This section provides another point of entry into the troubled landscape of Holocaust memory. It samples the post-war stamps and first day covers issued by many nations to commemorate the victims, resisters, partisans, the liberators, the hidden and the ones who sheltered, the diplomatic heroes and others, as well as highlights some of the essential themes and signal events of the genocide of the European Jews and its aftermath. Interspersed among these is a selection of other, older, philatelic and numismatic items: stamps, labels, Notgeld, ghetto scrip, and coins, that were utilized both prior to and during the Third Reich and the Holocaust and tell another story.
--Michael D. Bulmash, K1966
Browse the Bulmash Family Holocaust Collection.
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Der Stürmer Envelope with Antisemitic Stamp
2012.1.471
Tan envelope addressed to Georg Sauer, Aschaffenburg. "Der Stürmer, Nürnberg."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash:
Der Stürmer cover with Jewish Star of David superimposed upon caricatured Jewish face commonly used on Julius Streicher’s tabloid products and drawings.
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Commemorative Adolf Hitler Stamps
2012.1.149
Small sheet of green stamps with illustration of Adolf Hitler. Titled, "Wer Ein Volk Retten Will Kann Nur Heroisch Denken."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Commemorative issue Adolf Hitler stamps.
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Forgery of English 20 Pound Note: Operation Bernhard
2014.1.321
White paper with a texturized background. "Bank of England" printed in elaborate font on the top, with a picture of a seated woman. Image is in an emblazoned circle with a crown at the top. Note is for 20 pounds and is dated 1937 June 7, London. There is a signature in the lower right corner for the Chief Cashier.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Forgery of English 20 pound note with signature of K.O. Peppiatt. The codename Operation Bernhard was based on a plan to destabilize the British economy by flooding the country with counterfeit notes. A counterfeiting team of 142 inmates of the KL Sachsenhausen under the leadership of SS Major Bernard Kruger, after whom the operation was named, was employed for this project.
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Envelope with Cancel for "The Eternal Jew" Antisemitic Exhibition, Munich, 1937
2012.1.482
Envelope with diagonal texture. Addressed in pen to dr. Georfant Miller. Includes two black "Der ewige Jude" hand stamps.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: The Munchen (Munich) Exhibition of "The Eternal Jew" opened November 9, 1937. This cancel applied to the third day of the exhibit.
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Postcard for “The Eternal Jew” Antisemitic Exhibition, Vienna, 1938
2012.1.479
White postcard with an illustration of a fat man in pinstripe pants leaning on a desk with a book. Behind him a woman in a blue dress and black apron types.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash:
To further antisemitic objectives, an exhibition named "Der Ewige Jude” (The Eternal Jew) was established in 1937, three years before the film of the same name. The exhibition depicted Jews in every imaginable negative and unfavorable way. It was to appear in five cities over the course of eighteen months. This postcard is from Vienna. It was later to receive a "favor cancel" in 1943, shown in red.
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Bill with Antisemitic Stamp
2012.1.474
Tan telegram with typewritten address to Firma Franz Schunko, Ammendorf. Includes a tan pasted sticker with red illustration of a Jew with a hooked nose looking through a Star of David. Back side includes a chart and typewritten message.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Bill from an electrochemical firm in Ammendorf with sticker depicting a grotesque caricature of a Jew upon which is superimposed a Star of David.
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Envelope with Die for “The Eternal Jew” Antisemitic Exhibition, Vienna, 1938
2012.1.485
Tan envelope with two pasted green stamps and two hand stamps, each for "Der Ewige Jude."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: The Vienna Exhibition of "The Eternal Jew" was open from August 2 - October 23, 1938. Apparently at least two different dies were used for canceling during this period.
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Exhibition of the Masonic Lodge Museum Postcard
2012.1.476
White postcard with black printed postcard lines. Includes a red and black illustration of a skull and book with caption, "Ausstellung im Logenmuseum."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: This postal card was issued to commemorate the two day September 17-18, 1938, anti-Masonic exhibition at Chemnitz. The special cancel, with Nazi dagger severing a masonic symbol, was also employed for the event. The anti-Masonic exhibitions were designed to visit all the major cities of Germany; however, only Chemnitz and Hannover appear to be recorded philatelically.
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Envelope with Antisemitic Stamp
2012.1.472
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash:
Julius Streicher Der Stürmer cover with his imprint of superimposed Star of David on caricatured "Jewish" face sent from Nuremberg to Georg Sauer in Aschaffenburg.
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Envelope with Cancel for “The Eternal Jew” Antisemitic Exhibition, Vienna, 1938
2012.1.483
Tan envelope with many stamps. Addressed with black ink. Includes two rectangular and two circular black stamps for "Der Ewige Jude."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Registered envelope with mixed franking used last day of "Der Ewige Jude" (The Eternal Jew) exhibit in Vienna.
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Postcard with Die for “The Eternal Jew” Antisemitic Exhibition, Vienna, 1938
2012.1.484
Tan postcard with green printed postcard lines. Includes one rectangular and one circular black stamp for "Der Ewige Jude."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: The Vienna Exhibition of "The Eternal Jew" was open from August 2 - October 23, 1938. Apparently at least two different dies were used for cancelling during this period. Note that the September 6 circular dial (seen on 2012.1.485) has ".WIEN." on the bottom whereas the October 23 (last day of the show) has an "a WIEN."
