7 Original Der Schulungsbrief NSDAP Magazines 1937–1941 – Political Education Monthly

Description

This lot of seven original Der Schulungsbrief magazines spans 1937 to 1941, from the consolidation of the regime to the middle of the Second World War. Der Schulungsbrief was the NSDAP’s monthly for political education, published in Berlin by the Reichsorganisationsleiter der NSDAP. Seen side by side, these issues show how the Party’s ideological training material shifted from history and doctrine towards rearmament, war and the occupied East.

Which Der Schulungsbrief Magazines Are Included?

1. IV. Jahrgang, 1. Folge – Berlin, January 1937. Light card cover with an engraving of a palace and terraced gardens, issued with the Hauptschulungsamt and the Schulungsamt der DAF. Priced 15 Rpf. Inside is the article “Was steht vor uns? Ein Wort für 1937” by Georg Stammler.
2. IV. Jahrgang, 7. Folge – Berlin, July 1937. Cover title “Anti-Liberalisten des 19. Jahrhunderts”.
3. IV. Jahrgang, 9. (verstärkte) Folge – Berlin, September 1937. Cover title “Außenpolitik im Zweiten Reich”.
4. VI. Jahrgang, 3. (verstärkte) Folge – 1939. Cover title “Wehr-Wille und Kraft”, with maps of Europe and tables comparing armed forces.
5. VI. Jahrgang, 5. Folge – 1939. Cover title “Recht aus Rasse – Ehre – Treue”, with an illustrated feature headed “Sowjet-Justiz”.
6. VIII. Jahrgang, 1./2. Folge – 1941. Cover photograph of a monumental building, titled “Deutsche Größe”.
7. VIII. Jahrgang, 7./8. Folge – 1941. Cover title “Aufbau und Werk der NSDAP im deutschen Osten (3. Heft)”, with illustrated pages including one on Upper Silesia (Oberschlesien).

For a single wartime issue from 1943, see our Der Schulungsbrief 1943, and for another pre-war example, Der Schulungsbrief 1937.

What Was Der Schulungsbrief?

According to Randall Bytwerk’s German Propaganda Archive at Calvin University, Der Schulungsbrief was the Nazi Party’s monthly for political education. It tried to present Party ideology in a form the general public could understand, and Party block wardens encouraged every household to subscribe. Its mixture of history essays, photographs, maps and statistics made it an effective tool for spreading the regime’s view of the world.

How Do These Issues Show the Regime Changing?

The three 1937 issues deal mainly with history and ideology: nineteenth-century anti-liberal thinkers and the foreign policy of the German Empire. The 1939 issues turn to military strength and to a racial concept of law, the latter set against a hostile picture of Soviet justice. The two 1941 issues come from the middle of the war and celebrate “German greatness” and the Party’s work in the annexed eastern territories. As a run, they show clearly how propaganda followed the regime’s priorities.

Collector’s Note

A group of seven issues across five years is far more useful for study than a single number. Several covers carry the same handwritten owner’s name in pencil or ink, which suggests the group was kept together by one reader. I have described the issues from their covers and the pages photographed. For wider context, see my guide to WW2 German documents.

Condition

• General toning and light spotting.
• Edge wear, small creases and handling marks.
• Handwritten owner’s name on several covers.
• Interior pages clear and legible where photographed.
• The issues have not been collated page by page.

Condition varies between issues. Please study all twenty-one photographs of these Der Schulungsbrief magazines, which form an essential part of this condition description. Sold together, exactly as shown.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many issues are included?

Seven: three from 1937, two from 1939 and two from 1941.

Who published Der Schulungsbrief?

Der Reichsorganisationsleiter der NSDAP, Berlin.

Are the issues sold separately?

No. The seven Der Schulungsbrief magazines are sold as one lot.

Historical Responsibility Notice

These Der Schulungsbrief magazines are offered as historical artefacts for collecting, preservation, education and research. They are propaganda publications containing National Socialist symbols and racist ideology, which are retained because they are an original part of the documents. Autographs & Militaria does not endorse or glorify National Socialist ideology. For our approach to this material, see collecting Third Reich material responsibly.

References & Further Reading

• Randall Bytwerk, German Propaganda Archive, Calvin University, Der Schulungsbrief (1942–1944).
• Autographs & Militaria, WW2 German documents.