6th June Legion Condor 6th June Legion Condor 1/1 Postcard commemorating the homecoming of the Legion Condor from Spain to Berlin. Published by Verlag Th. König, Berlin, Nr.559. Note: the flags depicted are the left and right sides of the same Honour Standard of the 'Legion Condor', the German military in Spain, 1936-1939. Ref: 06.06.1939 Also see 29/49 (BV2313) Legion Condor link to Spanish Civil War directory JB:Belin311/123 - 'Heimkehr der Legion Condor/ 6.6.1939'. Ref: 06.06.1939 The Condor Legion was a unit of military personnel from the air force and army of Nazi Germany’s Wehrmacht which served with the Nationalist faction during the Spanish Civil War. The legion developed methods of strategic bombing that were used widely during the Second World War. The bombing of Guernica was the Condor Legion's most infamous operation. Hugo Sperrle commanded the unit's aircraft formations, and Wilhelm Ritter von Thoma commanded the ground element. The KdF fleet, including the MV Wilhelm Gustloff and seven other ships, were given secret orders on 20th May 1939 and diverted from their regular pleasure-cruise schedule to arrive in Vigo, Spain. They arrived on 24th May to pick up the legion, and departed on 26th May for a five-day voyage to Hamburg, Germany. They arrived to crowds, parades and ceremonies celebrating their success, with Hermann Göring and other high-ranking officials in attendance. Shame about the activities of the Condor Legion and its involvement in the bombing of Guernica have re-surfaced in Germany since its 1990s reunification. In 1997, the 60th anniversary of Operation Rügen, German President Roman Herzog wrote an apology on behalf of the German people and state to survivors of the raid. Herzog said that he wanted to extend 'a hand of friendship and reconciliation' on behalf of all German citizens. The sentiment was echoed by members of the German Parliament who, in 1998, legislated the removal of all former Legion members' names from German military bases. The issue surfaced again in 2005 after media reports about the role of pilot Werner Mölders, who had volunteered to serve in Spain. Although he was not involved in the bombing of Guernica, it was decided by German Defence Minister Peter Struck that Mölders' name would be removed from the barracks at Visselhoevede and from association with Luftwaffe Fighter Wing 74 (Jagdgeschwader 74) based in Neuburg an der Donau. Until then, it had not been established that Mölders had flown as a Condor Legion volunteer before his death in 1941. On 26th April 2017, the 80th anniversary of the Guernica bombing, the Madrid City Council announced that it had dismantled the Condor Legion mausoleum at the Cementerio de la Almudena. The mausoleum's facade, removed at the request of the German embassy in Madrid, would be replaced with name plaques for the seven soldiers entombed there. Source: Wikipedia Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

10th December 1940 Stalag VI-A Screenshot 2021-11-27 at 09.29.50.png Screenshot 2021-11-27 at 09.29.50.png 1/1 Stalag VI-A Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

20th September 1942 JB: Bitterfeld 1/1 Collectors postcard featuring special cancellation JB:Bitterfeld4/155. Featuring postage stamp Mi.818, issued for the Stormtroopers (SA) military sport exercises. Ref: 20.09.1942 BITTERFELD cancellations as featured in the Bochmann catalogues (1952) JB:Bitterfeld4/155 - 'Wehrkampftag/ SA-Standarte 12 * Kreissportamt KdF. */ 20.Sept.1942'. Ref: 20.09.1942 Also see: JB:Wittenberg10/781 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

30th July 1938 1/1 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Cover sent from Berlin to New Jersey, USA and subsequently returned (zurück). Ref: 24.01.1933 24th January 1933 'Zurück' between Reichs 24.01.1933 Zuruck USA reverse.jpeg 24.01.1933 Zuruck USA reverse.jpeg 1/1 Cover sent from Berlin to New Jersey, USA and subsequently returned (zurück). Ref: 24.01.1933 The story of the cover? 24th January 1933 (3 - 4 p.m.) The envelope is posted to Georg Kemling (?) at 257 Union Avenue, Clifton, New Jersey, U.S.A., from the 'Versorgungsamt IV, Berlin' (Pension Office IV, situated on General-Pape-Straße, Berlin-Schöneberg). 3rd February 1933 (2 p.m.) The envelope arrives at the post office in Clifton, N.J. The addressee cannot be located and the alternative address of 57 Highland Avenue in Passiac is written on the cover. 4th February 1933 The envelope is hand stamped by the Passiac post office and sent out for delivery. Once again the recipient cannot be located and the Highland Avenue address is struck through. The envelope is returned to the Passiac post office awaiting to be claimed. Possibly on or about the 19th February 1933 (?) The Passiac post office hand-stamp the envelope with 'Returned to sender, unclaimed from Passiac N.J.' above a hand-script annotation stating, 'Removed - 19 [initials?]' 29th April 1933 About this date the envelope is hand-stamped with 'Zurück' . Written in green ink are the words '29/4 Zurück' (and another word in green ink that hasn't been translated). 2nd May 1933 The envelope is returned to the sender, Pension Office IV, in Berlin-Schönberg. Upon receipt the envelope is hand-stamp with a receipt acknowledgement. Interestingly this cover was sent from Germany during the last days of the Weimar Republic (which ended with the advent of the Enabling Act of 23rd March 1933) and was returned to sender at the beginning of the 3rd Reich. Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

