OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1938)

This page was last updated
06-Aug-2024 06:33

MICHEL P272
OFFICIAL POSTCARD
REICHSPARTEITAG

VALIDITY: From 1st Sep 1938 until 31st Dec 1939

BACKGROUND: This somewhat non-descript Official postcard was issued on 1st Sep 1938 to commemorate the opening of the Nazi party rally (5th to 12th Sep 1938). The rally was named "The Nazi Party Congress of Greater Germany" following the annexation of Austria earlier in the year. The card cost 25 Rpf with 6 Rpf as payment for postage and 19 Rpf being a donation to Hitler's Culture Fund. The stamp features Hitler's portrait and is inscribed "Reichsparteitag 1938". The left-hand pane has a view of Nuremburg Castle.

The postcard was available at all post offcies throughout Germany from 1st Sep and usage to overseas destinations was permitted. There are examples of this card being in circulation from 28th Aug 1938, 4 days prior to the official release.

SPECIAL CANCEL: As with the rally's in previous years there was a special cancel available inscribed "NÜRNBERG | Reichsparteitag der N.S.D.A.P"

VARIANTS TO COLLECT

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

1. Cancelled before the official day of issue from 28th Aug 1938
2. Cancelled on first day of issue 1st Sep 1938
3. Cancelled with "NÜRNBERG, Reichsparteitag der NSDAP handstamp
4. Cancelled with "NÜRNBERG, NSKK-Zeitlager Mögeldorf" handstamp
5. Cancelled with "NÜRNBERG die Stadt der Reichs-Parteitag" machine stamp
6. Cancelled with "Stadt der Reichsparteitag NÜRNBERG" machine stamp
7. Cancelled with "Parteitag Groβdeutschlands NÜRNBERG" machine stamp
8. As a domestic long-distance card without any special features
9. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to CSR
10. As a foreign used card with 10 Rpf to Hungary
11. As a foreign used card with 15 Rpf
12. As a Registered Delivery card
13. As a local delivery Express Delivery card
14. Used as a Hamburg Straβenbahnpost
15. Used as a Rohrpost (pneumatic) card in BERLIN
16. Domestic Armail usage
17. European Airmail usage
18. Airmail usage to the USA from Bodensee (Lake Constance)
19. Postally unused
20. Domestic Bahnpost usage
21. Invalid Usage - either after expiration date or with incorrect postage applied
22. With additional private printing
23. With Special slogan cancels

EXAMPLES FROM MY COLLECTION

POSTALLY UNUSED

CANCELLED BEFORE FIRST DAY of ISSUE
From 28th Aug 1938

Cancelled prior to the official issue date 1st Sep 1938

CANCELLED on FIRST DAY of ISSUE

Cancelled on the official issue date 1st Sep 1938

"NÜRNBERG, REICHSPARTEITAG der NSDAP"

The following cards were cancelled with the "NÜRNBERG | Reichsparteitag der NSDAP" special handstamp which was available in the city from 5th to 13th Sep 1938 (and also from 6th to 13th Sep 1937 for the previous year's rally). This handstamp was used at multiple counters as follows: "-", without counter, "a" to "i", "k" to "ai" and "ak" to "an".

Three main types of the 'a' handstamps were used:

I. Tip of the tail on the right basic line of the 'a', body close to the feathers of the right wing: 1937, 1938
II. Tail tip on the right basal line of 'a', body far from feathers of the right wing: 1937. 1938
III. Tail tip on the left root of the 'a': 1938. In 1938 only the counter without a letter and counters 'a' to 'qu' were used. [Requires confirmation]

[BOCHMANN: Heft 16, Page: 594, No.: S52]

1. The example below was favour cancelled in NÜRNBERG on 6th Sep 1938 using the special cancel available at the rally, in this case counter 'a'.




