usage card, this none from ALTONA to COPENHAGEN, DENMARK on 25th Nov 1935.




2. A second P258 sent to a town near FOLSTED in DENMARK on 16th Feb 1936. This example features the special handstamp used during the Winter Olympic Games in GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN.

GREAT BRITAIN

1. The following P258 postcard was sent from POTSDAM to NEWCASTLE-On-TYNE in the North of England on 12th Dec 1935.




2. Below is a second example sent to ENGLAND. This card was sent from the Winter Olympic Games venue in GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN to PLYMOUTH during the games on 6th Feb 1936.

SOUTH WEST AFRICA

1. The example below was sent from FRANKFURT (MAIN) to a location in SOUTH WEST AFRICA on 10th Dec 1935.

SWITZERLAND

1. The next foreign usage card features an unrelated slogan cancel reminding users to add the house and street numbers to their postal items. It was cancelled in MUNICH on 8th Jan 1936 and destined for ZURICH, SWITZERLAND.




2. Another foreign usage card sent on the first day of the games (6th Feb 1936) from GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN to SWITZERLAND, this time to the city of BASEL. This card also has one of the special Winter Olympic slogan stamps featuring a ski-jumper and mountains and inscribed "Olypische Winterspiele | 6.-16.2.1936 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen".

The UNITED STATES of AMERICA

1. This first foreign usage card features the special Winter Olympic Games cancel from GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN and was cancelled on 11th Feb 1936. The final destination was New York, USA.




2. Another card sent to the US, this time from MUNICH to NEW YORK on 13th Feb 1936. There is a purple coloured stamp inscribed "ADDRESS CORRECTED IN BROOKLYN, N.Y.P.O" indicating that the original destination address was incorrect.

REGISTERED CARD

EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD

HAMBURG TRAM POST OFFICE

Posted at the Hamburg tram post office

POSTED AS 15 Rpf ROHRPOST IN BERLIN
WITHOUT EXPRESS DELIVERY

16 Rpf ROHRPOST CARD USED IN MÜNCHEN

55 Rpf ROHRPOST CARD IN BERLIN
WITH EXPRESS DELIVERY

DOMESTIC AIRMAIL

EUROPEAN AIRMAIL

AIRMAIL TO USE FROM LAKE CONSTANCE

USED on the SPECIAL ZEPPELINFAHRT FLIGHT

GERMAN BAHNPOST

INVALID USAGE

1. The following card sent to Switzerland from BESIGHEIM (WURTT), was posted on 5th Jul 1938, more than a year after the stamp became invalid (30th Jun 1937). The large blue number '9' indicates that a 9Rpf penalty fee was charged for the use of an expired stamp.

SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCELS

1. Although primarily intended for foreign usage, this card can easily be found being used domestically as in this example. This particular card was posted in MÜNSTER on 14th Nov 1936 (almost a year after the IV Winter Olympic Games had finished) and was destined for the city of KÖLN. The slogan cancellation present on this example is unrealted to the games.




2.

REFERENCES

1. MICHEL GANZSACHEN DEUTSCHLAND 2021/2022. 23 Auflage ISBN 978-95402-374-5
2. KATALOG der DEUTSCHEN GELEGENHEITSSTEMPEL by JULIUS BOCHMANN.
3. GANZSACHEN-HANDBUCH DES "DRITTEN REICHES" by Hans Peter Frech. 2014 Edition