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. One of the most prolific, and as a result, one of the best known German war artists was Feldwebel Wolfgang Willrich. Willrich a WWI veteran, had volunteer for military service prior to the outbreak of WWII but had been rejected on the basis of his age, (42), and was assigned to Landwehr I as a trained reserve. Through his personal friendship with Irwin Rommel, Willrich was able to secure a position in the OKH visual arts section of the Propaganda department. In this position Willrich painted and drew numerous personalities and regular soldiers in all branches of service through-out the war. Many pieces of his artwork were featured on assorted series of postcards developed by the "VDA, "Volksbund für das Deutschtum im Ausland", (National League for Germans Abroad), among others. The VDA was originally a pre-war organization formed to assist German nationals living in foreign countries and during the Third Reich era the VDA was taken over by the NSDAP and placed under the jurisdiction of the SS. In mid-1942 the OKH decided to have portraits of all the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross holders and Willrich was assigned the task. Of Note: Born in Aschersleben in December 1875 Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt joined the Imperial German army as an officer cadet in 1892 and served in France and Turkey during WWI rising to the rank of Leutnant. Serving in the Weimar era Reichsheer after WWI von Rundstedt gained rapid promotions achieving the rank of Generalleutnant on November 1ST 1927. Von Rundstedt remained in the army after Hitler’s ascension to power in January 1933 and after a short period of forced retirement he was reinstated and led Army Group South in the invasion of Poland in 1939 which resulted in him being awarded a Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross on September 30TH 1939. In 1940 he successfully led Army Group A in the invasion of the Low Countries and France which resulted in him being promoted to the rank of Generalfeldmarschall on July 1ST 1940. Leading Army Group South in the invasion of Russia in June 1941 von Rundstedt was dismissed by Hitler again for a short period in November 1941 for permitting a tactical retreat near Rostov against Hitler’s wishes. Reinstated in March 1942 von Rundstedt took command of Army Group West in France where he remained for the duration of the war except for a brief period in 1944 when he was forced into retirement again. Reinstated for a third time von Rundstedt was the commanding officer of the German forces during the allied D-Day invasion and was awarded the Oak-Leaves to his Knight’s Cross on July 1ST 1944. Commanding the German troops in the final German offensive of the war in the Ardennes in December 1944 Rundstedt was rewarded with the bestowal of the Swords to his Knight’s Cross on February 18TH 1945. Rundstedt survived the war and died in Hannover in February 1953.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Roughly, 5 3/4" x 4 1/8", light-weight cardstock, sepia toned, charcoal artwork postcard features a close up of Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross, Oak-Leaves and Swords holder, Generalfeldmarschall Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt wearing a service tunic. The visible uniform details include a shoulder board and a unique "Larisch" pattern collar tab, a breast eagle and a Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross with a printed facsimile of his signature. The background features Willrich’s distinctive "W" cypher flanked by the date, "1940". The reverse of the unused postcard has black printed Gothic script which includes the artists name, W. Willrich", the subjects name with rank prefix, "Generalfeldmarschall v. Rundstedt ", along with additional printed script that includes, "VDA, "Volksbund für das Deutschtum im Ausland", (National League for Germans Abroad). The postcard was produced by the VDA, as number four in the "E" series of fund raising postcards.