2. Below is another domestically used example of this card cancelled at the rally itself with the special cancellation, this time on the 7th Sep 1938. Slogan cancel Counter 'a'




3.and 4. Two more domestic examples sent to BERLIN (on the opening day of the rally on 5th Sep 1938), and MAINZ on 10th Sep 1938. Both cards have the special cancel used in NÜRNBURG at counters 'm' and 'b'.




5. The card below has the special handstamp used in Nürnberg on 6th Sep, from counter 'l' and the card was a ddressed to MANNHEIM.




6. Another example cancelled at the rally on 10th Sep 1938 at counter 'g'.




7. Below is another example of a card cancelled at the rally. This one was franked on 7th Sep and the cancellation was at counter 'd'.




8. Next is another card featuring the special handstamp used at the 1938 Nazi Party Rally. This one has an 'a' counter and was posted on 7th Sep 1937.




9. Postally unused, favour cancelled with counter 'b'

"NÜRNBERG, NSKK-Zeitlager Mögeldorf"

Cancelled with "NÜRNBERG | REICHSPARTEITAG | NSKK-Zeitlager Mögeldorf" handstamp. Used from 5th to 13th Sep 1938 and 6th to 13th Sep 1937 at the previous year's rally. Used at counters '-', without counter and 'a' through 'd'. The 'a' handstamp exists in two types:

Type I. 'a' standing next to N of NSKK. 1937 and 1938
Type II 'a' low standing next to first K: 1938
In 1938 only the 'a' stamps were used.

[BOCHMANN: Heft 16, Page: 595, No.: S53]

"NÜRNBERG DIE STADT DER REICHS-PARTEITAG"
MACHINE STAMP

[This requires more research, use with caution]. Cancelled with CDS inscribed "NÜRNBERG 2 | DIE STADT DER REICHS-PARTEITAG" machine stamp. Slogan depicts the word "Nürnberg" followed by three lines of sutterlin script. Bottom left has two shields, the left one with a black eagle and the right with the left side of an eagle and a coat of arms. Small swastika to the right of the right shield. Only exists with NURNBERG 2 counter 'b' Type 'B' with counters 'e', 'f' and 'g'. Counters 'f' and 'g' exist in two types:

Type I: Number two-line purple
Type II: Eagle head purple

[BOCHMANN: Heft: 16, Page: 593, No.: 42]

"STADT DER REICHSPARTEITAG Nürnberg"
MACHINE STAMP

Rectangular machine stamp inscribed "STADT DER REICHSPARTEITAG Nürnberg" with circular "NÜRNBERG | DIE STADT DER REICHSPARTEITAG" CDS with a small swastika at the bottom, above the inscription. The slogan has an image of a eagle on the left and a panoramic view of NÜRNBERG to the right. THe inscription is on the bottom right-hand side. This machine stamp exists in Type 'A' with counter 'a', 'c', 'd', 'e', 'h' and 'i' and in Type 'Bd' with counter 'b' and 'h'. This slogan was use din 1937, 1938, 1939 and 1940.

[BOCHMANN: Heft: 16. Page: 594, No.: 48]

"Parteitag Groβdeutschlands NÜRNBERG"
MACHINE STAMP

Rectangular machine slogan stamp inscribed "Parteitag | Groβdeutschlands" with circular "NÜRNBERG | Reichsparteitag der NSDAP" CDS. Feaatures Nazi flags marching past Nürnberg Castle in the background. Exists only as Type 'A' and used from 5th to 12th Sep 1938. There are three variations as follows:

Type I. Hatching of the roofs long and thick.
Type II. Hatching of the roofs short and thin, flag tips double-lined
Type III. Hatching of the roofs short and thin, flag tips single-lined

[BOCHMANN: Heft: 16, Page: 596, No.: S62]




ABOVE: Type I cancellation



ABOVE: Type II cancellation




ABOVE: Type III cancellation

DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT SPECIAL MARKINGS

1. The following card does not have a special handstamp, just a regular CDS cancel from WUPPERTAL on 12th Sep 1938.




2. The following example has a regular (but indistinguishable) CDS cancellation and appears to have been sent to a R.A.D facility in Ostseebad on 1st Sep 1938.




