PROPAGANDA POSTCARDS
(1934)

This page was last updated
15-Feb-2023 12:38

REICHSPARTEITAG
(NAZI PART RALLY)

The Reich's Party Convention Rally, Reichsparteitag or Nurnberg Rallies, as they are better known in English, were the annual celebration and propaganda show piece for the Nazi Party. In the early years (1923 to 1929) it was held on a somewhat ad-hoc basis (money permitting). However in 1933 it became a permanent fixture of the Nazi calendar.

From 1927 onwards all of the rallies were held in Nuremberg, chosen for it's geographical location at the centre of the Reich. The Nazi base was also strong in the city and the local organiser, Julius Streicher, had powerful connections to the local Franconian police force who were also sympathetic to the Nazi cause.

SIXTH NAZI PARTY RALLY - NÜRNBERG
"THE RALLY OF POWER"
(5th/10th Sep 1934)

BACKGROUND: This was the 6th Party Congress (held from 5th to 10th Sep 1934) and was attended by about 700,000 Nazi Party supporters. Initially it did not have a theme. Later it was labeled the "Rally of Unity and Strength" (Reichsparteitag der Einheit und Stärke), "Rally of Power" (Reichsparteitag der Macht), or "Rally of Will" (Reichsparteitag des Willens). The Leni Riefenstahl film 'Triumph des Willens' was made at this rally. In addition this rally was particularly notable due to Albert Speer's Cathedral of light: 152 searchlights that cast vertical beams into the sky around the Zeppelin Field to symbolise the walls of a building.

SPECIAL SLOGAN CANCEL: There was a special slogan cancel used for the 1935 rally inscribed "Reichsparteitag | der N.S.D.A.P | in Nurnberg + | vom 5.mot 10.Sept.1934". Exactly the same cancel was re-used in 1935 only with revised dates for the rally.

VERLAG EHER

The following postcards were published by Verlag Eher.

VERLAG ZARREISS & CO. NÜRNBERG

The following postcard was published by Verlag Zarreiss & Co.

VERLAG F. WILLMY, NÜRNBERG

The following postcard was published by Verlag F. Willmy of Nürnberg and cost 10Rpf. The card was cancelled in Nürnberg and has an excess of stamps applied. There is a small image of Nürnberg Castle in the top left-hand corner.

VERLAG LUDWIG RIFFLEMACHER, NÜRNBERG

The following postcard was published by Verlag Ludwig Rifflemacher of Nürnberg.

OTHER CARDS

Postcard (3) was published by Sturmer Verlag of Nürnberg and shows a hand rising in a Nazi salute from the city of Nürnberg. The inscription reads "Treue um treue" - 'Fidelity for Fidelity' and "Deutscher Gruss aus Nürnberg" - "German greetings from Nürnberg".

Postcard (4) features a portrait of Adolf Hitler rising above an adoring crowd of people giving the Nazi salute. In the background is the city of Nürnberg. The inscription below the image reads "DIE FAHNE HOCH/DIE REIHEN DICHT GESCHLOSSEN!" - "THE FLAG UP/THE ROWS TIGHTLY CLOSED!". This card was published by Lauschke & Thiele of Leipzig.



Verlag Wilhelm Serz of Nürnberg published a number of postcards for the rally and a few of them are shown below. They mostly depict scenes/buildings found in Nürnberg and have the heading "ERINNERUNG AN DEN REICHSPARTEITAG" - 'REMINDER OF THE REICHSPARTEITAG'.

Postcard (5) has an inscription on the reverse that reads "Nürnberg Henkersteg" - 'Hangmans Pier'.







Postcard (6) has a caption on the reverse inscribed "Stadtarsicht mit Sebalduskirche und Burg" - 'City view with Sebaldus church and castle'.



Postcards (7) and (8) below were also published by Verlag Wilhelm Serz.










The postcard below was published by the prolific printer Verlag Photo-Hoffmann of Munich and has a number 424 on the reverse of the card. There is no indication on the card as to the year it was printed but the special cancel is dated 9.9.34 indicating it was very likely 1934, the stamps are also 1934 issue stamps. The reverse of the card also has the inscription "Reichsparteitag Nürnberg".