1936 Hitler Election Ballot – Reichstag für Freiheit und Frieden, Oberbayern-Schwaben, Pencil-Marked

Description

This 1936 Hitler election ballot was printed for the Reichstag election of 29 March 1936 in the electoral district of Oberbayern-Schwaben. Headed “Reichstag für Freiheit und Frieden”, it carries the single National Socialist list with Adolf Hitler’s name in large Fraktur type, and the voting circle on the right has been marked with a pencil cross. It is photographed on its own, without props, so the whole sheet and its condition can be seen clearly.

What Is Printed on This 1936 Hitler Election Ballot?

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

The heading means “Reichstag for Freedom and Peace”. Below Hitler come Rudolf Heß, Wilhelm Frick, Hermann Göring and Joseph Goebbels, and then two regional leaders: Adolf Wagner, Gauleiter of München-Oberbayern, and Karl Wahl, Gauleiter of Schwaben. Their names tie the ballot to its Bavarian district.

How Was the 1936 Election Held?

The vote followed the remilitarisation of the Rhineland on 7 March 1936. Opposition parties had been banned since 1933, so voters were offered only one list and one circle to mark. The regime announced a turnout of 99% and 98.8% approval. Historians regard the election as a staged plebiscite held under pervasive propaganda and pressure, not a free vote.

How Do You Identify a 1936 Reichstag Ballot?

All ballots for this election share the same heading, but the district line and the last names on the list change from one Wahlkreis to another. When comparing examples, check:

• the district line (here Wahlkreis Oberbayern-Schwaben);
• the regional names at the end of the list (here Wagner and Wahl);
• the single voting circle on the right, marked or unmarked;
• the paper and printing, which should show natural age toning rather than artificial staining.

For our other examples from the same district, see the 1936 Adolf Hitler Reichstag ballot (DOC217) and the 1936 Reichstag election ballot (DOC215). For the Austrian plebiscite of 1938, see our 1938 Anschluss ballot.

Collector’s Note

A 1936 Hitler election ballot is one of the simplest and most direct documents of how the outward form of an election survived after political choice had gone. The pencil cross shows that this sheet was marked, although no claim is made about the voter or the polling station, and examples were also circulated outside polling stations. For more on reading documents of this period, see my guide to WW2 German documents.

Condition

• Natural age toning to a cream colour.
• Light spotting and minor handling wear.
• Pencil cross inside the voting circle.
• Printing strong and fully legible.

Please study the photograph of this 1936 Hitler election ballot, which forms an essential part of this condition description. Sold exactly as shown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which election is this ballot from?

The Reichstag election of 29 March 1936, in the Oberbayern-Schwaben district.

Does the pencil cross prove it was cast?

No. Without documented provenance from a polling station, it is described as a period ballot with a pencil mark.

Is anything else included?

No. The item is the ballot paper alone.

Historical Responsibility Notice

This 1936 Hitler election ballot is offered as a historical artefact for collecting, preservation, education and research. The names and wording it carries are retained because they are an original part of the document. 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

• Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, catalogue record for a 1936 Reichstag election ballot.
• Autographs & Militaria, WW2 German documents.