Gallery

Wiedervereinigung Danzigs mit dem Deutschen Reich

Looking at Danzig from the standpoint of the Third Reich, the first German stamps to mention the city are Mi. #714 and 715. Issued on 18 September 1939, designer unknown, they were printed by photogravure on coated paper, watermarked swastikas. Valid until 31 Dec. 1940, the 6 Pfg. dark green depicted St. Mary’s Church (Marienkirche), while the 12 Pfg. brownish—red showed the familiar Crane Gate (Krantor). Shadings exist from light to dark coloring in both values, but other varieties are unknown. Perforations are 14. The 2 stamps are in the center top of Figure 1.

POSTMARKS: There is a special postmark for these stamps depicting a silhouette of Danzig: “Triumphant greetings to our Führer and liberator, Adolf Hitler.” used on 19.9.39. There is another one: “Our Führer has liberated us” used on 1.9.39, the date Hitler invaded Poland, so the postmark is rather presumptuous. Figure 1 contains the special 19 Sept. postmark, as does Figure 2. However, the 2nd cover also has the Neuteich postmark with the “Freie Stadt” slogan removed, since the Free City was now “liberated” by the Nazis. An interesting point is that the Danzig orange 5 Pfg. Mi. #290 was to become the German
Mi. #718 by virtue of the “Deutsches Reich Rpf” overprint on 1 October1939, just eleven days later.

Danzig Report  Nr. 3 - May - 1975, Page 2.