OFFICIAL POSTCARDS
(1938)

This page was last updated
08-Dec-2024 03:14

MICHEL P275
OFFICIAL POSTCARD
SUDETENLAND VOTE

VALIDITY: 2nd Dec 1938 to 31st Dec 1939, however examples are known with usage from 21st Nov 1938.

BACKGROUND: Issued on the occasion of the vote in the Sudetenland. The pre-printed stamp features an Eagle on top of a rock in front of the swastika. Along the bottom edge of the stamp is the inscription '4.Dezember 1938' in white text, the day of the vote.

On the reverse side of the card is a montage consisting of a map of the Sudeten German region as well as an image of Hitler and Konrad Henlein. The text below the image reads "WIR DANKEN UNSERM FÜHRER" - 'WE THANK THE LEADER". This postcard was re-issued in 1939 as Michel P279 which can be identified by the obliteration of the '4. Dezember 1938' text on the bottom edge of the pre-pronted stamp as well as some additional text below the word 'Postkarte'.

SPECIAL CANCEL: There were two special cancels related to this postcard: The first is a handstamp that includes the text "Wahl- und Bekenntnistag" - 'Election and confession day' used only in AUSSIG, KARLSBAD, REICHENBERG and TROPPAU. The second is a machin stamp with the inscription "Am 4. Dezember Dein "Ja" Dem Führer" - 'On December 4th, your “yes” to the leader'. This machine stamp was used in AUSSIG, EGER, FRANZENBAD, KARLSBAD, MARIENBAD and REICHENBERG.

As well as the official card 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 before Official release date 2nd Dec 1938
2. Cancelled on first day of issue 2nd Dec 1938
3. Cancelled with "Wahl- und Bekenntnistag" handstamp
4. Cancelled with "Am 4. Dezember Dein "Ja" Dem Führer" machine stamp
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 Delivery card
10. As a local delivery Express Delivery card
11. Cancelled as a Hamburg Straβenbahnpost
12. Used as a Rohrpost (pneumatic) card in BERLIN
13. Domestic Airmail usage
14. European Airmail usage
15. Airmail usage to the USA
16. As a Zeppelin post card
17. Postally unused
18. Domestic Bahnpost usage
19. Invalid Usage - either after expiration date or with incorrect postage applied
20. With additional private printing
21. With Special slogan cancels

POSTALLY UNUSED

CANCELLED BEFORE OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE

Cancelled before the official issue date 2nd Dec 1938

CANCELLED ON THE OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE

Cancelled on the official release date 2nd Dec 1938

CANCELLED WITH "Wahl- und Bekenntnistag" HANDSTAMP

This special handstamp was used in the following towns: AUSSIG, KARLSBAD, REICHENBERG and TROPPAU

AUSSIG

1. Cancelled-to-Order in AUSSIG here is another example of the same special cancellation, where the Czecoslovakian name of the Sudetenland town of ÚSTÍ NAD LABEM, has been replaced by the German name AUSSIG.




2. The special handstamp used in AUSSIG again appears on this example which was sent to LEIPZIG.

KARLSBAD

1. For this example it's the Sudetenland town of KARLOVY VARY being renamed as KARLSBAD, by it's new German masters. The Germanisation of the Sudetenland was swift and deadly for a large number of the population.




2. Below is another one of the four special 4th Dec 1938 handstamps, this one for KARLSBAD and addressed to KASSEL.

REICHENBERG

1. This first example has been cancelled with a special cancellation inscribed "REICHENBERG | im befreiten | Sudetenland | Wahl-und-Bekenntnistag" - 'REICHENBERG | 4.12.1938 | in the liberated | Sudetenland | Election and Confession Day'. I doubt that too many Sudetenland Czechoslovakians felt liberated. Reichenberg was the German name for the Czechoslovakian town of Liberec.




2. Here is another example with the special REICHENBURG handstamp dated 4th Dec 1938. The card was sent to a doctor living in OFFENBACH a.M.




