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3rd April 1946 Mi.P783 II 3rd April 1946 Mi.P783 II 03.04.1946 Mi.P783 II reverse.jpeg 03.04.1946 Mi.P783 II reverse.jpeg 1/1 British Zone provisional postcard (Mi.P783 II - open 'a' typeface used for instructions). With additional Bremen RPD 6 Pf (red/broken border) = Mi.PA18 II. Sent on the 3rd day of the reinstatement of foreign mail. To Samuel Gapp of Bethlehem in the USA. Ref: 03.04.1946 Correspondence to reverse: 'Dear Brother Gapp! Through Brother Baudest I heard of you and your intention to come across the Atlantic. I should very much like to see you then and learn all about you and your family. May I ask you to give or let me know the following addresses: of your son Samuel V. Gapp, of mu uncle Athur E. Francke, of his son Arthur, and of my cousin Aruim [?] Francke? I remember the peacful days which I spent in your hospitable home - how far seem those times? - I've lost everything, of course, my family was evacuated from Niesky, and now I am looking for a job. My mother, who had remained at [place name?] to attend a widow, died in a burning house, while G. was occupied by the Russians. My best regards to you and your family. Yours ever, Walter D. Franke.' Link to an article that includes Samuel Gapp and the Moravian Church in Bethlehem Reinstatement of foreign mail from Germany HC Deb 01 April 1946 vol 421 c831831 The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Mr. John Hynd) With the permission of the House, I should like to make a brief statement on international postal services to and from Germany. These have been resumed, and will operate between Germany and all countries except Japan and its dependencies and Spain. The service is, for the present, limited to letters up to 10z. in weight and to non-illustrated postcards. Only messages of a personal and domestic nature may be sent; no business correspondence is yet allowed. All mail will be subject to censorship in Germany. Mr . William Williams Can the hon. Gentleman say anything with regard to the organisation of the trade union connected with the postal service in Germany? Mr. Hynd I am afraid I do not appreciate the full import of the question. It does not seem to relate to the reintroduction of the postal services. Mr . Williams I should like to know what form of organisation this is taking. Is it to be worked by German workers? If so, are they organised in the manner in which they used to be before the Nazi days? Mr . Hynd That is a rather wider matter. I do not think that it is connected with this question. Of course, the postal workers in Germany are being organised in trade unions. Lieut.-Colonel Hamilton Does that apply equally to all four zones in Germany? Mr. Hynd This refers to the postal services between Germany and the outside world. Mr . Sydney Silverman On what date will the services come into operation? Mr. Hynd They are already in operation. Captain Francis Noel-Baker What authority will carry out the censorship? Mr. Hynd The censorship will be carried out under the responsibility of the occupying authorities. Source: Hansard Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Postcard sent from the NSDAP Rally in Nuremberg, the 'Rally of Victory'. The image depicts the Gooseman Fountain (Gänsemännchenbrunnen) that was located in todays fruit market. Post war the statue was relocated to the courtyard of the new Town Hall building. Adjacent to the Hindenburg Medallion postage stamp there is a 5 Pf. RDPSH (Reichsbund Deutscher Papier und Schreibwarenhändler) revenue stamp. To the upper right edge there is an unofficial red/violet hand-stamp reading, 'Reichsparteitag/ Nürnberg 1933'. It is generally considered that variations of this hand-stamp were used by the camp branch post offices (at Langwasser, Russenwiese, and Luitpoldhain Hall) as 'acceptance cachets' before being forwarded to the head office at Nuremberg 2 for cancellation. Ref: 02.09.1933 2nd September 1933 RDPSH 02.09.1933-rdpsh-nurnberg.jpeg 02.09.1933-rdpsh-nurnberg.jpeg 1/1 Postcard sent from the NSDAP Rally in Nuremberg, the 'Rally of Victory'. The image depicts the Gooseman Fountain (Gänsemännchenbrunnen) that was located in todays fruit market. Post war the statue was relocated to the courtyard of the new Town Hall building. Adjacent to the Hindenburg Medallion postage stamp there is a 5 Pf. RDPSH (Reichsbund Deutscher Papier und Schreibwarenhändler) revenue stamp. To the upper right edge there is an unofficial red/violet hand-stamp reading, 'Reichsparteitag/ Nürnberg 1933'. It is generally considered that variations of this hand-stamp were used by the camp branch post offices (at Langwasser, Russenwiese, and Luitpoldhain Hall) as 'acceptance cachets' before being forwarded to the head office at Nuremberg 2 for cancellation. Ref: 02.09.1933 RDPSH Reichsbund Deutscher Papier und Schreibwarenhändler (German Association of Paper and Stationery Traders) Accoring to Erler there are two RDPSH revenue stamps, a 5 Pf. and 10 Pf. Date of origin unknown but presumed to be early 1930's 5 Pf. Lilac on cream. Erler p.60. Ref: 02.09.1933 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

