PROPAGANDA POSTCARDS
(1935)
This page was last updated
26-Feb-2025 06:43
HONOURING THE FALLEN
(9th Nov 1935)
The official memorial to the Nazi party members who died during the Munich Putsch of 9th Nov 1923, was opened in Munich in 1935. To commemorate the event there were a number of postcards issued.
The rectangular memorial was designed by Paul Ludwig Troost and lists the names of all the 16 martyred Nazi's who died during the failed Munich Putsch (four members of the Bavarian police were also killed).
The memorial was under 24 hour guard and was used for local Nazi rallies and parades, as well as by SS recruits who took their oath of allegiance to Hitler in front of it. On 3rd Jun 1945 the memorial was destroyed by local Germans and the Feldherrnhalle was subsequently restored to it's pre-Nazi condition.
Below are some examples of the many postcards issued to commemorate the construction of the memorial. As well as the individual cards shown here there was also a series of at least 24 cards published by Heinrich Hoffmann. More research is required on these cards.
SÜDDEUTSCHER KUNSTVERLAG
MUNICH
This colour postcard was published by Süddeutscher Kunstverlag and has a very common image used on this series of postcards, that of two German soldiers standing guard over the memorial. There text below the image reads "Und Ihr Habt Doch Gefeight!" - 'And you have a fight!'. On the reverse is another inscription, this time reading "München, Feldherrnhalle Mahnmal, zu Ehren der Gefallenen vom 9. November 1923" - 'Munich, Feldherrnhalle memorial, in honor of the fallen on November 9, 1923'. There are at least two other similar postcards which bear similar text on the front.
The card from my collection was postally used in Munich on 17th Jun 1935, and in addition to the CDS cancel, there is a special slogan cancel used to advertise the 1935 Munich Summer Festival.
The following Süddeutscher Kunstverlag published card bears the three line inscription "UND IHR HABT DOCH GESIEGT. | München. Mahnmal zum Gedenken der Gefallenen | vom 9. Nov. 1923" - 'AND YOU STILL WON. | Munich. Memorial in memory of the fallen | dated Nov. 9, 1923'.
VERLAG PREISS & Co.
MUNICH
This colour postcard was published by Verlag Preiss & Co. of Munich. The reverse of the card is inscribed "Und Ihr habt doch gesiegt!" - 'And you still won!'. The front of the card has an additional inscription "München, Feldherrnhalle | Mahnmal | 9. Nov. 1923 9.Nov. 1933" - 'Munich, Feldherrnhalle | Memorial | 9 Nov 1923 9 Nov 1933'. The special cancellation on this example is not related to the memorial and is actually a cancellation used to publisize the 1939 'Day of German Art'.
ALTERNATIVE COLOUR CARD
This colour postcard bears the inscription "Zum Gedenken des 9. November 1923" - 'In memory of November 9, 1923'.
VERLAG CARL KRUECK
MUNICH
NUMBER 747
This second postcard was published by Verlag Carl Krueck. The inscription reads "München Mahnmal" - 'Munich Memorial'. The reverse side has the publisher's name and additional text "München | Mahnmal in der Feldherrnhalle für die | Gefallenen des 9. November 1923". There are at least two versions of this card, the difference being the colour of the texts on the reverse side.
The example below-left was postally used with a regular CDS on 31st May 1935 in Munich, and also features a special slogan cancel inscribed "Münchener Festsommer 1935" - 'Munich festival summer 1935'.
The example below-right was postally used with a special slogan cancel advertising the benefits of the radio and was cancelled in MUNICH on 20th Jun 1941.
The following postcard was number 947 from Verlag Carl Krueck, of Münich. This example was cancelled in Munich on 5th Jul 1936 and also has an unrelated special slogan cancel inscribed "Luftschutz | ist nationale Pflicht | Werdet Mitglied im | Reichsluftschutzbund" - 'Air raid | is a national duty | Become a member of the | Reichs Luftschutzbund'.
