GERMAN POSTAL HISTORY

This page was last updated
23-Mar-2025 01:00

FELDPOST - FIELD POST
"Soldatenblätter für feier und Freizeit"
"Soldier's sheets for celebrations and leisure"

In April 1940 a series of booklets titled "Soldatenblätter für feier und Freizeit" - "Soldier's sheets for celebrations and leisure" was published by the OKW (OberKommando der Wehrmacht), or Wehrmacht High Command. The booklets were printed every month from Apr 1940 until Nov/Dec 1944.

1940: 9 Issues, one per month, from April to Dec
1941: 11 issues, one per month, from Jan to Nov/Dec (the last issue of the year was a double issue)
1942: 11 Issues, one per month now catalogued as heft 1, heft 2, heft 3, ... heft 11/12.
1943: 11 issues, one per month catalogued as heft 1, heft 2, heft 3, ... heft 11/12.
1944: 11 issues, one per month catalogued as heft 1, heft 2, heft 3, ... heft 11/12.

The cards can be sorted by the number of lines of publisher's text running aloong the vertical dividing line.

Type A: One line of text
Type B: Two lines of text
Type C: No text along the vertical divider.

1943 Postcards

The 1943 issue was the fourth series of magazines and it consisted of 8 magazines with a total of 12 postcards.

January

The first issue of the 1943 series of the magazine featured four postcards

1. ARTIST: Max Zschoch. TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: "Nachschub" - "Supplies"





2. ARTIST: Max Zschoch. TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: "vorausabteilung" - "Advance detachment""




3. ARTIST: Heinz Kieβling. TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: "Horse-drawn sleigh with packages"




4. ARTIST: Hugo Frank. TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: "Soldier with cannon stove"

February

The second issue of the 1943 series of the magazine featured four postcards. This issue was a little different from previous issues in that two of the four cards are identical. Images 2 and 4 below were identical.

1. ARTIST: Max Zschoch. TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: "Schönheitspflege" - "Beauty care" [VERIFIED]
2. ARTIST: Heinz Kieβling TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: "Soldier on guard". [VERIFIED]
3. ARTIST: Max Zschoch. TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: "Sontagsklöβe" - "Sunday dumplings" [VERIFIED]
4. ARTIST: Heinz Kieβling TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: "Soldier on guard" [VERIFIED]

March

The third issue of the 1943 series of the magazine featured four postcards

1. ARTIST: Max Zschoch. TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: Image bar "PK men"
2. ARTIST: Hugo Frank. TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: Snowman in the sun
3. ARTIST: Max Zschoch. TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: "Gulaschkanonen" - "Goulash cannons"
4. ARTIST: Heinz Kieβling TYPE: B. DESCRIPTION: Farmer plowing, soldiers

April

Unknown status

May

The fifth issue of the 1943 series of the magazine did not contin any postcards. This issue contained a Folded letter with drawing top left: "Soldier as harvest helper". [Requires more information]

Jun

The sixth issue of the 1943 series of the magazine did not contin any postcards. This issue contained an image of a Soldier on guard [Requires more information]

July

The Jul issue of the 1943 series of the magazine did not contin any postcards. This issue contained a Field post folded letter (thin paper), size 20 x 14 cm with text "Entommen aus "Soldatenblatter fur Feier und Freizeit", herausgegeben vom OKW" AWA Abt. Inland"

August

The eigth issue of the 1943 series of the magazine did not contin any postcards. This issue coontained a folded letter with the text "Am ende aber steht unser Sieg" - 'But in the end there is our victory', quite ironic since the German army was in full retreat on the eastern front and the Allies had just defeated the Germans and Italians in North Africa.