21st January 1944 B&M Freiwillige Feuerwehr 21st January 1944 B&M Freiwillige Feuerwehr 21.01.1944 freiwillige Feuerwehr cover.jpeg 21.01.1944 freiwillige Feuerwehr cover.jpeg 1/1 Registered envelope sent from Brünn to Prague. The duel language senders address is hand-stamped to the reverse reads, 'Freiwillige Feuerwehr/ Brünn-Bohonitz/ Sbor dobrovolnych hasiču/ Brno-Bohumoe' (Volunteer Fire Brigade, Brno-Bohonice). Ref: 21.01.1944 Freiwillige Feuerwehr (Volunteer Fire Brigade) From Wikipedia: The first volunteer fire brigade in Czechoslovakia is considered to be the volunteer group formed in 1851 by the retired Austrian officer Ferdinand Leitenberger in Reichstadt (today Zákupy), Bohemia. The first municipal fire department was founded in Prague in 1853. The structures were historically similar to those in Austria until after the Second World War. It was only after the Second World War that the structures were fundamentally changed with the re-establishment of Czechoslovakia. In 1953, the fire service was placed under the Ministry of the Interior by Law No. 35/1953. A basic military structure was created. In 1958 the organisation became somewhat decentralised. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Airmail cover sent from Düsseldorf to an address in Switzerland. Featuring the lower left corner of booklet sheet MHB 56. Ref: 26.05.1936 - 15/10 26th May 1936 MHB 56 26.05.1936 MHB 56 reverse.jpeg 26.05.1936 MHB 56 reverse.jpeg 1/1 Airmail cover sent from Düsseldorf to an address in Switzerland. Featuring the lower left corner of booklet sheet MHB 56. Ref: 26.05.1936 - 15/10 Stamp sequences from booklet sheet MHB 56 S237 (Mi.588+Mi.593). Ref: 17.03.1936 - 15/49 S241 (Mi.593+A7). Ref: 12.10.1935 Various combinations from the lower left corner of MHB 56. Ref: 26.05.1936 - 15/10 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

29th March 1946 29th March 1946 1/1 'Horst Kempe' cover featuring a variety of stamps (1pf Mi.911, 5pf Mi.915, 30pf Mi.928 and 40pf Mi.50G). Expertised. Ref: 29.03.1946 - 10/61 Expertisation stamp 'STRÖH BPP/ G' to lower right edge on the reverse of the envelope

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2nd August 1941 Wieda (Südharz) 2nd August 1941 Wieda (Südharz) 1/1 Postcard depicting an aerial view of Wieda (Südharz). Ref: 02.08.1941 Wieda (Südharz) Wieda is a village and a former municipality in the district of Göttingen, in Lower Saxony, Germany. Since 1 November 2016, it is part of the municipality Walkenried. Wieda is on River Wieda, a tributary of Zorge in the southern part of the Harz mountains. Source: Wikipedia WIEDA (BUCHENWALD, MITTELBAU, AND SACHSENHAUSEN) (SS- BB III). The SS- Baubrigade III was based in Wieda , a small village in the Harz Mountains, from May 1944 to April 1945. The location put it in the radius of the Mittelbau concentration camp complex then being established. Hans Kammler, head of Amtsgruppe C (Construction) in the SS- Business Administration Main Office (WVHA), was responsible for establishing this camp. After the sites for assembling the long- distance A4 (Aggregat 4) rocket (the later V-2) were bombed, Albert Speer, Adolf Hitler, and Heinrich Himmler decided in mid-August 1943 to push for the enlargement, 'with the heavy utilisation' of concentration camp prisoners, of an underground facility in the Harz Mountains. Himmler appointed Kammler to carry out the construction. The whole project was coordinated under the so- called Mittelwerk GmbH, established in September 1943. Kammler wanted to use the SS construction brigades to build a new rail line so the existing Osterhagen to Nordhausen line could be used exclusively for armaments industry transportation. The Mittelwerk GmbH entrusted management and construction of the rail line to the Deutsche Reichsbahn (German Railways), which in turn revived an older plan to build a 22- kilometer- long (13.7- mile- long) track (called the 'Helmetalbahn') south of the existing line and through the Helme valley. The Berlin company Tiefbau AG Julius Berger undertook the major excavation work. The construction of Helmetalbahn dominated the prisoners’ life until the end of the