A. LENGAUER
MUNICH
This third postcard was published by A. Lengauer and has a similar image as the card above. The inscription this time reads "München Mahnmal in der Felderrnhalle. Und Ihr Habt doch gesiegt!" - 'Munich memorial in the Feldrnhalle. However, you have won!'.
The two examples are both numbered 332 however they are both different. The example on the left has the inscription "München. Mahnmal in der Feldherrnhalle" on the bottom left, whereas the example on the right has the same inscription, only this time it is on the right of the card.
This example on the left was postally used with a regular CDS on 1st Jun 1937 in Munich, and also features a special slogan cancel inscribed "Besuchte die 4. Reichsnährstands-Ausstellung in München 30 Mai - 6. Jun 1937" - 'Visit the 4th Reichsnährstands exhibition in Munich May 30 - Jun 6, 1937'.
The card on the right was cancelled on 9th Nov 1935 and has the same special slogan cancel seen above inscribed "Luftschutz | ist nationale Pflicht | Werdet Mitglied im | Reichsluftschutzbund" - 'Air raid | is a national duty | Become a member of the | Reichs Luftschutzbund'.
The examples below are No.331 from August Lengauer.
Below is another example from August Lengauer and this time is number 330 (left). This example is postally unused. An identical postcard is shown below right only this one is unnumbered and has no publisher's data. This example was postally used in MUNICH on 14th Jan 1938.
Below is another example from August Lengauer and this is also numbered 330, although the design is different from the '330' above.
Below is yet another August Lengauer card, also numbered 330, but in this case the font used for the inscription is different from those above.
The following card is Nr 333 and does not have any inscription on the reverse below the image.
The following card is Nr 388 and has the inscription "München. Mahnmal für die Gefallenen des 9. Novembers 1923" - 'Munich. Memorial for those who fell on November 9, 1923'
This final Lengauer postcard is number 388. This particular example was cancelled in Munich on 17th Nov 1937 and has a special slogan cancellation inscribed "Vergiβ nicht Straβe | und Hausnummer | anzugeben!" - 'Don't forget to indicate the street and house number!'
Below is another card from LENGAUR, this time taking a slightly different view of the commemoration.
EMIL KÖHN KUNSTVERLAG
MUNICH
This card was published by Emil Köhn Kunstverlag and has a similar image as the cards above. The text below the image is the standard "Munich memorial in the Feldrnhalle. However, you have won!" text, only now on two lines and in a more flowing script. The front of the card indicates this card was number T241.
WUTZ KUNSTVERLAG
MUNICH
This Wurz Kunstverlag published card is numbered 127. This example has been favour cancelled with two different cancellations. The first in 1938 was used to commemorate the 15th Anniversary of the failed Munich Putsch on 9th Nov 1923.
The second special cancel was used in KAADEN to commemorate the Sudeten German Blood Victims from 4th Mar 1919. On that day there were demonstrations by the Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia against the incorporation of the Sudetenland into Czechoslovakia. The rallies were bloodily suppressed in several cities and a total of 54 people were killed on the part of the Sudeten German demonstrators; 25 in Kaaden, 16 in Sternberg, six in Karlsbad, two in Arnau, two in Eger, two in Mies and one in Aussig. Among the dead were and children.
The following two cards, number 128, are identical except that the one on the right has slight damage on the bottom edge over the inscription.
This card also exists without the three line inscription on the top left-hand side of the reverse of the card.
Another version of the card from Wutz Kunstverlag is shown below and has the number 13 on the front.
VERLAG FRITZ WITZIG
MUNICH
The following card was published by Verlag Fritz Witzig of Munich and bears the inscription "München-Mahnmal" on the front side and "München, Mahnmal in der Feldherrn halle".
OTHER PUBLISHERS
MUNICH
This version of the card was a private printing and has a 6 line inscription on one side.