News in Brief directory News in Brief directory Screenshot 2024-02-18 at 10.15.49.png Screenshot 2024-02-18 at 10.15.49.png 1/1 News in Brief directory 1933 January 1st January - 'Nationalsozialistische Monatshefte' 15th January - Official unemployment figures released 31st January - Jüdische Rundschau : Editorial February 9th February - 'Terror in Gersfeld' March 10th March - Riots and abuses in Munich 9th/10th March 23rd March - The Enabling Act of 1933 26th May - 'Battle Unions' 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 December 4th December - French military demobilisation 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

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 26.06.1918 Friedrich the Great reverse.jpeg 26.06.1918 Friedrich the Great reverse.jpeg 1/1 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

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AN INDEX FOR THE CARTOONS FROM PUNCH MAGAZINE Punch, or The London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and wood-engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 1850s, when it helped to coin the term 'cartoon' in its modern sense as a humorous illustration. From 1850, John Tenniel was the chief cartoon artist at the magazine for over 50 years. After the 1940s, when its circulation peaked, it went into a long decline, closing in 1992. It was revived in 1996, but closed again in 2002. Punch Cartoons INDEX 1/0 AN INDEX FOR THE CARTOONS FROM PUNCH MAGAZINE Punch, or The London Charivari was a British weekly magazine of humour and satire established in 1841 by Henry Mayhew and wood-engraver Ebenezer Landells. Historically, it was most influential in the 1840s and 1850s, when it helped to coin the term 'cartoon' in its modern sense as a humorous illustration. From 1850, John Tenniel was the chief cartoon artist at the magazine for over 50 years. After the 1940s, when its circulation peaked, it went into a long decline, closing in 1992. It was revived in 1996, but closed again in 2002. Links to the cartoons from Punch listed in date order with brief description (issues within the Brief History collection: 1936 (late), 1938 (early), 1939 (Oct-Dec), 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945 (all loose), 1946). 1936 25th May 1936 - Mussolini and Abyssinia 12th August 1936 - Spanish Civil War 11th November 1936 - Remembrance Day 1945 3rd January 1945 - Child of 1945 3rd January 1945 - Starvation in Warsaw 10th January 1945 - Himmler the puppet master 17th January 1945 - Sealing Germany's fate 31st January 1945 - Hindenburg's coffin 7th February 1945 - Troblesome map of Europe 14th February 1945 - Frederick the Great 28th February 1945 - The Dutch Famine 7th March 1945 - The end of tyranny 21st March 1945 - Wotan surrenders 11th April 1945 - Werewolves 18th April 1945 - The masks of Japan 2nd May 1945 - The last heil 9th May 1945 - Food into Holland 9th May 1945 - Fallen Thrones 13th June 1945 - Help Holland Fund 11th July 1945 - Victory Parade 25th July 1945 - Göring & Ribbentrop 22nd August 1945 - Mars defeated 29th August 1945 - Bulgaria and Spain 5th September 1945 - Japanese audacity 5th September 1945 - The Marshall Plan 19th September 1945 - Japanese war reparations 31st October 1945 - Post-war America 28th November1945 - Justice at the Nuremberg Trials Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Propaganda postcard depicting Hans von Tschammer und Osten with Adolf Hitler, promoting the Deutsches Turn- und Sportfest, Breslau, 24th-31st July 1938. Publisher: Photo-Hoffmann, Munich. Ref: 31.07.1938. 31st July 1938 Turn-u.Sportsfest Breslau 1938 1/1 Propaganda postcard depicting Hans von Tschammer und Osten with Adolf Hitler, promoting the Deutsches Turn- und Sportfest, Breslau, 24th-31st July 1938. Publisher: Photo-Hoffmann, Munich. Ref: 31.07.1938. Turn-u.Sportsfest Breslau, 24th - 31st July 1938 The Deutsches Turn- und Sportfest (German Gym and Sports Celebration) was the last big sports event organized by the Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen, the Sports governing body of the Third Reich. It took place in Breslau (now Wroclaw) the most important city of Silesia, now in Poland. The venue was staged in July 1938 at the city's Hermann Göring Stadium (later renamed 'Stadion Olimpijski') , following the trademark grandiose style of the Nazi Sports Body. This highly nationalistic sports event was officially commemorating the 125th anniversary of the historical German Wars of Liberation against Napoleon and the first award of the Iron Cross in the city of Breslau itself in 1813. It was staged as a grand patriotic, expansionist occasion, illustrating the clamour for a Greater Germany to the public. This event gathered German athletes brought from many different parts of the world, like Argentina, South West Africa, Italy, the US and South Africa. It also became a gathering of representatives of German ethnic minorities, mainly from Eastern Europe (Siebenbürgen, Banat) who staged processions dressed in their colourful folkloric costumes, a display of the Nazi Drang nach Osten policies. Not only sports competitions and athletes' parades took place, but also numerous military, civil, and folk processions in the mains streets of the city of Breslau. Commemorative bookmark for the 'Deutsches Turnfest', Breslau 1938. Ref: 7/37 The Deutsches Turn- und Sportfest was a highly political event, attended by many high-ranking Nazi officials. The event was presided over by Reichssportführer (NSRL leader) Hans von Tschammer und Osten and the patron of the festival, Reich minister of the interior Wilhelm Frick. Adolf Hitler and other high-ranking personalities of the Third Reich attended the inaugural venue of the games. During this occasion Hitler gave a speech from the balcony of Hotel Monopol in Breslau. The event and its celebration of Germanism, as well as the choice of Dr. Wilhelm Frick to lead it, was part of the creation of a war-preparation atmosphere by the Nazi state. Minister of the Interior Frick was the spearheader of Germany's rearmament in violation of the Versailles Treaty. His inaugural speech was full of war symbolism, setting the mood for the events that would culminate the following year with the invasion of nearby Poland, then just a few miles to the east of Breslau. Viciously attacked and fanatically defended, the city of Breslau would suffer much destruction towards the end of World War II. The Post Office of the Reich issued special stamps and postcards to mark the occasion of the 1939 Breslau Games. [Postage stamps issued to commemorate the event] Volk in Leibesübungen (A people into Physical Exercise), a lavishly illustrated commemorative book on the Sportfest was published in Berlin the same year on behalf of the Reichssportführer Hans von Tschammer und Osten. The pictures of this volume were made by Heinrich Hoffman, Hitler's personal photographer. Source: Wikipedia Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