war. SS- Baubrigade III was assigned the westernmost of the three construction zones, the section from Osterhagen to Mackenrode. The administration for this section was in Mackenrode, and the SS- Baubrigade III established three subcamps along this part of the line: at Osterhagen, Nüxei, and Mackenrode. After the Cologne camp with its remaining 311 prisoners of the SS- BB III was dismantled, and the Wieda camp was set up, the brigade began its work on 16th May 1944. Then 700 prisoners from the Buchenwald concentration camp joined them on 7th June 1944. An empty club house of a marksmen’s association formed the center of the camp in Wieda . Around it were other buildings that served as the brigade’s administrative offices, a kitchen, a laundry, and an infirmary, and the grounds were fenced in and outfitted with watchtowers. On average, about 100 prisoners were housed here. Living conditions in this auxiliary camp generally were better than in the sub-camps, especially as Wieda had the central kitchen. In addition, inmates here did not have to do exhausting construction work but, instead, either remained in the camp, built barracks in Niedersachswerfen, worked for private persons, or were set to work in or by the communal administration. Brigade guards lived in barracks built for them close to the camp. Unlike in Cologne, where police and auxiliaries had been recruited, here the SS relied on Luftwaffe soldiers, in any case available because the Luftwaffe was having difficulties with its supply lines. They came under the command of the SS as of 1st September 1944. In January 1945, the SS- Baubrigade III guards included an SS leader, 42 SS noncommissioned officers, and 132 SS men. The integration of the Wieda camp into the system of camps centered on Mittelbau meant death loomed more sharply over the prisoners. A small infirmary was set up in Wieda for minor cases, while other cases were sent to the Buchenwald auxiliary camp Dora or, starting in May 1944, to the Ellrich- Juliushütte camp that became part of Mittelbau and after January 1945 to the Boelcke- Kaserne. After June 1944, all transports to and from the construction brigade went through Mittelbau, without exception. As of July 1944, the guard details came under the control of the 'SS- Standort Mittelbau'; and by October 1944, the construction brigades in the Harz came under the control of what had become the independent Mittelbau concentration camp. The transfer of control in January 1945 to the Sachsenhausen concentration camp was proforma. In the first few weeks, a surprisingly strong interaction developed between the Wieda camp and the surrounding community. Soldiers serving as guards played soccer with the prisoners on the sports field, and it is said that after the game they all marched singing through the village. One female villager reported: 'In the first weeks after the camp was set up, it was like the annual fair. After work, in the evenings, the prisoners sat in the cleared area in front of the marksmen’s tent, and some of them, especially the Gypsies, had instruments, mandolins or guitars, and made music. Many villagers, both young and old, stopped on the main street in front of the barbed- wire fence to listen in. This apparent lack of discipline in the camp resulted in the dismissal, in June 1944, of Karl Völkner as leader of the construction brigade. He had been in command since September 1942 and was now transferred to the Flossenbürg concentration camp. Until 20th July 1944, a certain SS- Oberscharführer Freys, who had been at the Mauthausen concentration camp in Austria, temporarily replaced him. SS- Obersturmführer Fritz Behrens replaced him in turn. Following Behrens’s appointment, conditions in the camp deteriorated, and prisoners were replaced. On 27th July 1944, groups of prisoners from SS- Baubrigade III were taken away to Dora from the sites where they were working. Two days later, around 1,000 new prisoners from Dora filled the four camps. With this ruthless replacement, relationships that had developed over the course of a year and a half between at least some of the prisoners were broken. Paul Rassinier, who learned about the SS- Baubrigade III while in the Dora infirmary, accurately remarked that 'in less than two months, Wieda became as hard and inhumane as Dora.' Behrens remained the leader of SS- Baubrigade III until just before the end of the war but was replaced in early April 1945 by SS- Untersturmführer Karl Merkle. Some 16 deaths are registered as having occurred up to the time the brigade came under the control of Mittelbau. During the summer, the living conditions deteriorated rapidly, so that by the end of