2nd June 1941 Franz Lehar Autograph photograph depicting Franz Lehár (1870 - 1948) and signed by Lehár to the foot. Sent to fellow music and literary artist Pierre Vandendries (1908 - 1993). Extracted from an album. Ref: 02.06.1941 (Fleurs & Papillons) Franz Lehár (1870 - 1948) Franz Lehár (1870 - 1948) was an Austro-Hungarian composer. He is mainly known for his operettas, of which the most successful and best known is The Merry Widow ( Die lustige Witwe ). Lehár's relationship with the Nazi regime was an uneasy one. He had always used Jewish librettists for his operas and had been part of the cultural milieu in Vienna which included a significant Jewish contingent. Further, although Lehár was Roman Catholic, his wife, Sophie (née Paschkis) had been Jewish before her conversion to Catholicism upon marriage, and this was sufficient to generate hostility towards them personally and towards his work. Hitler enjoyed Lehár's music, and hostility diminished across Germany after Joseph Goebbels' intervention on Lehár's part. In 1938 Mrs. Lehár was given the status of 'Ehrenarierin' (honorary Aryan by marriage). Nonetheless, attempts were made at least once to have her deported. The Nazi regime was aware of the uses of Lehár's music for propaganda purposes: concerts of his music were given in occupied Paris in 1941. Even so, Lehár's influence was limited. It is alleged that he tried personally to secure Hitler's guarantee of the safety of one of his librettists, Fritz Löhner-Beda, but he was not able to prevent the murder of Beda in Auschwitz-III. He also tried to prevent the arrest of Louis Treumann, the first Danilo in The Merry Widow , but the 70-year old Treumann and his wife Stefanie were sent to Theresienstadt concentration camp on 28th July 1942, where Stefanie died in September of that year and Louis died on 5th March 1943. On 12th January 1939 and 30th April 1940, Lehár personally received awards from Hitler in Berlin and Vienna, including the Goethe Medal. On Hitler's birthday in 1938, Lehár had given him as a special gift a red Morocco leather volume in commemoration of the 50th performance of The Merry Widow . Lehar died aged 78 in 1948 in Bad Ischl, near Salzburg, and was buried there. His younger brother Anton became the administrator of his estate, promoting the popularity of Franz Lehár's music. Source: Wikipedia Pierre Vandendries (1908 - 1993) Pierre Vandendries is a Belgian poet and literary critic, he is also the author of biographies of painters and artists. Vandendries collaborated on the Tribune magazine founded in 1934 by the poet Jean Groffier. Vandendries was one of the founders of the Society of Young Authors and founded the literary and cultural magazine Évasion . He also made a career with Belgian radio where he was editor-in-chief of the Radio-Conférence talk show and from 1930 to the end of the 1950s, the voice of Pierre Vandendries became familiar to many both on the radio and in the filmed news commentary. Vandendries devoted some time to composing songs. The pianist and publisher Robert Swing asked him to create songs, some of which are still broadcast today, notably La Chanson des violins . He abandoned singing in 1959 to become a member of the general secretariat of the Conference of Summits, a cultural and humanitarian organisation. Source: Wikipedia Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

21st February 1941 Front Stalag 162 Front Stalag 162 Toul Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

1st August 1941

22nd July 1941 Unterschondorf Feldpost cover with a few anomalies: Bochmann - JB:Unterschondorf1/737 is not listed (skips from 1937 to 1944); feldpost stempel states FPN 14783, though address to reverse states FPN 01133. Reply via Twitter (07.02.2023), '14783 belongs to HQ, 01183 to HQ Co, Schützenregiment 2, attached to 2.Panzerdivision. That fits. It's not unusual that the Bochmann does not list all years of usage of a cancellation.' Ref: 22.07.1941

