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The Postal History of the Lodz (Litzmannstadt) Ghetto 1940-1945.…
Auction House:
Auction Location:
Melbourne
Date:
15-Jun-2008
Lot No.
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Description:
The Postal History of the Lodz (Litzmannstadt) Ghetto 1940-1945. A remarkable collection of letters, envelopes, postal cards, documents, stamps and proofs and incorporating much original and unpublished research on what was probably the most unusual postal service of the Twentieth Century. The collector has brought great intellectual rigour, a passionate desire to understand and seek answers, and nearly three decades of scholarship to this project. We are honoured to be able to present the fruits of his labours completely intact and ready for future exhibition. During February to April 1940 the Jews of Lodz and the surrounding area were herded into a small slum area of the city. On the 30th April 1940 this area was sealed off from the rest of the city. No Jew was allowed to leave except for the small number who were sent to work as slave labourers on the construction of new autobahns and those who were sent from the ghetto to Auschwitz and other camps. It was only through the post that any communication with the outside world was possible for the Jews inside Lodz Ghetto. The collection is presented as an educational exhibit on annotated album pages in 4 volumes. It incorporates several unique items and many which are extremely rare. The collection has been awarded a gold medal and records, illustrates and explains the following areas: - The Beginnings of the Ghetto - Pre Postal Embargo Mail - Mail to and from other countries - Mail to and from the Ghetto, to and from the Autobahn Workers Camps (extremely rare). - Examples of Registered Mail (extremely rare). - Mails to and from the Lodz Ghetto from other Ghettos (extremely rare). - How Ghetto Censorship was applied and what we can learn from a forensic analysis of the source material herein - The Effect of the Mail Embargo - Telegrams to Rumkowski and Bibow as well as to the Ghetto Administration (extremely rare). - The operations of the Ghetto Parcel Post service - 'Signs of Life' cards and their changes - 'Receipt of Money Cards' and their changes - Postal Rules for sending money to the Ghetto - Gestapo and other Ghetto Courier Mail - Ss and Wehrmacht Post - Personal Mail from the German Administrator - Mail during this period in the non-Ghetto part of Lodz - The Preparations for the setting up of the Ghetto's own internal Postal System, showing how stamps were proposed, designed and produced, including unadopted designs, complete sheets, proofs (including 3 pieces from Bibow's Private Archive), etc. - The latest recorded example of mail out of the Ghetto and an example of the last German mails out of Litzmannstadt (15 Jan. 1945) prior to the liberation by the Russian Army on January 19th. - The last months of the Ghetto - The Last Mail out of Lodz An Important Chronicle of Great Historical Significance
Estimate:
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Price:
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Category:
Unclassified