August 1944, 300 prisoners incapable of working were taken away to the Ellrich- Juliushütte camp. The main reason for prisoner exhaustion lay in the heavy construction work demanded of them; the pace of work dictated by Kammler and the Armaments Ministry was also repeatedly increased. According to Georges Pieper, camp elder (Lagerältester) and Kapo in the construction brigade’s office and hence a good source, death rates increased markedly in the winter of 1944–1945: he recalls 74 prisoners dying between 30th December 1944, and 7th April 1945. In early 1945, the SS- Baubrigade III received Jewish prisoners for the first time: about 200 of them were transferred from Dora, though by the end of March they were transferred to the SS- Baubrigade IV. For the most part the railway line was double-tracked, and many bridges and sections were already finished when work had to stop at the end of March 1945 due to the advancing Allied forces. In a report prepared after the war by the building department of the Reichsbahn office in Kassel, the mass use of prisoners received only scant mention: 'In 1944/45, a new rail line for goods traffic from Osterhagen to Nordhausen was built to relieve the Northeim to Nordhausen line, length about thirty kilometers [18.6 miles.] . . . Several thousand men (prisoners and concentration camp inmates) worked on it. Work stopped at the end of the war due to the American advance.' On 5th April 1945, the prisoners from the Nüxei and Mackenrode subcamps were taken to Wieda , and the next day, so were the prisoners from the Osterhagen subcamp. On 7th April, 135 prisoners were marched, in a northwesterly direction, through the Harz Mountains. A train took those who were ill, numbering somewhat more than 300. On 9th April 1945, SS- Baubrigade III, now reassembled, left the Wernigerode railroad station in a single train: camp leader Merkle had by now disappeared. The train made it as far as Letzlingen, a village north of Magdeburg at about the same latitude as Berlin. About 900 prisoners were able to flee here during a bombing raid, though during the course of the day, 200 were recaptured and returned to the train by SS guards. The SS then forced these 200 on a march at whose end, on 24th April 1945, 50 prisoners remained to be liberated. Some in this group were able to escape en route, but most had collapsed dead by the wayside or had been shot. A second group of around 600 prisoners who had been recaptured near Letzlingen was marched in a southeasterly direction. Here, too, there were mass escapes and shootings, whereby civilians and men from the German Home Guard (Volkssturm) particularly distinguished themselves. Around 500 prisoners of this group were liberated near Burgstall on 14th April 1945. The ill, who remained behind on the train at Letzlingen, were probably the victims of the infamous massacre at Gardelegen. According to estimates by historian Joachim Neander, of the 1,135 prisoners who left Wieda , only about 700 lived long enough to experience liberation. Source: muse.jhu.edu ( The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933-1945, Volume I) Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

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3rd September 1947 Münchener Briefmarken 3rd September 1947 Münchener Briefmarken 1/1 Official envelope of the 'Münchener Briefmarken Tauschzentrale' (Munich Stamp Exchange Centre) - associated with Hans Kühleissen? Featuring various 1st and 2nd Control Commission Issue postage stamps and a label affixed to the reverse with the 'M.B.T.' logo. Ref: 03.09.1947 - 17/47 Münchener Briefmarken Tauschzentrale (Munich Stamp Exchange Centre) Further research required Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

9th September 1939 Barlog 8700 9th September 1939 Barlog 8700 1/1 Barlog cartoon postcard depicting with a barracks of new recruits being fed breakfast. Bestell-Nr.8700. Ref: 09.09.1939 - 21/12 The caption reads: Translation required VARIATION Bestell-Nr.8700. With identical image and caption text as postcard from 1939. However, the imprint details have the publishers logo with a clear background and Bestell-Nr. with italic numerals. Ref: 16.03.1942 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Mi.3-8 (June 43/Feb. 44) Mi.3-8 (June 43/Feb. 44) 1/1 Mi.3y (1st June 1943). Ref: 01.06.1943 Mi.4y (1st June 1943). Ref: 01.06.1943 Mi.5 (8th June 1943). Ref: 08.06.1943 Mi.6 (8th June 1943). Ref: 08.06.1943 Mi.7y (29th June 1943). Ref: 29.06.1943 Mi.8 (29th June 1943). Ref: 29.96.1943

19th March 1935 Karl Hennig 1/0 Karl Hennig - See 19.03.1935 - 24/63 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page