GERMAN POSTAL HISTORY

This page was last updated
05-Sep-2026 03:48

FELDPOST - FIELD POST
"SOLDATENBLÄTTER FÜR FEIER UND FREIZEIT"
"SOLDIER'S SHEETS FOR CELEBRATIONS AND LEISURE"

In April 1940 a series of booklets titled "Soldatenblätter für feier und Freizeit" - "Soldier's sheets for celebrations and leisure" was published by the OKW (OberKommando der Wehrmacht), or Armed Forces High Command. The booklets were printed every month from Apr 1940 until Nov/Dec 1944.

1940: 9 Issues, one per month, from April to Dec
1941: 11 issues, one per month, from Jan to Nov/Dec (the last issue of the year was a double issue)
1942: 12 Issues, one per month now catalogued as heft 1, heft 2, heft 3, ... heft 12.
1943: 12 issues, one per month catalogued as heft 1, heft 2, heft 3, ... heft 12.
1944: Unknown.

The cards can be sorted by the number of lines of publisher's text running along the vertical dividing line.

Type I: One line of text
Type II: Two lines of text
Type III: No text along the vertical divider.

1943 Postcards

The 1943 issue was the fourth series of magazines, and it consisted of 12 magazines with a total of 12 postcards up to and including the July issue. After Jul 1943 and including 1944 the booklets did not contain any postcards.

January

The first issue of the 1943 series of the magazine featured four postcards

1. ARTIST: Max Zschoch
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: "Nachschub" - German soldiers leading a donkey laden with supplies
"Supplies"




2. ARTIST: Max Zschoch
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: "vorausabteilung" - Climbing a ladder to visit a lover.
"Advance detachment""




3. ARTIST: Heinz Kießling
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: "Delivering supplies by horse-drawn sleigh"




4. ARTIST: Hugo Frank
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: Soldier with kindling ready for the stove"

February

The second issue of the 1943 series of the magazine featured four postcards. This issue was a little different from previous issues in that two of the four cards are identical. Images 2 and 4 below were identical.

1. ARTIST: Max Zschoch
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: "Schönheitspflege"
"Beauty care"

2. ARTIST: Heinz Kießling
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: "Soldier on guard"

3. ARTIST: Max Zschoch
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: "Sontagsklöße"
"Sunday dumplings"

4. ARTIST: Heinz Kießling
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: "Soldier on guard"

March

The third issue of the 1943 series of the magazine featured four postcards

1. ARTIST: Max Zschoch
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: Image bar "P.K. Männer"
"PK men"

2. ARTIST: Hugo Frank
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: Snowman melting in the sun

3. ARTIST: Max Zschoch
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: "Gulaschkanonen"
"Goulash cannons"

4. ARTIST: Heinz Kießling
Type: II
DESCRIPTION: Soldiers advancing through a field led by a horseman.

April

Unknown status

May

The fifth issue of the 1943 series of the magazine did not contain any postcards. This issue contained a Folded letter with drawing top left: "Soldier as harvest helper". [Requires more information]

Jun

The sixth issue of the 1943 series of the magazine did not contain any postcards. This issue contained an image of a Soldier on guard [Requires more information]

July

The Jul issue of the 1943 series of the magazine did not contain any postcards. This Issue did however have a Feldpost folded letter (thin paper), size 20 x 14 cm with text "Entommen aus "Soldatenblätter für Feier und Freizeit", herausgegeben vom OKW" AWA Abt. Inland"

August

The eighth issue of the 1943 series of the magazine did not contain any postcards. This issue contained a folded letter with the text "Am ende aber steht unser Sieg" - 'But in the end there is our victory', quite ironic since the German army was in full retreat on the eastern front and the Allies had just defeated the Germans and Italians in North Africa.