15th January 1933 News in Brief - Unemployment ← Previous Next → Official unemployment figures released The officially registered unemployed in Germany on January 15th, 1933, amounted to 5,966,000 persons. At the same time that this figure was given out by the government, it was added that for the first time the curves of unemployment for 1932 and for 1933 had come together. This was officially interpreted to mean that unemployment had ceased to increase. It had been previously shown by the Institut für Konjunkturforschung, however, that the actual number of unemployed was some one and a half million to two million more than that number of registered unemployed. Since the number of the unregistered unemployed had substantially increased during the year 1932 it was somewhat optimistic to conclude definitely that unemployment had ceased to increased, as the National Socialist Angriff did not fail to point out in its issue of January twenty-fifth. It is interesting to note, however, that just as soon as a National Socialist régime was in power, the National Socialist Press began the same optimistic interpretation of unemployment statistics. Source: Hoover, 1933, p.13 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Apartment Request with Staadtl. Polizeikasse (Frankfurt) fee stamp of 0.50 RM issued in Frankfurt a.M. Document imprint, 'Pol. Nr.122 8.. 32. 20000'. Ref: 21.02.1933 - 3/114 21st February 1933 Revenue & Fee: Frankfurt a. M. Apartment Request with Staadtl. Polizeikasse (Frankfurt) fee stamp of 0.50 RM issued in Frankfurt a.M. Document imprint, 'Pol. Nr.122 8.. 32. 20000'. Ref: 21.02.1933 - 3/114 Notes: Document stationery code, Pol. Nr.122 8.. 32. 20000 , approx. 210 x 149mm, part watermarked 'BEHORDEN' and 'Hoffmann' . Reference words, 'Wohnungsanfrage' (apartment request), 'Auskunft aus dem Melderegister' (information from the population register), 'Meldeamt' (registration office). Revenue and Fee stamps of Frankfurt a. M. Staadtl. Polizeikasse (Frankfurt) fee stamp of 0.50 RM issued in Frankfurt. Ref: 21.02.1933 - 3/114 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Official postal correspondence of the Judicial Authority in Essen. Form 'G.K.F. 98.' Ref: 03.02.1933 Further research required 3rd February 1933 B.2 Francotyp Model 'C' Official postal correspondence of the Judicial Authority in Essen. Form 'G.K.F. 98.' Ref: 03.02.1933 Further research required The postcard features the postage meter B.2 Francotyp Model 'C', 74 - 75mm, horizontal convex/concave, multi value meter, single circle - with stops after the D/M/Y, angular font style (Ref: FTB2). Card reference G.K.F. 98. (Gerichtskasse Form 98). Postage Meter Resource Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Cover sent from Austria to Switzerland featuring a propaganda vignette (measuring 72 x 50 mm) to the reverse stating '1933 3.Verbandsturnfest Saaz' on a 'Turnerkreuze'. Ref: 02.01.1933 - 14/54 2nd January 1933 Turnfest Cover sent from Austria to Switzerland featuring a propaganda vignette (measuring 72 x 50 mm) to the reverse stating '1933 3.Verbandsturnfest Saaz' on a 'Turnerkreuze'. Ref: 02.01.1933 - 14/54 The 3rd Gymnastics Festival, Saaz, held between 13th - 16th July 1933, was staged by the Sudeten German politician Konrad Henlein. The event saw some 20,000 Turnerbund members perform carefully choreographed displays. Henlein would later declare the Turnerbund as the 'educational body of Sudeten Germans' . After the Saaz rally Henlein was widely viewed as the 'man of the hour', and knowing that the Czechoslovak authorities were about to ban two main völkisch parties in the Sudetenland as treasonous, Henlein took advantage of the ensuing political vacuum. On 1st October 1933, Henlein founded the Sudetendeutsche Heimatfront (Sudeten German Home Front). [Also see Hans von Tschammer und Osten] The advertising stamp above celebrates the 1st Turnfest in Linz, 1922. It is noted that the symbol being held in the eagles claw is similar but not quite