Illustrierter Beobachter Propaganda Newspaper

[BrodieBartfast]

This is a newspaper I'd not heard of until the day I stumbled across one for sale online. Immediately struck by the visuals of the thing, and as a steal at £25, I couldn't rightly let it pass by. You know how it is. Sometimes you see a piece, and it grabs you. You'll try to ignore it, but it keeps coming back until you scratch that itch and buy it.
Such is the case here. It was advertised as an original copy, and I believe it is. It has that musty smell that you only get from very old paper, and it feels extremely fragile. I wouldn't know the finer techniques for identifying a period newspaper, so that's an educated guess on my part.

Preliminary research reveals this to be a copy of 'Illustrierter Beobachter,' a propaganda magazine published by the NSDAP from 1926 to 1945. This one is dated 16th/17th March 1935. This issue appears to be entirely dedicated to an official function of some sort, with all the 'main players' of the party prominently featured. My overall grasp of German being poor, I would have to guess this was a state funeral of some kind, noting in particular the bearing and laying of a large wreath, and the somber looks on the participants' faces.
I particularly like the advertisements on one of the pages, a surreal juxtaposition to the bold Third Reich imagery.

I've attached the best quality photographs I can manage, to display as much of the fine detail as possible. It's amazing just how sharp these period photographs can be.

For your perusal.

B.B.

[humble collector]

I find the WW2 German propaganda magazines very interesting, and so many were published I. E. Der Adler, Signal, different Beobachters etc.... they are relatively inexpensive to obtain with the exception of SS mags, but any thing related to the SS is pricey.

I'm the same way Brodie if I like it I buy it. No regrets!

[BrodieBartfast]

I find the WW2 German propaganda magazines very interesting, and so many were published I. E. Der Adler, Signal, different Beobachters etc.... they are relatively inexpensive to obtain with the exception of SS mags, but any thing related to the SS is pricey.

I'm the same way Brodie if I like it I buy it. No regrets!

I really do like these, and may start to accumulate more of them. Have been on the lookout for a copy of Völkischer Beobachter, probably the most infamous of Third Reich papers, for a dog's age. The problem is finding original pieces, as facsimile copies are all over the place.

Who needs money when you have militaria!

B.B.

[Wagriff]

Back 50 years ago, I remember it was difficult to find a WWII era German paper that was Not the Völkischer Beobachter! The sellers couldn't give them away-and in fact, many guys Did. They would include an issue of the VB for free if you bought a different newspaper or magazine! And now, today? Good luck!

[Friedrich-Berthold]

I own several six month bound volumes of said item for the years 1934 until 1941. I will photograph them.

[HPL2008]

Preliminary research reveals this to be a copy of 'Illustrierter Beobachter,' a propaganda magazine published by the NSDAP from 1926 to 1945. This one is dated 16th/17th March 1935. This issue appears to be entirely dedicated to an official function of some sort, with all the 'main players' of the party prominently featured. My overall grasp of German being poor, I would have to guess this was a state funeral of some kind, noting in particular the bearing and laying of a large wreath, and the somber looks on the participants' faces.

No funeral. This is the special issue for the official celebrations of the Heldengedenktag [Heroes' Memorial Day] on 17 March 1935. They were especially significant and elaborate that year, as the enlargement of the armed forces and the re-introduction of conscription had just been proclaimed on 16 March 1935. The photographs are from the events at Berlin and Munich.

I particularly like the advertisements on one of the pages, a surreal juxtaposition to the bold Third Reich imagery.

Also note that, unlike the Third Reich, those companies are still around.

[BrodieBartfast]

No funeral. This is the special issue for the official celebrations of the Heldengedenktag [Heroes' Memorial Day] on 17 March 1935. They were especially significant and elaborate that year, as the enlargement of the armed forces and the re-introduction of conscription had just been proclaimed on 16 March 1935. The photographs are from the events at Berlin and Munich.




Also note that, unlike the Third Reich, those companies are still around.

Your encyclopaedic knowledge never ceases to surprise me!
The amount of companies founded during the Third Reich era that have survived up to today is astounding. Even more astounding, that most people alive today have no idea of their origin.

B.B.

[Wilhelm Saris]

The amount of companies founded during the Third Reich era that have survived up to today is astounding.
Even more astounding, that most people alive today have no idea of their origin.

Or deny they manufactured during the Third Reich.
I owned items with their abbreviations and still they
said, they did not produce during that period.

And what about a manufacturer, who actually did and
said: no we did not!. Whatever, I owned a catalogue
from that particulary concern!

[BrodieBartfast]

Or deny they manufactured during the Third Reich.
I owned items with their abbreviations and still they
said, they did not produce during that period.

And what about a manufacturer, who actually did and
said: no we did not. Whatever, I owned a catalogue
from this concern.

I regularly manage to surprise people by telling them that Fanta originated in Nazi Germany. It's understandable that a lot of companies would want to distance themselves from that past, as Germany as a whole does today. It's certainly not something to be proud of, but not something that should be swept under the rug either.

B.B.

[HPL2008]

Your encyclopaedic knowledge never ceases to surprise me!
The amount of companies founded during the Third Reich era that have survived up to today is astounding. Even more astounding, that most people alive today have no idea of their origin.

Thanks for the kind words.

I don't want to pedantic, but the companies in those ads were founded well before the Third Reich: WMF was established in 1853, the Salamander brand was first registered in 1899 and Mercedes-Benz in 1926 (following the fusion of the Daimler company - who had held the Mercedes brand - and the Benz company).