WWII German Luftwaffe Press Archive – Marseille, Rommel & Knight’s Cross Original

Description

Original WWII German Luftwaffe and Military Press Archive

This substantial original WWII German military press archive brings together a large and varied collection of period newspaper and magazine material relating primarily to the Luftwaffe, decorated German airmen, senior commanders and major personalities of the Second World War.

Rather than consisting of a single publication, the collection contains numerous loose pieces accumulated and preserved together, including large illustrated newspaper and magazine pages, portraits, wartime press clippings, military articles, aviation images, typed reference sheets and handwritten collector notes.

The quantity and variety of surviving material make this an especially interesting archive for collectors of WWII German paper ephemera, Luftwaffe history, Knight’s Cross recipients, military aviation and wartime illustrated press.

Luftwaffe Commanders

One of the most visually impressive pieces is a large illustrated sheet headed “Luftwaffen-Befehlshabern”, presenting portraits of senior Luftwaffe commanders.

The printed captions identify personalities including Generaloberst Stumpff, Generaloberst Keller and Generaloberst Löhr, together with further Luftwaffe generals and corps commanders.

Another section contains large portraits and articles devoted to German fighter and bomber personnel, senior officers and decorated airmen.

Several pieces retain their original printed captions, making the archive useful not only as militaria but also as period biographical and photographic reference material.

Marseille and the Diamonds

A particularly desirable clipping is headed:

“Die Brillanten für Oberleutnant Marseille”

The article concerns the award of the Diamonds to Marseille and includes his portrait together with contemporary printed text relating to the award and congratulations from senior leadership.

This is one of the strongest individual pieces in the collection because Marseille-related wartime material has a dedicated following among Luftwaffe and fighter-ace collectors.

The clipping survives as an original piece of wartime press rather than a modern decorative poster.

Galland, Mölders and Knight’s Cross Reference Material

The archive also contains typed sheets headed with references to holders of the Oak Leaves and Swords to the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross.

Visible names include Adolf Galland, Werner Mölders, Walter Oesau, Günther Lützow and Hans Philipp.

These sheets appear to have formed part of the research or cataloguing material associated with the collection. They are therefore described separately from the clearly period newspaper material and are not automatically represented as wartime-issued official documents.

This distinction is important because the archive appears to have been built and organised by a serious collector who combined original wartime material with supporting reference information.

Rommel and North Africa

The archive contains several pieces connected with Erwin Rommel and the North African campaign.

Among them is an illustrated page from Welt im Bild, dated Sunday, 11 October 1942, containing a large wartime photograph and accompanying captions involving Rommel.

Additional material relates to German operations in North Africa and includes newspaper photographs of personnel in tropical or campaign uniforms.

This broadens the archive beyond aviation and makes it relevant to collectors of Afrika Korps and North African campaign material.

Illustrierter Beobachter – 1942

Another substantial surviving page is from Illustrierter Beobachter, identified on the sheet as 1942, Folge 37.

The page is headed “Der Reichsmarschall in den besetzten Ostgebieten” and contains two large wartime press photographs.

Contemporary issues of Illustrierter Beobachter are collectible individually today, with comparable 1940–1942 issues currently offered by antiquarian dealers in the approximate €16–26 range depending on issue and condition.

The presence of original illustrated sheets within a much larger thematic archive adds considerably more interest than an isolated magazine page.

Aviation and Technical Material

The archive also includes aviation-related technical and photographic material.

One large illustrated sheet shows the instrument panels of the Dornier Do 26 and Do 18, captioned in German as:

“Armaturenbrett der Do 26 (oben) und der Do 18 (unten)”

Other surviving pieces show aircraft, Luftwaffe personnel, aerial warfare, military installations and campaign photography.

Wider Wehrmacht and Kriegsmarine Content

Although the Luftwaffe forms the principal theme, the archive is not exclusively aviation-related.

