PROPAGANDA POSTCARDS
(1939)
This page was last updated
07-Apr-2024 04:10
5. REICHSTAGUNG - HAMBURG
K.d.F CONFERENCE - HAMBURG
P240
(23rd to 27th Jul 1939)
VALIDITY: 21st Jul 1939 until the end of the war.
BACKGROUND: This postcard was an official postcard, P240, Issued to commemorate the K.d.F conference held in Hamburg on from 23rd to 27th Jul 1939. The card features the 'Robert Ley', a ship commissioned by the K.d.F to provide cruises to lucky workers as a reward for their hard work. Although the official release was 21st Jul the cards were available in HAMBURG from 18th Jul until 31st Aug costing 20 Rpf, the additional 14 Rpf was donated to the K.d.F. The card was also available from the collector's counter in Berlin but were only available by written order and then only until 31st Aug 1939.
SPECIAL CANCEL: A special handstamp featuring a couple dancing in traditional costume, banners and a silhouette of the city and the inscription "Reichstagung | der - NS-Gemeinschaft 'Kraft durch Freude' 20.-23.7.39" was used to commemorate the conference. There are two versions of this handstamp: Type I with a slash on the month digit '7' and Type II without the slash (BOCHMANN Heft 10, Page 356, S 96).
Interestingly the dates on the postcard (23rd to 27th) do not match those of the special handstamp (20th to 23rd), perhaps the date was changed after the postcards were printed but before the conference took place.
The official card was re-issued later in 1939 for the 'Festival of Joy' and this time it had an additional private overprint in red, see below.
FESTIVAL of JOY
PRIVATE OVERPRINT
(4th/6th Aug 1939)
BACKGROUND: 4th to 6th Aug 1939 - The K.d.F postcard for the 5th National Congress of the K.d.F was re-issued in August 1939 for the Festival of Joy in Brandenburg. A special overprint was added over the photo of the "Robert Ley" inscribed "FEST DER FREUDE - KDF - STADT BRANDENBURG - 4 BIS 6.8.1939".
SPECIAL CANCEL: There was a special handstamp used during this event and it can be seen on the second card below.
MAIN REFERENCE SOURCES
1. MICHEL GANZSACHEN DEUTSCHLAND 2018. ISBN: 978-3-95402-225-02. 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
