Four postcards with Deutsches Reich franking on card from Auschwitz-Birkenau, bearing 5 line "Rukanwort nur auf Postkarten in deutscher Sprach uber die Reichvereiningung der Juden in Detuschland..." 1944. Briefaktion or Operation Mail was a deliberate Nazi effort to spread disinformation regarding the welfare of selected prisoners, and thus quell the growing concern about their fate, and especially the rumors that they were being murdered. The victims of this charade were required to write postcards reporting that "resettlement" was going fine and that they were doing well and in good health. Nor were they incorporated officially into the Auschwitz camp system since they were not given standard prisoner numbers; rather, soon after the postcards were collected for mailing, the unsuspecting victims were murdered. What distinguishes these cards are the following: 1. The same return address of Arbeitslager Birkenau, bei Neu-Berun, Oberschlesien. 2. The mail was taken for processing to Berlin. 3. Cachets were stamped on the correspondence indicating that replies were permitted only through the Association of Jews in Berlin, Germany. 4. The postmark read Berlin-Charlottenburg 2.
--Michael D. Bulmash, K1966
Browse the Bulmash Family Holocaust Collection.
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Briefaktion (Operation Mail) Postcard, Auschwitz
2015.2.105
Front: Tan postcard with message written in pencil. Back: Black printed postcard lines with pencil writing and a pasted stamp of Hitler in profile in upper right corner. Includes a purple hand stamp in bottom left corner, and a black hand stamp in the middle.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: One of four cards (2015.2.105 -.108) with Deutsches Reich franking on card from Birkenau to Prague, bearing 5 line "Rukanwort nur auf Postkarten in deutscher Sprach uber die Reichvereiningung der Juden in Detuschland..." 1944. Briefaktion or Operation Mail was a deliberate Nazi effort to spread disinformation regarding the welfare of selected prisoners, and thus quell the growing concern about their fate, and especially the rumors that they were being murdered. The victims of this charade were required to write postcards reporting that “resettlement” was going fine and that they were doing well and in good health. Nor were they incorporated officially into the Auschwitz camp system since they were not given standard prisoner numbers; rather, soon after the postcards were collected for mailing, the unsuspecting victims were murdered. What distinguishes these cards are the following: 1. The same return address of Arbeitslager Birkenau, bei Neu-Berun, Oberschlesien. 2. The mail was taken for processing to Berlin. 3. Cachets were stamped on the correspondence indicating that replies were permitted only through the Association of Jews in Berlin, Germany. 4. The postmark read Berlin-Charlottenburg 2.
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Briefaktion (Operation Mail) Postcard, Auschwitz
2015.2.107
Front: Tan postcard with message written in pencil. Back: Black printed postcard lines with writing in pencil. Includes a pink hand stamp across left side, and severla black hand stamps on upper right, and a pasted purple stamp of Hitler in profile on upper right. Several lines of purple writing on bottom right.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: One of four cards (2015.2.105 -.108) with Deutsches Reich franking on card from Birkenau to Prague, bearing 5 line "Rukanwort nur auf Postkarten in deutscher Sprach uber die Reichvereiningung der Juden in Detuschland..." 1944. Briefaktion or Operation Mail was a deliberate Nazi effort to spread disinformation regarding the welfare of selected prisoners, and thus quell the growing concern about their fate, and especially the rumors that they were being murdered. The victims of this charade were required to write postcards reporting that “resettlement” was going fine and that they were doing well and in good health. Nor were they incorporated officially into the Auschwitz camp system since they were not given standard prisoner numbers; rather, soon after the postcards were collected for mailing, the unsuspecting victims were murdered. What distinguishes these cards are the following: 1. The same return address of Arbeitslager Birkenau, bei Neu-Berun, Oberschlesien. 2. The mail was taken for processing to Berlin. 3. Cachets were stamped on the correspondence indicating that replies were permitted only through the Association of Jews in Berlin, Germany. 4. The postmark read Berlin-Charlottenburg 2.
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Briefaktion (Operation Mail) Postcard, Auschwitz
2015.2.106
Front: Tan postcard with message written in purple pencil. Back: Black printed postcard lines with writing in purple pencil. Includes a purple hand stamp on bottom left, and several black hand stamps on top right, and a pasted purple stamp of Hitler in profile on the top right.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Briefaktion or Operation Mail was a deliberate Nazi effort to spread disinformation regarding the welfare of selected prisoners, and thus quell the growing concern about their fate, and especially the rumors that they were being murdered. The victims of this charade were required to write postcards reporting that “resettlement” was going fine and that they were doing well and in good health. Nor were they incorporated officially into the Auschwitz camp system since they were not given standard prisoner numbers; rather, soon after the postcards were collected for mailing, the unsuspecting victims were murdered. What distinguishes these cards are the following: 1. The same return address of Arbeitslager Birkenau, bei Neu-Berun, Oberschlesien. 2. The mail was taken for processing to Berlin. 3. Cachets were stamped on the correspondence indicating that replies were permitted only through the Association of Jews in Berlin, Germany. 4. The postmark read Berlin-Charlottenburg 2.
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Briefaktion (Operation Mail) Postcards, Auschwitz
2015.2.108
Front: Tan postcard with message written in purple pencil. Back: Black printed postcard lines with writing in purple pencil. Includes a purple hand stamp on bottom left, and several black hand stamps on top right, and a pasted purple stamp of Hitler in profile at the top right.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: One of four cards (2015.2.105 -.108) with Deutsches Reich franking on card from Birkenau to Prague, bearing 5 line "Rukanwort nur auf Postkarten in deutscher Sprach uber die Reichvereiningung der Juden in Detuschland..." 1944. Among the many deceptions used by the Nazis to deflect rumors and reports regarding liquidation of Jews, Operation Mail or Briekaktion was utlized in Auschwitz. The victims were required to write postcards home indicating that they were in good health and that "resettlement" was fine. They were typically not registered or not given prisoner numbers. What distinguishes these cards are the following: 1. The same return address of Arbeitslager Birkenau, bei Neu-Berun, Oberschlesien. 2. The mail was taken for processing to Berlin. 3. Cachets were stamped on the correspondence indicating that replies were permitted only through the Association of Jews in Berlin, Germany. 4. The postmark read Berlin-Charlottenburg 2.