12th June 1937 SS 'Ussukuma' 12th June 1937 SS 'Ussukuma' 12.06.1937 'Ussukuma' reverse.jpeg 12.06.1937 'Ussukuma' reverse.jpeg 1/1 Postcard depicting the 'Ussukuma', a passenger ship of the Woermann-Linie (Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie). Ref: 12.06.1937 SS Ussukuma Ussukuma was a German passenger ship from the Deutsche Ost-Afrika Linie , named after a location in the central highlands of German East Africa (now Tanzania). On 6th December 1939, only a few months into the Second World War, she was scuttled off the coast of Argentina. In January 2008 her wreck was identified by the Argentine Navy in 70 metres (230 ft) of water, 62 miles (100 km) off Necochea. On the outbreak of war on 1st September 1939 she was lying off Lorenço Marques and was taken over by the Abwehr for service in the South Atlantic. In late September she went to South America and on 11th October reached Bahía Blanca in Argentina, where she stayed until 4th December. Her captain Karl Schulte fell ill there and was replaced by Hugo Wilmsen from the Nienburg. On 4th December 1939 the Ussukuma left Bahía Blanca in the direction of Montevideo in Uruguay, possibly to help the pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee , also heading for Montevideo. On 5th December, towards evening, the Ussukuma met the British cruiser HMS Ajax . Ajax had been looking for the Admiral Graf Spee (later meeting her in the Battle of the River Plate on 13th December) and had been informed of the departure of the Ussukuma by the British naval attaché in Montevideo and by a Dutch ship which had met the Ussukuma shortly after the latter's departure. The Ajax threatened not to rescue the German crew if they left their ship but also ordered them not to sink it. Captain Wilmsen decided to scuttle her nevertheless and the Ajax fired three rounds at her, the first across the bows, the second whilst she was lowering her lifeboats and the third when the boats were dropped into the water, 62 miles from the coast. The Ussukuma sank during the night of 5th December or morning of 6th December. The 107 passengers and crew members were rescued by the Ajax and interned as enemy civilians. The cruiser HMS Cumberland took them first to the Falkland Islands, then in 1940 to Camp Baviaanspoort near Pretoria in South Africa, from which they were released at the end of the war. The vessel's remains appeared on charts as an unnamed wreck for years and in January 2008 became 'the first Nazi wreck to be identified in Argentine waters in decades.' Source: Wikipedia Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page

Spanish Civil War. Wrapper sent from San Sebastian (?) and addressed to the 'Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Germany, Dormstrasse 12, Frankfurt am Main'. Featuring a circular military censor from San Sebastian. Ref: 06.08.1938 6th August 1938 SCW - Wrapper 06.08.1938 Wrapper reverse.jpeg 06.08.1938 Wrapper reverse.jpeg 1/1 Spanish Civil War. Wrapper sent from San Sebastian (?) and addressed to the 'Official Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Germany, Dormstrasse 12, Frankfurt am Main'. Featuring a circular military censor from San Sebastian. Ref: 06.08.1938 Further research required Contact Brief History to inform us of additional information regarding this page