Post by sforgca on Feb 17, 2021 20:43:09 GMT -5
The POW camp in Woldenberg, presently named Dobiegniewo, was first established in September 1939 and operated until May 1940 as a POW camp for private rank soldiers and under-officers. During this time, some 14 thousands POWs were kept in the camp known as Stalag II C. Since May 1940 and January 1945, the camp was renamed to Oflag II C (Oflag - Offizier Lager- POW camp for officers only) and was a place of imprisonment for 6 thousand higher rank POWs, including generals and commanders, captured during the September war campaign.
Woldenberg (Dobiegniew Polish) was the first POW camp to establish an internal postal system. This huge camp housed over 6000 Polish officers and enlisted men in a 62 acre complex 50 miles North-West of PoznaŁ. On 18 March 1942, the prisoners requested that the German authorities allow them to issue stamps for the delivery of internal mail over the Easter weekend. All profits were to go to the Polish Widows and Orphans fund. The Germans agreed and Eugeniusz Piehell designed the first stamp.
The mail system was a huge success and all of the stamps were quickly sold. After Easter, the Camp Postal Committee was formed to continue the system and the Germans again agreed to the continuation of this local post.
These first stamps were printed under extremely primitive circumstances. A call for paper was made throughout the camp, thus we find these stamps printed on a myriad of various types of paper. They had no real printing ink, so the prisoners diluted artist's ink with linseed oil. Thus we have many various colours and shades of these earliest issues. Later, the Red Cross of Sweden assisted the camp with a small supply of paper and proper ink.
I am presently sorting these stamps and a main camp "Murnau" for a forgery article.
I will post the Woldenburg as I sort, ID & scan them.
They are a specialists dream or worse as they number in the hundreds with MANY variations
These stamps can be found in the Poland.Fischer.Specialized
A sample - Pochodnia The Torch of Culture & Education
This one appears to have been produced for an exhibition
Woldenberg (Dobiegniew Polish) was the first POW camp to establish an internal postal system. This huge camp housed over 6000 Polish officers and enlisted men in a 62 acre complex 50 miles North-West of PoznaŁ. On 18 March 1942, the prisoners requested that the German authorities allow them to issue stamps for the delivery of internal mail over the Easter weekend. All profits were to go to the Polish Widows and Orphans fund. The Germans agreed and Eugeniusz Piehell designed the first stamp.
The mail system was a huge success and all of the stamps were quickly sold. After Easter, the Camp Postal Committee was formed to continue the system and the Germans again agreed to the continuation of this local post.
These first stamps were printed under extremely primitive circumstances. A call for paper was made throughout the camp, thus we find these stamps printed on a myriad of various types of paper. They had no real printing ink, so the prisoners diluted artist's ink with linseed oil. Thus we have many various colours and shades of these earliest issues. Later, the Red Cross of Sweden assisted the camp with a small supply of paper and proper ink.
I am presently sorting these stamps and a main camp "Murnau" for a forgery article.
I will post the Woldenburg as I sort, ID & scan them.
They are a specialists dream or worse as they number in the hundreds with MANY variations
These stamps can be found in the Poland.Fischer.Specialized
A sample - Pochodnia The Torch of Culture & Education
This one appears to have been produced for an exhibition
