1942 WW2 Nazi German Kwatta Chocolate Cocoa Factory Employee Certificate Swastika DAF Stamp Document

Original wartime German employment/reference certificate (Zeugnis) issued by the Deutsche Kwatta Kakao- u. Schokoladefabrik A.-G., Cologne (Köln am Rhein), dated 21 October 1942.

This is an especially interesting piece of WWII German industrial and home-front history, combining an attractive printed Kwatta chocolate company letterhead with a prominent period German Labour Front / DAF-style cogwheel and swastika approval stamp, company ink stamp, and original signature.

The certificate concerns longtime employee Heinrich Unkhoff, who had worked at the Kwatta factory since 1 January 1924. The document describes his progression from the accounting department into increasingly responsible management positions, including leadership of the company’s advertising, purchasing and costing departments.

Translation / Content Summary

The document states, in substance:

Certificate

Mr. Heinrich Unkhoff has been employed at our works since January 1, 1924. Initially employed in our accounting department, his exceptionally satisfactory performance allowed us to entrust him with duties requiring independent work and thought.

Over time, Mr. Unkhoff was first given management of our advertising department, later management of our purchasing department and our costing department. This management position included authority to act on behalf of the company.

During the many years of our cooperation, we have come to know Mr. Unkhoff as an extremely valuable employee who not only completely masters the work within his area of responsibility, but also possesses extensive commercial and general education enabling him to independently carry out important and responsible duties appropriate to a larger industrial enterprise.

Mr. Unkhoff is reliable in every respect and knows how to serve as an exemplary leader of a larger staff.

The final paragraph is particularly interesting historically. It explains that during the fourth year of the war, changes had become necessary in the confectionery industry and the Kwatta operation was being temporarily shut down for reasons of market/regulatory concentration. Because of this, Unkhoff was leaving on 21 October 1942 to take a management position at the company’s Berlin concern works.

The company states that it hoped to take him back into its management ranks after the end of the war.

Historical Details

The elaborate company heading reads:

Deutsche Kwatta Kakao- u. Schokoladefabrik A.-G.
Köln am Rhein

Factory and offices are listed at Köln-Ehrenfeld, Roßstraße 14–16.

At the bottom is a circular period stamp reading approximately “Für hervorragende Leistungen” (“For Outstanding Achievement/Performance”), surrounding a cogwheel and swastika emblem. The document also bears the Deutsche Kwatta Kakao- u. Schokoladefabrik Aktien-Gesellschaft company stamp and an original handwritten signature.

The printed footer names:

Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Dr. jur. Otto Kolping
Executive Board: Carl Meyer

This makes the document much more than a routine employment certificate—it provides an unusually detailed glimpse into how a German civilian food manufacturer was reorganizing its workforce and production during the wartime economy in 1942.

Condition

Original period document with expected age and storage wear, including several old horizontal and vertical folds, edge wear, minor toning/soiling and small edge imperfections. Printing, typed text, stamps and signature remain quite clear. Please examine all photographs carefully for exact condition.

Guaranteed original period item unless otherwise stated.

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