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Kassel Synagogue Postcard
2012.1.444a
Illustration of a Kassel street with a synagogue and group of people.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Image of German synagogues destroyed on Kristallnacht, "the night of broken glass," which occurred in Germany on November 9/10th, 1938.
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Karlsruhe Synagogue Postcard
2012.1.444b
Black and white illustration of a white buildling.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Image of German synagogues destroyed on Kristallnacht, "the night of broken glass," which occurred in Germany on November 9/10th, 1938.
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Lüneburg Synagogue Postcard
2012.1.444c
A black and white photograph of a synagogue with spires.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Image of German synagogues destroyed on Kristallnacht, "the night of broken glass," which occurred in Germany on November 9/10th, 1938.
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Berlin Synagogue Postcard
2012.1.445b
Sepia colored photograph of a synagogue with a large Star of David window.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Image of German synagogues destroyed on Kristallnacht, "the night of broken glass," which occurred in Germany on November 9/10th, 1938.
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Munich Putsch Commemorative Postcard
2012.1.449
White postcard with an illustration of three men: one in a Nazi uniform, one in a shirt and tie, and one in more traditional German garb. Titled, "Und ihr habt doch gesiegt!" Includes a message written in pencil.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Official 1938 Erinnerungspotkarte or commemorative postcard designed by artist Elk Eber, commemorating the fallen Nazi heroes of the November 9, 1923 Putsch in Munich. The image shows a Nazi brownshirt with a Nazi blood order medal, holding a Swastika flag, in front of the Feldherrnhalle in Munich. Below it says "Und ihr Habt Doch Gesiegt" ("And you were victorious afterall").
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Envelope with Cancel for “The Eternal Jew” Antisemitic Exhibition, Berlin-Reichstag, 1938-1939
2012.1.486
Tan postcard with green printed postcard lines. Includes two circular black hand stamps mentioning, "Der ewige Jude."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Following the Munich and Vienna Exhibitions, "The Eternal Jew" exhibition moved to the Reichstag Buildling in Berlin where it remained from November 12, 1938 through January 13, 1939. The postmark for the occasion reads: "Berlin-Reichstag Exhibition - The Eternal Jew." Three different type cancels were used. The differences are an "a", "b" or "c" which appeared over the date box.
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Provisional Label/Stamp Used During the Period Between British Mandate and Beginning of Jewish State
2021.1.85
Brown stamp depicting a farmer at work on a tractor. Hebrew text along bottom border. Hebrew postmark. Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Construction and Defense Series 1939: Tractor with quote “Thou Shalt Bring Redemption to the Land.”
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Provisional Label/Stamp Used During the Period Between British Mandate and Beginning of Jewish State
2021.1.86
Blue stamp depicting two surveyors at work in a field. Hebrew text along bottom border. Hebrew postmark. Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Construction and Defense Series 1939: Huleh Survey Stamp.
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Provisional Label/Stamp Used During the Period Between British Mandate and Beginning of Jewish State
2021.1.87
Four green stamps depicting an aerial shot of a settlement. Hebrew text along bottom border. Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Construction and Defense Series 1939: Tirat Zvi Stamp- Kibbutz with tower and stockade settlement active in defense against attacks.
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Postcard with Die for "The Eternal Jew" Antisemitic Exhibition, Bremen, 1939
2012.1.487
Black and white photograph of Hitler at the front of a parade of black cars in front of a circular buildling with swastika banners. Captioned, "Die Ostmark Befreit Grossdeutschland Verkündet." Image has an illustration of Nazi soldiers pulling back curtains on either side. Back includes black hand stamp mentioning "Der ewige Jude."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Bremen hosted "The Eternal Jew" exhibition following the Berlin Show - from February 12 - March 5, 1939.
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Anti-Masonry Cancel on Envelope
2012.1.475
Tan envelope on Stadtschaft der Provinz Hannover stationery.
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash: Hanover cancel of March 29, 1939 reads: "Visit the Masonic Lodge Museum." Chemnitz also had an anti-Masonic exhibition in September, 1938. The cancel contains 3 masonic emblems--the square, the compass, and the crown. Engraver only illustrated two of them, and if drawn correctly, the compass should have been above the square.
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Envelope with Cancel for "The Eternal Jew" Antisemitic Exhibition, Magdeburg, 1939
2012.1.488
Teal envelope addressed to Heinrich Weiß, Mühlhausen Th., Wagenstedter-Brücke. Includes three circular black hand stamps for "Der ewige Jude."
Information Provided by Michael D. Bulmash:
The antisemitic "The Eternal Jew" exhibit moved from Bremen to Magdeburg for its final presentation from May 13 - June 12, 1939. With war looming in the near future, the show was dismantled after this appearance.
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Envelope with Hungarian Arrow Cross Party Label
2014.1.276
Front: White envelope with purple writing.Back: Four purple postage stamps and one rectangular Green Arrow Cross party label, with four black rectangular and one circular hand stamp.