3. The P275 card below has the special handstamp used in REICHENBURG on 4th Dec 1938 but as an additional touch the sender has added the two commemorative stamps used to mark the SUDETENLAND takeover. They weren't required to cover the postal fee but were added to tie together the card, the special handstamp and the stamps, all released for the same purpose.

TROPPAU

1. This first example was cancelled with the special handstamp used in TROPPAU and was sent to LEIPZIG on 4th Dec 1938.




2. Cancelled-to-Order in TROPPAU (Opava) with the special handstamp used in that town on the 4th Dec 1938. This particular example has been trimmed shorter by a previous collector.

CANCELLED WITH "Am 4. Dezember Dein "Ja" Dem Führer" MACHINE STAMP

This special handstamp was used in the following towns: AUSSIG, EGER, FRANZENBAD, KARLSBAD, MARIENBAD and REICHENBERG



ABOVE LEFT: AUSSIG 30th Nov to 14th Dec 1938
ABOVE CENTRE: EGER 2nd Dec to 6th Dec 1938
ABOVE RIGHT: FRANZENBAD 4th Dec to 15th Dec 1938



ABOVE LEFT: KARLSBAD 4th Dec to 15th Dec 1938
ABOVE CENTRE: MARIENBAD 4th Dec to 15th Dec 1938
ABOVE RIGHT: REICHENBERG 2nd Dec to 12th Dec 1938

DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT SPECIAL MARKINGS

1. The next example was cancelled in ZÜLLCHOW (POM) on 30th Dec 1938 and has a regular CDS cancel. The town of ZÜLLCHOW (Polish ŻELECHOWA) is now a part of the city of SZCZECIN in North West Poland.




2. This following P275 postcard was cancelled in MAFFERSDORF on 4th Dec 1938 and was sent to FRANKFURT (MAIN).

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to CSR

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to HUNGARY

FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf

FRANCE

1. The following P275 was sent from HOCHERBURG (SAAR)-FRANKENHOLZ to a destination in FRANCE on 1st Jan 1939.

SWITZERLAND

1. Sent from BERLIN SW 11 on 20th Jan 1939 this card was destined for ZURICH, in SWITZERLAND. As well as the regular BERLIN CDS there is a special slogan handstamp inscribed "WHW | Ein Volks | Hilft sich Selbt" - 'WHW | A People | Helps itself', the slogan used to promote the Winterhilfswerk collection.




2. Another card destined for SWITZERLAND, this time to BASEL, cancelled on 7th Dec 1938 in STUTTGART.

YUGOSLAVIA

1. The following P275 was sent from DETMOLD to MARIBOR in YUGOSLAVIA on 2nd Jan 1939.

REGISTERED DELIVERY CARD

The following postcard was a Registered Delivery from NECKAR (ULM) to DENMARK on 10th Dec 1938.

EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD

HAMBURG STRAβENBAHNPOST

Cancelled as a Hamburg Straβenbahnpost

POSTED AS ROHRPOST IN BERLIN

DOMESTIC AIRMAIL

EUROPEAN AIRMAIL

AIRMAIL TO USA

ZEPPELIN POST

GERMAN BAHNPOST

INVALID USAGE

SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCELS

1. The following example was cancelled in BALINGEN (WÜRTT) on 12th Dec 1938 and has a special cancellation inscribed "BALLINGEN (WURTT) | alte Zollernstadt".




2. The following domestically used card was sent from HAMBURG to NÜRNBERG. This card has a slogan cancellation inscribed "WHW | Ein Volk | hilft sich selbst" - 'WHW, a people helps itself', which was used from 27.11.37 and then again in 1938, 1939 and 1940 in 31 towns and cities.




3. The next example is a Christmas and New Year greeting from NÜRNBERG, sent to SULZBACH-ROSENBERG. This card features a special Christmas cancellation used in NÜRNBERG.




4. This locally sent postcard features the special handstamp used to commemorate the Winterhilfswerk Day of National Solidarity on 3rd Dec 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