BACKGROUND: Artwork, as a propaganda tool, was widely used during the Third Reich and Hitler’s own humble artistic background also helped foster a general interest in German art. Many art exhibitions were held through-out German during the time period with the largest being held annually, ever summer from 1937 to 1944, at the German House of Art in Munich. As early as 1938 the OKW, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), actively began recruiting artists who were assigned to a units Propaganda Company along with photographers and journalists. By the end of the war almost two hundred war artists had served in the Wehrmacht. An effective and inexpensive form of propaganda was the production of assorted postcards that were issued in an almost endless variety of styles and images. This example is a series of twelve artwork postcards of prestigious German military awards produced sometime after September 28^TH 1941. Of Note: The bestowal of all awards during the Third Reich was regulated by the Statutes of Titles, Orders and Decorations which was originally revised on January 30^TH 1934, with numerous additional revisions as new awards and decorations were introduced. The regulations prescribed the criteria for bestowal and the specific form of wearing the award. Regulations of July 1^ST 1937 dictated that the sole legal authority for bestowal of all decorations and awards lay with Adolf Hitler and the Reichs Chancellery. Even depictions of the decorations and awards, as featured on these postcards, had to have authorized approval.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Twelve, roughly, 5 3/4" x 4 1/8", mid-weight cardstock, officially sanctioned artwork postcards. Each postcard features a red printed background field with black and white outer borders with each card featuring a full color, different award with the white printed German title for each. The postcards are all number sequentially from one to twelve and feature, an Iron Cross 2^ND class 1939, with the corresponding 1914 bar, an Iron Cross 1^ST class 1939, with the corresponding 1914 bar, a Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, a Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak-Leaves, a Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak-Leaves and Swords, a Grand Cross of the Iron Cross, a German Cross in Gold, a War Merit Cross 2^ND class without Swords, a War Merit Cross 2^ND class with Swords, a War Merit Cross 1^ST class with Swords, a Knight’s Cross of the War Merit Cross with Swords and a Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords. The reverse of each postcard also has the appropriated printed title for the award featured and the lists the proper method of wear. The reverse of the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak-Leaves and Swords postcard also lists the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak-Leaves, Swords and Diamonds. The reverse of the German Cross in Gold postcard also lists the German Cross in Silver. The reverse of the War Merit Cross 2^ND class without Swords postcard also lists the Knight’s Cross of the War Merit Cross without Swords. The reverse of the Spanish Cross in Gold with Swords postcard also lists the Spanish Cross in Silver and Bronze. The reverse of the War Merit Cross 1^ST class with Swords postcard also has an Adolf Hitler postage stamp. The reverse of all twelve postcards also have the publishers name and location, "Verlag C. Pahl & Co. Hamburg", and the artist’s name and location, "Bruno Karberg Hamburg". All twelve postcards are in overall good condition with light age toning. Nice complete set of twelve prestigious award postcards.

GRADE ****                             PRICE $929.00