Visible material also includes Kriegsmarine Knight’s Cross reference lists, army-related press material, a “Der Panzer” illustrated cover, Eastern Front imagery, Stalingrad-related material and other military subjects.

This makes the group considerably broader than a conventional Luftwaffe-only scrapbook.

Period Press Material and Collector Documentation

The collection should be understood as a combination of:

original wartime newspapers and magazine pages;

original period press clippings;

printed wartime portraits and illustrations;

large military and aviation sheets;

collector reference material;

typed biographical or award lists;

handwritten notes and research;

and associated military imagery.

Not every image is claimed to be an original photographic print produced from a negative. Many are clearly photographs reproduced in contemporary newspapers or illustrated magazines.

That distinction is reflected deliberately in this description.

Condition

The collection remains in used historical condition.

Visible characteristics include age toning, folds, creases, marginal tears, small paper losses, worn edges, occasional old mounting or punch holes, fragile newsprint and general handling wear.

Some pieces have stronger wear than others.

The large sheets retain their original folding lines, while a number of smaller clippings show irregular edges resulting from their original removal from newspapers or magazines.

These characteristics are entirely consistent with material that was collected and handled over many decades.

All photographs should be carefully examined because they form an important part of the condition description.

Collector Interest

The main value of this archive lies in its quantity, thematic coherence and range of identifiable wartime personalities and subjects.

Separating the strongest Marseille, Rommel, Luftwaffe commander and Knight’s Cross pieces could potentially produce individual sales, but preserving the archive together gives it a much stronger provenance as an established research and collecting group.

For a specialist in Luftwaffe history, German aviation, wartime press or military paper material, it represents an opportunity to acquire numerous related period pieces in one collection.

Authenticity

The wartime press and paper material represented as original is guaranteed as genuine period material.

Later collector/reference documentation, where present, is described as such and is included as part of the history and organisation of the archive.

Shipping

The complete archive will be carefully packed flat with rigid protection.

Particular care will be taken with the larger and more fragile wartime newspaper sheets.

Tracked shipping is available.

Historical Collecting Notice

This collection is offered exclusively for historical study and collecting purposes.

Any symbols, organisations or political personalities appearing in the original material are preserved as part of the historical record. Their presence does not represent support for National Socialism, racism, totalitarian ideology or the political views expressed in wartime propaganda.

What is this German WWII military archive?

It is a large privately assembled collection of wartime German newspaper and magazine material, military illustrations, aviation pages, portraits, press clippings and associated collector research, with a particularly strong Luftwaffe focus.

Is the material original WWII material?

A substantial portion is clearly original wartime printed material, including dated newspaper and illustrated magazine pages. The archive also contains typed and handwritten collector reference material, which is deliberately distinguished from period-issued documents.

Does the collection include Luftwaffe fighter aces?

Yes. The visible material contains printed or typed references to personalities including Marseille, Galland, Mölders, Oesau, Lützow and Philipp.

Is there material relating to Marseille?

Yes. One of the strongest surviving pieces is an original German press clipping headed Die Brillanten für Oberleutnant Marseille, dealing with the award of the Diamonds and accompanied by his printed portrait.

Is there Rommel material?

Yes. The archive includes a dated Welt im Bild page from 11 October 1942 containing material concerning Rommel, along with additional North African campaign-related material.

Does it include original photographs?

The collection contains photographic imagery, but many pieces are photographs reproduced in period newspapers and magazines. Individual pieces are therefore not automatically claimed to be original photographic prints unless their photographic manufacture can be independently confirmed.

Does it include Illustrierter Beobachter?

Yes. A visible large sheet is identified as Illustrierter Beobachter, 1942, Folge 37. Individual issues from this publication currently appear on the antiquarian market in roughly the €16–26 range depending on date and condition.

Should the archive be separated?

From a collecting perspective, I would keep it together. The combination of original wartime press material and the associated collector research provides more context than individual isolated clippings.