29th December 1941 Leitmann Cover sent from Berlin to an address in Hannover. Redirected to Wiesbaden from where it has been returned. Notice to the reverse indicates that the post office had to open the letter in order to determine the senders address (hand-written in red ink to the front cover). The envelope contains the formal announcement of an engagement. Ref: 29.12.1941 The envelope contained an engagement announcement To the lower left on the reverse panel Bruno Leitmann has given details of his army unit '13/I.R. 208, Lissa (Warthgau)'. It appears most likely that Bruno Leitmann was captured at some point during his service on the Eastern Front. Research reveals a single piece of correspondence between Bruno and Gertrud during December 1946, this being prisoner of war mail from Berlin to Moscow. Further research required to discover what happen to Bruno post 1946. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Mi.781 - 798 (01.08.1941) Definitive: Adolf Hitler Mi.781-798 Commercial cover sent from the Capitol Cinema in Heidelberg to the Deutsche Filmvertriebes Gesellschaft (German Film Distribution Company). Featuring a propaganda vignette to the reverse stating 'Großdeutschland Deine Kolonien!' (Greater Germany Your Colonies!). With printing error (?) on the 6pf stamp Mi.785. Ref: 23.07.1942 Mi.781 (1 Pf). Ref: 17.10.1941 Mi.782 (3 Pf). Ref: 19.11.1941 Mi.783 (4 Pf). Ref: 26.03.1942 Mi.784 (5 Pf). Ref: 29.12.1941 Mi.785 (6 Pf). Ref: 06.09.41 6 Pf variations Plate error? Ref: 23.07.1942 Mi.786 (8 Pf). Ref: 05.01.1942 Mi.787 (10Pf).Ref: 05.09.1941) Mi.788 Engraved (12 Pf). Ref: 05.11.1941 Mi.827 Letterpress (12 Pf - Dec. 1942). Ref: 07.03.1943 Mi.789 (15 Pf). Ref: 18.09.1941 Mi.790 (16 Pf). Ref: 28.05.1942 - 9/58 Mi.791 (20 Pf). Ref: 18.09.1941 Mi.792 (24 Pf). Ref: 22.05.1943 Mi.793 (25 Pf). Ref: 13.06.1942 Mi.793 - see 35/6 Mi.794 (30 Pf). Ref: 17.10.1942 Mi.795 (40 Pf). Ref: 02.12.1942 Mi.A795 - see 07.12.1944 - 19/124 Mi.796 (50 Pf). Ref: 23.11.1943 Mi.797 (60 Pf). Ref: 07.09.1942 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

