[Below: Wow, what a neat cancel.]
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[Below: The black frame around this signifies it is a Hindenburg mourning postcard, which were used some time after his death (he died on August 2, 1934). This was canceled in Weimar, the old capital before it was moved back to Berlin, on November 13, 1934. The postmark is for the Saar Plebiscite, January 13, 1935.]
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[Below: This is from the German Reichsbahn notifying the person that their goods had arrived, June 26, 1944.]
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[Below: This has an interesting cancel that says 'Youth to the sea!', postmarked in Hamburg on March 21, 1944.]
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[Below: This cancel invites you to a livestock auction, dated March 27, 1941.]
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[Below: This postcard is a bit of a mystery. First, let's look at where it was sent from, the city of Kassel, Germany. 'Kassel was a major industrial hub producing Tiger and Panther tanks. The heaviest raid occurred in October 1943, creating a massive firestorm that burned for seven days, killed at least 10,000 people, and left 150,000 homeless. The city center was over 80% destroyed.' Despicable Allied butchery of civilians.
But the Germans would have their revenge. On September 27, 1944 the US 445th Bomb Group sent a force of 35 bombers to further bomb the people of Kassel, only four planes made it back to base. This was the largest loss by a single US bomb group on a single mission of the war.
Even though Kassel was bombed 40 times, as the American invaders approached the city, the Henschel Works finished work on thirteen Tiger II tanks. Maybe the U.S. Airforce was too busy bombing civilians with firebombs? The Allies had a policy of avoiding military or industrial targets when they had a chance to kill German civilians, often even flying around the military or industrial targets to get to the civilians. They would pay for this evil, as those Tiger tanks would send numerous American men and machines to hell.
The Battle of Kassel lasted for four brutal days, including hand-to-hand fighting. The German high command had designated Kassel a Festung (fortress), which carried the orders to "resist to the last round". Kassel surrendered on April 4, 1945.
Now here is the mystery. How was this postcard censored by the U.S. military on March 16th if Kassel didn't fall until April 4th? Hmm...]
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[Below: Reverse. This says:
'As the Reich Association of German Wholesalers informed me on February 26, 1945, you have finally succeeded in delivering a wagonload of matches to my address at Kassel Station for shipment. Since I unfortunately have no means of unloading and distributing the wagonload in Kassel, I would like to request that you redirect the wagonload to my address at Körle Station, Melsungen District, by means of a subsequent order. I also telegraphed you today as follows:
"Redirected wagonload of matches to my address at Körle Station, Melsungen District," which I hereby confirm.']
[Below: This is sent to a girl from the Reich Labor Service camp, postmarked on February 20, 1943.]
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[Below: This postcard was sent from the girl above in a Reichsarbeitsdienst (Reich Labor Service) camp, postmarked on February 23, 1943.]
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[Below: This is sent to a the same RAD girl above, but she now works for the KHD 'Kriegshilfsdienst' (War Auxiliary Service). It was postmarked on July 8, 1943.]
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[Below: This is a strange and very rare ink stamp (above left) that says 'Anyone who claims Germany is to blame for the war is lying. This lie is the root of our misery'. This is sent from a bank to an insurance company, it was postmarked on April 13, 1934.]
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[Below: This is a conscription deferment to the Reichsarbeitsdienst (Reich Labor Service), dated October 31, 1942. The reverse is blank.]
[Below: This was canceled in Erfurt on November 30, 1935.]
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[Below: Reverse. This is kinda odd. It says:
'Natural Science Association = Erfurt
Next meeting
Wednesday, December 4, 8 p.m. at the "Stockfisch" [a 'magnificent late-Renaissance building']
Teacher Korsch will speak on the topic
The origin of sex and the problem of arbitrary sex assignment'.
What exactly does this mean? ]
[Below: This cancel says 'Air Raid Protection Civic Duty - Reich Air Raid Protection League, Southern Bavaria Regional Group'. It was sent to an architect named Fritz Paeplow.]
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[Below: Here is a cancel honoring the world famous Steiff teddy bear. The cancel says 'The Cradle of the Teddy Bear'. It is dated November 6, 1938.]
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[Below: Here is a cancel and postage stamp honoring 400 years of Albertus University in Königsberg. It is dated July 7, 1944.]
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