World War II

The Second World War was a horror for many and cost countless lives. Nevertheless, stamp collectors are often very interested in this war and its origins. I too have a great interest in history, and from a philatelic perspective, this period has unfortunately become a gold mine for collectors, with many remarkable items. That is how I also came across this postcard. A card sent on May 19, 1939, just over three months prior to the German invasion of Poland. The card was from Friedrich Karl Völker, who owned an electrical wholesale business in the Kleiner Pulverteich in the center of Hamburg. The street name still exists, but only post-war buildings can be seen there now. Number 25 can no longer be found. A three-story building currently stands at number 23. Mr. Völker sent his card to a person to make an appointment on May 23, 1939. The addressee received the card on May 20, 1939, and marked it with his stamp as incoming mail. Mr. Völker hoped to be able to record an order from the addressee. What struck me was the text in the imprint of the machine stamp from the Hamburg post office. Did they already have a premonition back then that things might go wrong? The slogan translates roughly as: Undertake training for air defense! Alongside it, the infamous swastika. Mr. Völker's company on the Kleiner Pulverteich no longer exists, but the monument on the front of the card does. Pictured is the enormous statue of Reich Chancellor Otto von Bismarck in the Alten Elbpark on Seewartenstrasse in Hamburg. This statue was designed shortly after his death in 1898 by architects Johan Emil Schaudt and Hugo Lederer in the form of a colossal Roland figure. The design was in the Art Nouveau style. However, the intention was different: a glorification of the then-existing Empire, not of Bismarck. Nevertheless, construction proceeded despite numerous protests from the residents of Hamburg. Work on the statue's pedestal began in 1902. The statue was completed in 1906. The pedestal and the statue together weigh 625 tons. It is nearly 34 meters tall in total. The statue alone has a height of just under 19 meters. The sword is 8 meters long. Quite coincidentally, the text on the stamp relates to this statue. During the construction of the pedestal, an extensive system of corridors and chambers was laid out, which are now known as the catacombs. The reason for its construction has never become clear. However, during the years 1939 and 1940, these were converted into air raid shelters. During the war, several heavy bombs fell in the vicinity of the statue, displacing the pedestal. As a result, water was able to seep into the tunnel system. The catacombs are now no longer accessible for safety reasons. The statue can still be seen in the park. Colossal, to be sure!