WWII German Arbeitsbuch – Original Deutsches Reich Employment Record

Description

WWII German Arbeitsbuch – Original Employment Record

This WWII German Arbeitsbuch is an original German employment record issued under the labour registration system introduced in 1935. It retains its original dark cover with the Deutsches Reich title and period state eagle, together with handwritten personal and employment information inside.

Unlike an unused or lightly completed example, this Arbeitsbuch contains a number of handwritten entries showing that it was an actual working administrative document rather than simply an unissued piece of stationery.

The handwritten signature appears to read Berta Stähle, although the full handwritten identification should be assessed directly from the photographs because some of the old script is difficult to read with complete certainty.

Original 1935 German Arbeitsbuch

The title page identifies the booklet simply as an Arbeitsbuch and specifically cites:

“Gesetz vom 26. Februar 1935, RGBl. I S. 311”

The Arbeitsbuch system was introduced in Germany in 1935 as an official means of recording an individual’s employment history. The booklet travelled with the worker and was completed with information relating to employment and employers. Period examples therefore provide an unusual documentary record of everyday working life rather than purely military service.

For collectors, this distinction is important. A WWII German Arbeitsbuch documents the civilian and economic side of the period and complements better-known military documents such as the Wehrpass and Soldbuch.

Handwritten employment history

The photographed interior pages retain handwritten entries in blue ink together with the holder’s original signature.

The employment section includes columns for:

• place of employment;
• end date of employment;
• employer’s signature;
• administrative employment information.

Several entries remain visible.

One particularly interesting feature is the apparent continuation of the employment record after the end of the Second World War. Dates visible in the photographed pages include entries from around 1950 and a later date appearing to correspond to 1960.

From a collector’s point of view, this is an attractive characteristic. The book was created within the administrative system of the Third Reich, yet appears to have remained a practical personal employment record into the postwar period.

That provides a tangible documentary connection between two very different stages of twentieth-century German history.

Historical context

Arbeitsbücher are sometimes incorrectly described as military identification documents. They were not Wehrpässe or Soldbücher.

Their purpose was employment administration.

The system recorded the individual’s work history and provided the authorities with an organized means of documenting employment. Original surviving examples vary greatly: some contain very few entries, while others preserve years of handwritten employment history.

This example belongs to the second category.

The historical appeal lies less in a famous individual or military unit and more in the continuity of ordinary civilian working life recorded directly in an original period document.

Collector’s interest

This WWII German Arbeitsbuch may be of particular interest to collectors of:

• German civilian documents
• Third Reich paperwork
• WWII-era administrative documents
• labour and social history
• German identification documents
• personal historical records
• original handwritten period documents

It also works well alongside a Wehrpass, Soldbuch, Kennkarte or other German personal document because it illustrates a completely different aspect of everyday administration.

The interior pages contain period printed insignia and administrative designs together with original handwriting. These elements make the document much more informative than the cover alone.

Condition

The Arbeitsbuch shows honest period and later use.

The cover displays rubbing, edge wear, discoloration and age-related handling. The internal pages retain handwritten entries, minor spotting, marks and general signs of use.

The document has not been cosmetically restored.

The condition should be judged carefully from the photographs, which form an important part of the description.

Authenticity

Original period German Arbeitsbuch. Authenticity guaranteed by Autographs & Militaria.

The booklet, printing, paper, handwritten entries and natural wear are consistent with an original working employment document.

No claim is made regarding handwritten names or locations that cannot be read with complete certainty from the available photographs.

Historical responsibility

This WWII German Arbeitsbuch is offered strictly as a historical, documentary and collecting object.

Any period political symbols appearing on the document are preserved solely because they form part of the original historical artefact. Autographs & Militaria has no political or ideological affiliation with the regime represented by those symbols.