the same as the vignette on the present cover. The original symbol is circular and constructed of four interlocking 'F's. It could easily be construed as an early form of Nazi swastika. The term for this symbol is 'Turnerkreuze' and the 'F's represent the initial letters of the organisations motto, 'Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich, Frei' (Fresh, Pious, Cheerful, Free). The vignette produced for the Saaz event is overtly designed to reflect the German nationalist sentiment prevalent at the time in the Sudetenland. Turnfest vignettes from the 12th festival held in Leipzig 12th - 16th July 1913 Ref: 15.07.1913 - 10/70 Ref: 15.07.1913 - 10/70 Ref: 15.07.1913 - 10/70 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Postcard depicting a vista of Nuremberg as seen from Nuremberg Castle. Ref: 07.09.1933 7th September 1933 Nuremberg Postcard depicting a vista of Nuremberg as seen from Nuremberg Castle. Ref: 07.09.1933 Nürnberg (Nuremberg) (Überroller-post - Allied occupation 20.04.1945) Nuremberg is the largest city in Franconia, the second-largest city in the German state of Bavaria, and its 545,000 inhabitants make it the 14th-largest city in Germany. Postcard depicting the central station in Nuremberg. It is the largest station in north Bavaria. As a result of allied bombing at the end of the Second World War the station building, with the exception of the Jugendstil lounge suffered heavily and on 16th March 1945 had to be closed for nine years. Its reconstruction took place between 1945 and 1956 and had to be simplified due to a lack of money. Ref:24.07.1937 Nuremberg held great significance during the Nazi Germany era. Because of the city's relevance to the Holy Roman Empire and its position in the centre of Germany, the Nazi Party chose the city to be the site of huge Nazi Party conventions: the Nuremberg rallies. The rallies were held in 1927, 1929 and annually from 1933 through 1938. After Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1933 the Nuremberg rallies became huge Nazi propaganda events, a centre of Nazi ideals. The 1934 rally was filmed by Leni Riefenstahl, and made into a propaganda film called Triumph des Willens ( Triumph of the Will ). Postcard depicting the Nürnburger Berg and surrounding buildings. The reverse has a privately printed 'Reichsparteitag' imprint (see 01.09.1933 Nuremberg Rally 1933). Ref: 01.09.1933 At the 1935 rally, Hitler specifically ordered the Reichstag to convene at Nuremberg to pass the Nuremberg Laws which revoked German citizenship for all Jews and other non-Aryans. A number of premises were constructed solely for these assemblies, some of which were not finished. Many examples of Nazi architecture can still be seen in the city. The city was also the home of the Nazi propagandist Julius Streicher, the publisher of Der Stürmer . During the Second World War, Nuremberg was the headquarters of Wehrkreis (military district) XIII, and an important site for military production, including aircraft, submarines, and tank engines. A subcamp of Flossenbürg concentration camp was located here, and extensively used slave labour. Many Nuremberg Jews either fled from Germany during the Nazi era, or stayed and were then rounded-up and transported to various concentration camps where they were killed. At the end of the War in 1945, there were no Jews left in Nuremberg. There are many Stolpersteine installed in the streets of the city; these commemorate Jews who were persecuted by the Nazi regime. On 2nd January 1945, the medieval city centre was systematically bombed by the Royal Air Force and the U.S. Army Air Forces and about ninety percent of it was destroyed in only one hour, with 1,800 residents killed and roughly 100,000 displaced. In February 1945, additional attacks followed. In total, about 6,000 Nuremberg residents are estimated to have been killed in air raids. Nuremberg was a heavily fortified city that was captured in a fierce battle lasting from 17th to 20th April 1945 by the U.S. 3rd Infantry Division, 42nd Infantry Division and 45th Infantry Division, which fought house-to-house and street-by-street against determined German resistance, causing further urban devastation to the already bombed and shelled buildings. Despite this intense degree of destruction, the city was rebuilt after the war and was to some extent restored to its pre-war appearance, including the reconstruction of many of its medieval buildings. Much of this reconstructive work and conservation was done by the organisation 'Old Town Friends Nuremberg'. Today 25 % of Nürnbergs buildings date to before World War II and the old town is a declared protected area, so the northeastern half of the old Imperial Free City had to be largely reconstructed. Between 1945 and 1946, German officials involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity were brought before an international tribunal in the Nuremberg trials. The Soviet Union had wanted these trials to take place in Berlin. However, Nuremberg was chosen as the site for the trials for specific reasons: The city had been the location of the Nazi Party's Nuremberg rallies and the laws stripping Jews of their citizenship were passed there. There was symbolic value in making it the place of Nazi demise. The Palace of Justice was spacious and largely undamaged (one of the few that had remained largely intact despite extensive Allied bombing of Germany). The already large courtroom was reasonably easily expanded by the removal of the wall at the end opposite the bench, thereby incorporating the adjoining room. A large prison was also part of the complex. As a compromise, it was agreed that Berlin would become the permanent seat of the International Military Tribunal and that the first trial (several were planned) would take place in Nuremberg. Due to the Cold War, subsequent trials never took place. Following the trials, in October 1946, many prominent German Nazi politicians and military leaders were executed in Nuremberg. The same courtroom in Nuremberg was the venue of the Nuremberg Military Tribunals, organised by the United States as occupying power in the area. In order to come to terms with the role Nuremberg played during the Third Reich, the city established the Nuremberg International Human Rights Award in 1995, awarded every two years to individuals or groups defending human rights worldwide. 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Propaganda postcard featuring the image of Adolf Hitler, sent from Vienna to Burghausen. Featuring mixed postage stamps, including the Austrian Mi.567 & 600. Ref: 04.04.1938 Index Page Stamps of Austria Propaganda postcard featuring the image of Adolf Hitler, sent from Vienna to Burghausen. Featuring mixed postage stamps, including the Austrian Mi.567 & 600. Ref: 04.04.1938 Also see 27/98 (mixed franking inc. 6 Pf & 24 Pf) WPIA 1933 overprints (used 1938) - see 28/50 AUSTRIA - stamps within the Brief History collection Mi.508 - 50 groschen (Landscapes, 1930). Ref: 02.01.1933 - 14/54 Mi.567 - 1 groschen (Tradition Costumes, 1934). Ref: 04.04.1938 Mi.600 -15 groschen (Aircraft over Landscape, 1935). Ref: 04.04.1938 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

31st January 1933 News in Brief - Reich Chancellor ← Previous Next → Jüdische Rundschau : Editorial on the appointment of Adolf Hitler as Reich Chancellor In part: 'As Jews we are confronted by the fact that a power inimical to us has taken over the government in Germany... National Socialism is a movement hostile to the Jews. Its antisemitism is programmatic to a degree that no other party has been. It owes a large part of its propagandistic success to the unscrupulous smear campaign against the Jews... when Hitler was rejected by the Reich President on 13 August and 25 November, we did not in any way appear as relieved and satisfied as did part of the Jewish community that refuses to see the big picture and clings to isolated political phenomena of the day... one can say that, even without Hitler's seizure of power, the exclusion of the Jews was already being conducted under pressure from Hitler's party.' [An example of this being Leo Kestenberg (1882-1962), dismissed by the Reich government from the head of music in the Prussian Ministry of Culture in 1932] Continuing: 'When Hitler was rejected for the first time, the Judische Rundschau made striking parallels with the creator of the Christian Social Party in Vienna, Dr. Lueger... who in his time was as much the symbolic figure of antisemitism for the world as Hitler is today...' [Dr. Karl Leuger (1844-1910), lawyer; practised law in Vienna, 1874-1896; founder of the antisemitic Christian Social Party in Austria, 1891; mayor of Vienna, 1897-1910] Further continuing: 'The Reich President, who has appointed Hitler, is bound by his constitutional oath, his moral authority, and his international reputation. the civic equality of German Jews is, however, anchored in the constitution of the Reich. We can only repeat what we wrote in these pages on 12 August [1932]: 'If Hitler becomes Reich Chancellor, the programme of the National Socialist Party, with its well known anti-Jewish statutes, must not become the programme of the German Reich. As party leader, Hitler could draw upon the support of the masses he has fanaticised, but as Reich Chancellor he has to recognise that Germany consists of different elements that have a right to respect for their distinctiveness'... It goes without saying that German Jewry will fight with all means and energy against every attempt at formal and factual disenfranchisement and dispossession...' Gruner, 2019, pp.81-83 The Jüdische Rundschau emerged in 1902 as the organ of the Zionist Federation for Germany. It appeared twice weekly in Berlin in 1933. In 1934 it had a circulation of 37,000. Banned in Germany after the pogroms of November 1938, it was published from March 1939 to 1940 in Jerusalem as the Jüdische Weltrundschau. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

1st January 1933 Mi.P203 Mi.P216

Propaganda postcard sent towards the end of World War One. The quote, attributed to Friedrich the Great, reads, 'Es wird das Jahr stark u.scharf hergehn - Aber man muß die Ohren steif halten u.Jeder, der Ehre u.Liebe für das Vaterland hat muß alles daran setzen' (loosely translated to, 'The year will be tough and fierce - but one must keep a steady hand and everyone who has honour and love for the fatherland must do everything in his power'). This same message would be revived by the National Socialists in 1941. Imprint: 'Druck und Verlag: A. Wohlfeld, Magdeburg'. Ref: 26.06.1918 - 13/104 12th April 1933 Friedrich the Great Propaganda postcard sent towards the end of World War One. The quote, attributed to Friedrich the Great, reads, 'Es wird das Jahr stark u.scharf hergehn - Aber man muß die Ohren steif halten u.Jeder, der Ehre u.Liebe für das Vaterland hat muß alles daran setzen' (loosely translated to, 'The year will be tough and fierce - but one must keep a steady hand and everyone who has honour and love for the fatherland must do everything in his power'). This same message would be revived by the National Socialists in 1941. Imprint: 'Druck und Verlag: A. Wohlfeld, Magdeburg'. Ref: 26.06.1918 - 13/104 Friedrich der Große Frederick II (1712 - 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled King in Prussia , declaring himself King of Prussia after annexing Royal Prussia from the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1772. His most significant accomplishments include military successes in the Silesian wars, reorganisation of the Prussian Army, the First Partition of Poland, and patronage of the arts and the Enlightenment. Prussia greatly increased its territories and became a major military power in Europe under his rule. He became known as Frederick the Great and was nicknamed 'Old Fritz' (German: der Alte Fritz ). Frederick's legacy has been subject to a wide variety of interpretations. For instance, Thomas Carlyle's History of Frederick the Great (8 vol. 1858–1865) emphasised the power of one great 'hero', in this case Frederick, to shape history. In German memory, Frederick became a great national icon and many Germans said he was the greatest monarch in modern history. These claims particularly were popular in the 19th century. For example, German historians often made him the romantic model of a glorified warrior, praising his leadership, administrative efficiency, devotion to duty and success in building up Prussia to a leading role in Europe. Frederick's popularity as a heroic figure remained high in Germany even after World War I. Between 1933 and 1945, the Nazis glorified Frederick as a precursor to Adolf Hitler. In an attempt to legitimise the Nazi regime, Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels commissioned artists to render fanciful images of Frederick, Bismarck, and Hitler together to create a sense of a historical continuum amongst them. Throughout World War II, Hitler often compared himself to Frederick, and he kept a copy of Anton Graff's portrait of Frederick with him to the end in the Führerbunker in Berlin. After the war, the role of Prussia in German history was minimised and Frederick's reputation was downgraded in both East and West Germany, partly due to the Nazis' fascination with him and his connection with Prussian militarism. During the second half of the 20th century, political attitudes towards Frederick's image were ambivalent, particularly in communist East Germany. For example, immediately after World War II images of Prussia were removed from public spaces, including Frederick's equestrian statue on the Unter den Linden, but in 1980 his statue was re-erected. Since the end of the Cold War, Frederick's reputation has continued to grow in reunified Germany. In the 21st century, the view of Frederick as a capable and effective leader remains strong among military historians. However, the originality of his achievements is debated, as many were based on developments already underway. He has been studied as a model of servant leadership in management research and is held in high regard for his patronage of the arts. He has been seen as an exemplar of enlightened absolutism, though this label has been questioned in the 21st century as many enlightenment principles directly contrast with his military reputation. Source: Wikipedia (2024) Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Commercial postcard sent by Hagemann & Döpping to a radio shop in Sonneberg. Featuring postage stamp: Mi.465, first issued in January 1932. Ref: 11.02.1933. 1st January 1933 Pre 1933 Stamps Commercial postcard sent by Hagemann & Döpping to a radio shop in Sonneberg. Featuring postage stamp: Mi.465, first issued in January 1932. Ref: 11.02.1933. Pre-Third Reich postage stamps (used after 30th January 1930) 1928 Mi.410-Mi.422 (01.09.1928) - Definitive stamps: German Presidents (Ebert and Hindenburg). More information here. Mi.410 (Sept. 1928) Ref: 02.04.1933 Mi.411 (Sept. 1928) Ref: 23.03.1933 - 10/74 Mi.412 (Sept.1928) Ref: 08.05.1933 Mi.414 (Sept. 1928) Ref: 09.03.1933 Mi.417 (Sept. 1928) Ref: 21.04.1933 - 9/23 Mi.418 (Sept. 1928) Ref: 23.01.1933 - 9/22 Mi.420 (Sept. 1928) Ref: 11.03.1935 Mi.422 (Sept 1928) Ref: 17.01.1934 - 1/4 1930 Mi.435-Mi.437 (08.02/09.1930) - Definitive stamps: German Presidents (Ebert and Hindenburg). More information here. Mi.435 (Feb. 1930) Ref: 23.03.1933 - 10/74 Mi.436 (Feb.1933) Ref: 01.09.1933 - 10/28 Mi.437 (Sept. 1930) Ref: 17.05.1933 - 10/6 Mi.440 (05.1930) Definitive as Mi.365 but with 'Zwei Reichsmark' (view of old Cologne) - See 13.11.1937 Mi.444-Mi.445 (30.06.1930) - Withdrawal of Allied occupation troops from the Rhineland. Mi.445 (Jun. 1930) Ref: 02.08.1934 1931 Mi.454 (15.02.1931) - Definitive stamp (Hindenburg). Mi.454 (Feb. 1931) Ref: 15.12.1933 Mi.455 (05.1931) - Airmail stamp. See 14.04.1935 Ref: Fleurs & Papillons 1932 Mi.465-Mi.466 (01.1932) - Definitive stamps: German Presidents (Ebert and Hindenburg). Mi.465 (Jan.1932) Ref: 11.02.1933 Mi.466 (Jan.1932) Ref: 24.08.1933 Mi.467-Mi.473 (01.10.1932) - Definitive stamps: Paul von Hindenburg (Medallion). Mi.467 (Oct. 1932) Ref: 24.03.1933 Mi.468 (Oct. 1932) Ref: 17.01.1934 - 1/4 Mi.469 (Oct. 1932) Ref: 15.12.1933 Mi.471 (Oct. 1932) Ref: 13.11.1933 Mi.472 (Oct. 1932) Ref: 17.01.1934 Mi.474-Mi.478 (01.11.1932) - German aid to the needy: Castles and palaces. More information here. Mi.474 (Nov. 1932) Ref: 18.03.1933 Mi.475 (Nov.1932) Ref: 28.03.1933 Mi.476 (Nov. 1932) Ref: 29.03.1933 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

1st January 1933 Mi.P217 - P220

Cover sent from Hamburg to Exter, featuring Mi.499 (3 Pf - Tannhäuser) and Mi.507 (40 Pf - Parsifal). Ref: 17.11.1933 - 14/47 Stamps first issued on 1st November 1933. The first charity stamps of the 3rd Reich period (German aid for the needy), the images depict various scenes from Richard Wagner’s Operas. 1st November 1933 Mi.499-507 Cover sent from Hamburg to Exter, featuring Mi.499 (3 Pf - Tannhäuser) and Mi.507 (40 Pf - Parsifal). Ref: 17.11.1933 - 14/47 Stamps first issued on 1st November 1933. The first charity stamps of the 3rd Reich period (German aid for the needy), the images depict various scenes from Richard Wagner’s Operas. Mi.499 - 507 Winter Relief Fund: Wagner's operas In the past, charity stamps were only available at the P.O.'s but htis issue could also be obtained at the offices of 'Deutsche Nothilfe', both inside and outside Germany. The G.P.O. recieved 5% of the surtax of these stamps, the remainder going to the W.H.W. funds. This issue was originally declared invalid after February 1934, but this date was extended to March so that the could be used in conjunction with the laying of the Richard Wagner memorial stone in Leipzig. Again this date was extended to the final date of 30th September 1934 so that the stamps could be used at the Wagner Festival at Bayreuth in June/August. A slogan postmark was used from 10.07.1934 to 23.08.1934. By this time however these stamps were only available at the G.P.O. and Nothilfe Offices at Beyreuth and Munich. (Harper & Scheck) Notes: Design: Professor Alois Kolb. Recess printing . Sheets 5 x 10. Watermark: Swastikas (the first stamp issue to have this watermark) . Perf. All values perf.14 x 13 (13¾ x 13 - Harper & Scheck), with values 4+2, 6+4, 8+4, 12+3 and 20+10 Pf also being perf.14 (13¾ x 14 - Harper & Scheck). Valid until 30.09.1934 Quantity issued: Mi.499 = 1,818,070; Mi.500 = 2,516,880; Mi.501 = 1,618,361; Mi.502 = 4,328,111; Mi.503 = 2,643,286; Mi.504 = 5,220,555; Mi.505 = 373,121; Mi.506 = 467,795; Mi.507 = 264,238 Mi.499 - Tannhäuser. Ref: 17.11.1933 - 14/47 Mi.500 - Scene depicting the Flying Dutchman. Ref: 06.03.1934 Mi.501 - From 'Rheingold' a scene depicting the three sisters of the Rhine, Woglinde, Wellgunde and Flosshilde. After loosing the Rhinegold to the dwarf Alberich, so commences the sequence of events which form the subject of the 'Ring' series of operas. Alberich is seen in the background with the stolen Rheingold from which he fashions the magic ring. Ref: 20.08.1934 - 2/35 Mi.502A (early use) - In a scene from Act II of 'The Mastersinger', Hans Sachs, the cobbler, sits in front of his dwelling making shoes for Beckmesser, one of the rivals for the hand of the lovely Eva. Ref: 04.11.1933 Mi.503 - From 'Die Walküre', a scene depicting Woton, the God of Gods, bending over Brünnhilde, his daughter, and one of the shield maidens (Valkyries), and taking her helmet from her. This is a scene from Act III where Brünnhilde, having displeased her father, is put by him into the magic trance from which she is awakened by Siegfried. Ref: 20.08.1934 - 2/35 Mi.504 - The scene depicts Siegfried slaying Fafner, guardian of Wotan's treasure and the magic ring. Ref: 20.08.1934 - 2/35 Mi.505 (20+10 Pf) Mi.507 - Parsifal. Ref: 17.11.1933 - 14/47 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page