15th November 1941 Stalag 302 Kriegsgefangenenpost letter-sheet from Stalag 302 (Gross Born), with postal parcel instructions, sent to a correspondent in Cherbourg, France. Ref: 15.11.1941 Stalag 302 The history of the prisoner of war camps in Barkniewko is closely linked to the establishment of the German Groß Born training ground, which was built in 1935-1936. The name of the training ground referred to the village of Gross Born, which was located in the center of the training ground. The beginnings of using the poorly fertile, sandy areas for military purposes date back to 1912 and are closely related to the existing military training ground in the town of Hammerstein (Polish: Czarne) in the district of Schlochau (Polish: Człuchów). Initially, when the training ground plan was created in 1934, the area of the village of Barkenbrügge (Polish: Barkniewko) was not within the training ground, this happened in the second stage of the development of the training ground infrastructure, when the entire village of Barkenbrügge and part of the village of Marienwalde (Polish: Marianowo, Czersk) were included in the training ground area. After this change, the Gross Born training ground had 18,659 ha and included 6 villages, from which the inhabitants were gradually evicted and the entire area became a military area. The forested areas (8,546 ha) were administered by 7 forest districts and subordinated to the management of military forests based in Marienwalde. On the Gross Born training ground, the Germans built two barracks complexes: Gross Born lager Linde (currently Borne Sulinowo) for 15,000 soldiers and Gross Born lager Westfalenhof (currently Kłomino) for approx. 6,000 soldiers. Before the barracks were built, two large wooden barracks complexes were built in their immediate vicinity for the needs of German workers, in which a total of approx. 4,000 of them lived. Before the outbreak of war with Poland on 26th August 1939, a transit camp for Polish prisoners of war, Dulag E (Durchgangslager E – transit camp E), was established in the barracks, to which most Polish prisoners of war taken prisoner by soldiers of the German 4th Army from POW collective camps (German Sammellager), including from Wejherowo, Terespol Pomorski, Starogard Gdański, Boże Pole, Karolew near Bydgoszcz, Grupa near Grudziądz and others. According to data from the International Red Cross, on 18th September 1939, there were 8,298 Polish prisoners of war in Dulag E . On 3rd September 1939, the first Polish prisoners of war died on the Gross Born training ground and were buried in a temporary cemetery near the German Evangelical cemetery near the town of Linde (currently ul. Orła Białego in Borne Sulinowo). On 10th October, the Dulag E POW camp was transformed into a camp for privates and non-commissioned officers Stalag II E (Stammlager II E). In order to compensate for the shortage of workers, the Germans used Polish prisoners of war in field work in agriculture. On 30th October 1939, there were 7,300 prisoners in Stalag II E , including 2,229 civilians and 1,985 soldiers, and 1,882 civilians were used for work. The prisoners sent to work formed work teams (from 20 to 50 prisoners) outside the main camp and worked on estates and farms in the Pomeranian Province, including 90 work teams in Szczecinek County, 69 in Wałcz County, and 73 work teams in Drawsko County. The few preserved fragments of accounts by Polish prisoners of war collected in the documents of the Main Commission for the Investigation of Nazi Crimes in Poland, Koszalin branch, indicate that Polish prisoners of war were also deployed near Barkenbrügge. From the spring of 1940, the German authorities began a mass campaign to deprive Polish prisoners of war of their prisoner of war status, simultaneously transferring them to civilian worker status. On 11th May 1940, out of a total of 7,548 prisoners in Stalag II E , only 295 were in a prisoner of war camp, while the rest were employed outside the main camp. On 1st June 1940, Stalag II E was transformed into Oflag II D Gross Born Westfalenhof (wooden barracks near Kłomin, the so-called Camp on Psia Górka), to which French prisoners of war began to be brought from 11th June 1940, in the number of over 5.5 thousand, later the number of French prisoners of war in this camp was about 3 thousand officers and orderlies. The Germans, preparing a plan for the attack on the USSR, were preparing to accept a huge number of prisoners of war, planning POW camps for them also in the area of the II Military District Pomerania. The first information about the planned locations of new POW camps for Red Army soldiers on the Gross Born training ground appeared on 30th April 1941 during a meeting of the Wehrmacht High Command, on that day the numbers of the planned camps for Red Army prisoners of war, including those on the Gross Born training ground, were determined. Two camps were to be located here, the numbering of which was determined as 302 and 323 . On that day, the numbers of the planned camps for Red Army prisoners of war were determined, including those at the Gross Born training ground. On 15th April 1941 , Frontstalag 302 was created with its headquarters in Arnswalde (Choszczno). It was assigned to II Military District Inf. ERs. Batl. 4 Kolberg WK II. On 15th May 1941, it was subordinated to the Prisoners of War Command in II Military District. On 16th June 1941, the Supreme Command of the German Wehrmacht determined the maximum number of prisoners of war who were to be ultimately held in two camps on the Gross Born training ground: 302 – 50 thousand, 323 – 30 thousand. The letter-sheet sent from Stalag 302 (ref: 15.11.1941) contains a printed instruction page regarding the posting of packages to prisoners of war (written in French). This indicates that such parcels should be sent to Stalag III-D. It would appear that the French POWs were to be transferred to Stalag III-D in order to accommodate the prisoners arriving from actions during the Russian campaign started on 22nd June 1941. Stalag III-D contained over 17,000 French POWs at this time. Note that Mattiello (2003) records Stalag II-H (302) as only housing Polish and Russian POWs from November 1941. On 15th July 1941, Stalag 302 was subordinated to Landesschutzen Ers. Batl 2 Stettin WKII. After the outbreak of war with the Soviet Union on 22nd July 1941, the first information about a POW camp organised on the Gross Born training ground appeared on 23rd June 1941and concerned Russenlager Gross Born 323 Gross Born Rederitz. The next information about a camp on the Gross Born training ground comes from 14th August 1941 and concerns an organisational order for Stalag II G (323) Gross Born Rederitz. Information from August 1941 about Stalag II G (323) and the number of prisoners – 4,381 has been preserved. The Central Archives of the Ministry of Defence in Russia has preserved a German document from the end of 1941 concerning the number of POW identity marks issued in individual POW camps. Information on the camps from the Gross Born military training ground: - II G (323) Gross Born – Rederitz – from number 1 –11,694 - II H (302) Gross Born – Barkenbrűgge – from number 1 – 18,200. From 1st February 1942 Stalag 302 (II H) was moved from Barkenbrügge to the Gross Born Rederitz camp, and in place of the POW camp in Barkenbrügge a branch camp Stalag II H (302) was established. Stalag 323 (II G) was formally liquidated and crossed out from the register of existing POW camps. Most likely June 1942. Source: okonek.pila.lasy.gov.pl (2025) Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Mi.762 (12.01.1941) Mi.762 next stamp issue

22nd June 1941 Bochmann Hamburg Cover (most likely a CTO) sent from Hamburg to Sontheim. Featuring postage stamp Mi.779 (German Derby) and special cancellation JB:Hamburg114/358. Ref: 22.06.1941 HAMBURG cancellations as featured in the Bochmann catalogues (1952) JB:Hamburg36/351 - see 27/32 JB:Hamburg64/353 - 'Hansposta/ 1935'. Ref: 12.10.1935 JB:Hamburg68/354 see 09.01.1937 - 26/81 (not the best example) JB:Hamburg85(I)/355 see 12.06.1938 - 24/47 JB:Hamburg93/356 - 'Heimkehr der Legion Condor/ 31.05. 1939'. Ref: 31.05.1939 - 29/42 JB:Hamburg94/356 see 29/62 JB:Hamburg96/356 see 29/68 JB:Hamburg103/357 see 26.06.1940 - 23/97 JB:Hamburg108/357 see 12.01.1941 - 24/50 JB:Hamburg114/358 - 'Grosser Deutschlandpreis der Drejährigen'. 'd'. Ref: 22.06.1941 Notes on JB:Hamburg114/358 - The 'a' stamp occurs in two types: The base stroke of the 'a' ending vertically downwards; base stroke of the 'a' bent to the right at the bottom. The 'b' stamp occurs in two types: Large 'b' ; small 'b'. Only surcharged postage stamps were cancelled. See 30/53 - 'a' vertical. GENERIC CANCELLATIONS used in numerous cities including Hamburg JB:126A/814 - see 10.04.1942 - 19/11 JB:143/816 - 'Rollende Mark/ macht Handwerk stark!/ Deine Hand dem/ Handwerk: 15.-21.10.33. Ref: 21.10.1933 JB:168/819 - see 19.03.1935 - 24/63 JB:175A/819 - see 34/92 JB:175Bd/819 - see 34/93 JB:208/823 - see 26.06.1942 JB:336/835 - see 19.09.1939 - 29/87 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