3. The following example was posted in LÖCHGAU (Baden-Württemberg?) on 6th Sep 1938 and was destined for an address in STUTTGART.




4. The following example was cancelled in VIENNA and is inscribed "WIENER MESSE | ROTUNDENGELÄNDE" - 'VIENNA FAIR | ROTUNDA GROUNDS' that was used from 10th to 18th Sep 1938 in VIENNA. There are two versions of this handstamp: counter 'a' and counter 'b'.

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to CSR

1. The next P272 postcard was sent by airmail from the Nazi Party rally in NÜRNBERG to an address in the C.S.R on 12th Sep 1938.




2. Below is another example of a card cancelled with the special handstamp. I has an additional 4 Rpf of stamps applied for a total of 10 Rpf, the correct postal rate for the C.S.R. The sender's message reads "Dear brother, I am enclosing a card with a special stamp for your collection and I hope I have made you happy. Warm greetings to Mizzi and children as well as to mother, your brother, Guido"

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to HUNGARY

FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf

AUSTRALIA

1. The following P272 postcard was sent from MINDEN to SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA on 4th Sep 1938.

BULGARIA

1. The P272 card below was sent from KIEL to SOFIA in BULGARIA on 22nd Dec 1938. The card is correctly franked with 15 Rpf postage.

DENMARK

1. following P272 postcard was sent from BERLIN SW11 to an address in COPENHAGEN, DENMARK on 5th Sep 1938.

FRANCE

1. The following example is a foreign usage and the card was sent on the opening day of the Rally, 5th Sep 1938 to an address in FRANCE. This may not be a genuine usage as the postage fee to FRANCE was 15 Rpf and the card hasn't been marked to show insufficient postage was applied. Most likely this was a favour cancel with the address added in later and the card never postally used.

SWEDEN

1. The following card was sent from the twin towns of GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN (venue of the 1936 Winter Olypic Games) to MALMO in SWEDEN on 4th Sep 1938.

SWITZERLAND

1. Below is another example of foreign usage, this time the card was sent to SWITZERLAND.




2. Posted in BADEN-BADEN on 13th Sep 1938 this card was sent to The ROSENBERG INSTITUTE, St. GALLEN in SWITZERLAND. The institute is a boarding school that was founded in 1889. The card was correctly franked with 15 Rpf.

REGISTERED DELIVERY CARD

EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD

USED AT THE HAMBURG STRAΒENBAHNPOST

Used at the Hamburg Straβenbahnpost

POSTED AS ROHRPOST IN BERLIN

DOMESTIC AIRMAIL

1. The following example is an airmail card sent during the rally on 9th Sep 1938.




2. Another Airmail example sent from the rally on 7th Sep 1938. This card has two of the special handstamps that were available in 1938.

EUROPEAN AIRMAIL

AIRMAIL TO USA FROM LAKE CONSTANCE

GERMAN BAHNPOST

INVALID USAGE

SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCELS

1. This card was cancelled several months after the rally and features the special cancel issued to commemorate The Day of the Stamp in HALLE (SAALE) on 8th Jan 1939.




2. The following example was posted after the rally from FREUNDSTADT to BADEN-BADEN on 17th Sep 1938. In addition to the regular CDS this card has a special slogan handstamp.




3. The next example was cancelled before the rally on 3rd Sep 1938 and was sent from BERLIN SW 11. This card has an additional slogan handstamp inscribed "Vorsicht | im Straβenverkehr" - 'Caution | in road traffic'.




4. This next example was posted in HALLE (SAALE) on 4th Oct 1938 and features a special handstmp used to commemorate the Middle German Industry Exhibition held from 23rd Sep until 9th Oct 1938.

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