1936 Adolf Hitler Reichstag Ballot – Oberbayern-Schwaben Marked Vote

Description

This original 1936 Adolf Hitler Reichstag ballot was printed for the electoral district of Oberbayern-Schwaben for the Reichstag election and referendum of 29 March 1936. Headed Reichstag für Freiheit und Frieden, it carries the single National Socialist list with the name Adolf Hitler in large Fraktur type, followed by Heß, Frick, Göring, Goebbels, Wagner and Wahl, and it has been marked with a pencil cross in the voting circle.

What does the ballot say?

Reichstag für Freiheit und Frieden
Wahlkreis Oberbayern-Schwaben
Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei
Adolf Hitler
Heß – Frick – Göring – Goebbels – Wagner – Wahl

“Reichstag für Freiheit und Frieden” means “Reichstag for Freedom and Peace”. To the right of the list is a single printed circle, here marked with a pencil cross.

The names beneath Hitler’s are those of Rudolf Heß, Wilhelm Frick, Hermann Göring and Joseph Goebbels, followed by two regional leaders: Adolf Wagner, Gauleiter of München-Oberbayern, and Karl Wahl, Gauleiter of Schwaben. Those last two names tie this Reichstag ballot to its Bavarian electoral district.

What was the 1936 Reichstag election?

The vote of 29 March 1936 followed Hitler’s remilitarisation of the Rhineland on 7 March 1936 and was combined with a referendum approving it. By then, opposition parties had been banned, and voters were offered only one list, made up of National Socialist candidates and a small number of approved non-party “guests”. Following the Nuremberg Laws of 1935, Jewish Germans no longer had the right to vote.

The regime announced a turnout of 99% and 98.8% of votes for the list. Historians treat the election as a staged plebiscite rather than a free vote: it took place under pervasive propaganda and pressure, with no opponent of Hitler allowed to stand.

Why is this Reichstag ballot significant?

The 1936 Adolf Hitler Reichstag ballot shows how the outward form of an election survived after political choice had disappeared. The design says it plainly: one party, one dominant name, one circle. Hitler’s name is set far larger than anything else on the paper, turning the ballot itself into a piece of political presentation.

The regional names and the marked circle make this example more specific than an unused or generic ballot. No claim is made about the identity of the voter or the polling station.

Why collect it?

Election material is one of the most direct primary sources for the transformation of German politics after 1933. This ballot suits collections of political ephemera, Bavarian history and documents of the period, and it pairs naturally with ballots from the votes of 1933, 1934 and 1938, such as our unmarked 1938 Anschluss referendum ballot (DOC216). For a wider overview of German documents of the period, see our collector’s guide to WW2 German documents, and for the ethics of collecting such material, Collecting WWII and Third Reich Material Responsibly.

A second pencil-marked ballot from the same district is listed as DOC215.

See also the 1938 Anschluss ballot with a bold “Ja” mark (DOC213).

A third pencil-marked example from the same district is listed as our 1936 Hitler election ballot (DOC201).

Collector’s Note

When identifying a 1936 Reichstag ballot, read the district line and the last names on the list first: the heading is the same everywhere, but the Wahlkreis and the regional names change. On this ballot, “Oberbayern-Schwaben”, Wagner and Wahl match exactly.

Condition

Original period condition:

• Natural age toning to a warm cream colour.
• Scattered minor spotting and handling marks.
• Minor edge and corner wear.
• Printed border and type strong and fully legible.
• Pencil cross clearly visible in the voting circle.

No loss affects the printed text. The coin and pencil in the photograph are presentation props and are not included. The photograph shows the actual ballot offered and forms part of this condition description.

Frequently asked questions

Which election is this ballot from?
The Reichstag election and referendum of 29 March 1936.

Which district?
Wahlkreis Oberbayern-Schwaben, covering Upper Bavaria and Swabia.

Is it marked?
Yes, with a pencil cross in the voting circle.

Is it signed by Hitler?
No. His name is printed as the head of the list.

Are the coin and pencil included?
No. They are photographic props only.

Historical Responsibility Notice

This ballot is offered exclusively as a historical artefact for collecting, preservation, education and research. Names and wording of the period are reproduced only because they form an inseparable part of the original document. Autographs & Militaria does not endorse or glorify National Socialism or the political system it represents.

References & Further Reading

• Richard J. Evans, The Third Reich in Power, 1933–1939 (London: Allen Lane, 2005) – the Rhineland remilitarisation and the March 1936 election.
• Dieter Nohlen and Philip Stöver (eds.), Elections in Europe: A Data Handbook (Baden-Baden: Nomos, 2010) – official results of the 1936 Reichstag election.
• Deutsches Historisches Museum, handbill calling for the Reichstag election of 29 March 1936 (via Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek).