OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1937)

This page was last updated
24-Feb-2025 12:00

OFFICIAL 8 POSTCARDS SET
(1st Sep 1937)

On 1st Sep 1937 a series of 8 postcards was published to commemorate the 9th Nazi Party rally in Nurnberg from 6th to 13th Sep 1937. The cards all feature a 6 Rpf Hitler portrait pre-printed stamp and have an image from one of the previous rallies on the left-hand pane. When purchased individually each card cost 25 Rpf, but these cards were also available in a special commemorative envelope for a cost of 2 RM.

INTRODUCTION
P264/01
P264/02
P264/03
P264/04
P264/05
P264/06
P264/07
P264/08

P264/01
CARD 1 of 8

This first postcard is a dramatic view of the inside of the Luitpold Arena in Nürnberg, the venue for all Nazi Party Rallys (Reichsparteitag) from 1933 onwards. This photograph was taken from the Ehrenhalle (War Memorial) and shows the 240 metre long, 18 metre wide "Straβe des Führers" stretching away onto the distance towards the spesker's Rostrm where Hitler and other Nazi's address the massed ranks of 150,000 SA and SS members.

In the foreground stands Adolf Hitler with Heinrich Himmler to Hitler's right and Viktor Lutze to his left. In the foreground are three figures, the one in the centre is Sturmbahnführer (Major) Jakob Grimminger who is holding the blutfahne (Blood Flag), one of the Nazi's most prized totems, used to consecrate the various party banners.




ABOVE: P264 / 01

VARIANTS TO COLLECT

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

1. Cancelled on first day of issue 1st Sep 1937
2. With special "NÜRNBERG | Reichsparteitag der NSDAP" handstamp.
3. With special machine cancellation "STADT DER | REICHSPARTEITAG | Nürnberg"
4. With special marchpost cancellation "MARSCHSTAFFEL ZUM REICHSPARTEITAG DER NSDAP"
5. As a domestic long-distance card without any special features
6. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to CSR
7. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to Hungary
8. As a foreign used card with 15 Rpf
9. As a Registered card
10. As a local delivery Express card
11. Posted at the Hamburg tram post office
12. Used as a Rohrpost (pneumatic) card in BERLIN
13. Domestic Armail usage
14. European Airmail usage
15. Airmail usage to the USA from Bodensee (Lake Constance)


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 30th Apr 1934

"NÜRNBERG | Reichsparteitag der NSDAP" HANDSTAMP

With special "NÜRNBERG | Reichsparteitag der NSDAP" handstamp.

1. The following domestically used card was sent from NÜRNBERG during the rally and has one of the special cancel (counter 'a') that was used in 1937.




2. The following domestically used card was sent from NÜRNBERG during the rally and has one of the special cancel (counter 'g') that was used in 1937.




3. The following domestically used P264/01 postcard was cancelled in NÜRNBERG and addressed to WEIDA the day after the rally had finished on 13th Sep 1937 and has one of the special cancel (counter 'b'). Favour cancels were permitted up until the 15th so this card was most likely never sent through the mail.

NÜRNBERG MACHINE STAMP

With special machine cancellation rectangular cancel inscribed "STADT DER | REICHSPARTEITAG | Nürnberg", which features one of the giant eagle statues in the Luitpold Arena and a panoramic outline of the city.

MARCH POST HANDSTAMP
"MARSCHSTAFFEL ZUM REICHSPARTEITAG DER NSDAP"

With special march post cancellation "MARSCHSTAFFEL ZUM REICHSPARTEITAG DER NSDAP"

1. The following card is postally unused but has been favour cancelled during the March of the members of Gau Saxony to the rally in Nürnburg. This march was an annual event which preceeded each rally and identical cancels can be found for other years as well as this one in 1937.

In addition there is a green stamp with crossed swords which was the Gau Saxony coat of Arms from 1933 until 1945.




2. The domestically used card below was also cancelled with the special cancel used durng the March of Gau Sachsen to the rally in NÜRNBERG. The destination for this card was the city of CHEMNITZ.

DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT SPECIAL MARKINGS

1. This example features a regular CDS cancellation from BROME on 10th Oct 1937.

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf TO CSR

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf TO HUNGARY

1. The following P245/01 was posted from NÜRNBERG to BUDAPEST in HUNGARY on 6th Sep 1937, during the annual REICHSPARTEITAG. This card has been cancelled on the first day of the rally with the special cancel (counter 'h') used in NÜRNBERG. The correct postal fee should have been 10 Rpf so it is unclear if this card was ever delivered.

FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf

FINLAND

1. The P264/01 card that follows was sent from JONSDORF, ZITTAU on 24th Jan 1938 and was sent to HELSINKI, FINLAND. The card is correctly franked at 15 Rpf.

UNITED STATES of AMERICA

1. The following P264/01 card was sent from the NÜRNBERG rally to NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, USA on 5th Sep 1938.

YUGOSLAVIA

1. The P264/01 card below was sent from ZECHIN to BEOGRAD in YUGOSLAVIA on 6th Oct 1937.

REGISTERED CARD

EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD

HAMBURG TRAM POST OFFICE

Posted at the Hamburg tram post office

POSTED AS ROHRPOST IN BERLIN

DOMESTIC AIRMAIL

EUROPEAN AIRMAIL

AIRMAIL TO USE FROM LAKE CONSTANCE

GERMAN BAHNPOST

INVALID USAGE

SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCELS

MAIN REFERENCE SOURCES

1. MICHEL GANZSACHEN DEUTSCHLAND 2018. ISBN: 978-3-95402-225-0
2. BOREK GANZSACHEN-SPEZIAL-KATALOG DEUTSCHLAND ab 1933. ISBN: 3-87091-060-7
3. MICHEL BILDPOSTKARTEN- UND MOTIVGANSACHEN KATALOG DEUTSCHLAND 1997. ISBN: 3-87858-631-0
4. GANZSACHEN-HANDBUCH DES "DITTEN REICHES" 1933-1945 by FRECH. ISBN: UNKNOWN