PROPAGANDA POSTCARDS
(1939)

This page was last updated
07-Apr-2024 04:33

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).



ABOVE LEFT: Type I: with a horizontal bar on the vertical part of the '7'
ABOVE LEFT: Type II: without a horizontal bar on the vertical part of the '7'

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 card was re-issued later in 1939 for the 'Festival of Joy' and this time it had an additional private overprint in red.

VARIANTS TO COLLECT

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

1. Cancelled before the official date of issue 21st Jul 1939
2. Cancelled on first day of issue 21st Jul 1939
3. Cancelled with "Hamburg, Reichstagung der NS-Gemeinschaft KdF" handstamp
4. Cancelled with ship "Kraft durch Freunde MS Robert Ley" 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. Postally unused
17. Domestic Bahnpost usage
18. Invalid Usage - either after expiration date or with incorrect postage applied
19. With additional private printing
20. With Special slogan cancels

POSTALLY UNUSED

CANCELLED BEFORE the OFFICIAL FIRST DAY of ISSUE

Cancelled before the official issue date 21st Jul 1939

CANCELLED on FIRST DAY of ISSUE

Cancelled on the official issue date 21st Jul 1939

CANCELLED WITH "Hamburg, Reichstagung der NS-Gemeinschaft KdF"
HANDSTAMP

1. The postally used example below feaures the special cancel used in HAMBURG from 20th to 23rd Jul 1938. The card was sent to FRIEDRICHSHAGEN (a district of BERLIN) and has the type II SST variant (no bar on the '7')




2. The card below was sent to POSSNECK, Thürungia from HAMBURG and was posted on 23rd Jul 1938 and has the type II SST variant (no bar on the '7').




3. Below is another card with the special HAMBURG handstamp, this one sent to WIESBADEN. This example has the type I SST variant (with a bar on the '7')




4. Yet another card with the special HAMBURG handstamp, this one sent to BRAUNSCHWEIG on 23rd Jul 1938. This example has the type I SST variant (with a bar on the '7')




5. The next card was a domestic usage from HAMURG to BERLIN on 22nd Jul 1937. This example has the type I SST variant (with a bar on the '7')




6. This next example was postally unused but was favour cancelled with the Type II SST variant (without a bar on the '7')

CANCELLED WITH "Kraft durch Freunde MS Robert Ley" SHIP STAMP

DOMESTIC LONG DISTANCE WITHOUT SPECIAL MARKINGS

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to CSR

FOREIGN USE WITH 10 Rpf to HUNGARY

FOREIGN USE WITH 15 Rpf

REGISTERED DELIVERY CARD

EXPRESS DELIVERY CARD

HAMBURG STRAβENBAHNPOST

Cancelled as a Hamburg Straβenbahnpost

POSTED AS ROHRPOST IN BERLIN

DOMESTIC AIRMAIL

EUROPEAN AIRMAIL

AIRMAIL TO USA

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