3rd December 1941 Englischer Aufklarer Anti British Propaganda Feldpost postcard featuring an RAF Blenheim MkIV crashing into the sea. The caption reads,'English reconnaissance aircraft crashes and burns'. Artist: PK (Propaganda Kompanie) - Kriegsberichter (War correspondent) Adolph. The artist, Adolph is know illustrated other postcards and newspaper articles. Ref: 03.12.1941 - 22/45 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

14th July 1941 Bochmann Merzig Horst Wessel strasse Registered cover sent from Frankfurt to Merzig. The cover includes the address 'Horst-Wessel-Strasse'. The street has since been renamed 'Forest Road'. The Merzig special cancellation to the reverse was the only one used by the town during this period. Ref: 14.07.1941 MERZIG cancellation as featured in the Bochmann catalogues (1952) In use 1935 - 1944 JB:Merzig1/533 - 'Das Tor zum/ romantischen/ Saartal'. Ref: 14.07.1941 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

14th August 1941 Oldenburg Postcard depicting an aerial view of Oldenburg. Featuring stamp sequences from booklet sheet MHB 47 (Hindenburg 1939 booklet). Ref: 14.08.1941 - 36/21 Oldenburg Oldenburg is an independent city in the state of Lower Saxony, Germany. The city is officially named Oldenburg (Oldb) ( Oldenburg in Oldenburg ) to distinguish from Oldenburg in Holstein. After the German government announced the abdication of Emperor Wilhelm II (9th November 1918) following the exhaustion and defeat of the German Empire in World War I, monarchic rule ended in Oldenburg as well with the abdication of Grand Duke Frederick Augustus II of Oldenburg (Friedrich August II von Oldenburg) on 11th November 1918. The Grand Duchy now became the Free State of Oldenburg (German: Freistaat Oldenburg) , with the city remaining the capital. In the 1928 city elections, the Nazi Party received 9.8% of the vote, enough for a seat on the Oldenburg city council. In the September 1930 Oldenburg state elections, the Nazi Party's share of the vote rose to 27.3%, and on 29th May 1932, the Nazi Party received 48.4% in the state election, enough to put the Nazi party in charge of forming a state government and, significantly, making Oldenburg the first state in the country to put the Nazis in power based on electoral turnout. By that autumn, a campaign of Aryanization began, forcing the sale of formerly Jewish-owned properties at steep discounts. The history of the Jewish community of Oldenburg dates back to the 14th century. Towards and during the 19th century, the Jews in Oldenburg were always around 1% of the total population, and by that time had acquired their own synagogue, cemetery and school. Most of them were merchants and businessmen. On 1938 Kristallnacht, the town men were led to Sachsenhausen concentration camp, among them Leo Trepp, the community Rabbi who survived and later became an honorary citizen of Oldenburg and honoured by a street named after him. Since 1981 an annual commemoration walk (Erinnerungsgang) has been held by Oldenburg citizens in memory of the deportation of the Oldenburg Jews on November 10, 1938. Those who remained after 1938 emigrated to Canada, USA, United Kingdom, Holland or Mandatory Palestine. After World War II, a group of survivors returned to the city and maintained a small community until it was dissolved during the 1970s. Nevertheless, due to Jewish emigration from the former USSR to Germany in the 1990s, a community of about 340 people is now maintaining its own synagogue, cemetery and other facilities. The old Jewish cemetery, which is no longer active after the opening of a new one, was desecrated twice in 2011 and 2013. In 1945, after World War II, the State of Oldenburg became part of the British zone of occupation. The British military government of the Oldenburg region resided in the city. Several displaced-persons camps were set up in the city that had suffered only 1.4% destruction during the bombing campaigns of World War II. About 42,000 refugees migrated into Oldenburg, which raised the number of residents to over 100,000. In 1946 the Free State of Oldenburg was dissolved and the area became the 'Administrative District' of Oldenburg (Verwaltungsbezirk Oldenburg) within the newly formed federal German state of Lower Saxony (Niedersachsen) . Source: Wikipedia Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page