1938 WW2 Nazi German RLB Luftschutz Air Raid Defense Training Certificate – Altena Westfalen

Original 1938 German Luftschutz (air-raid protection / civil defense) training certificate issued in Altena, Westphalia, to Irma Schunk, of Thomeestraße 36.

The certificate records her successful participation in an:

“Ausbildungskursus im Luftschutz”
Training Course in Air-Raid Protection

The course ran from 12 May through 30 May 1938, more than a year before the beginning of WWII in Europe.

The upper-right corner bears a large purple organizational stamp reading:

Landesgruppe Westfalen
Orts-(Kreis-)Gruppe Altena
Gemeinde-Gruppe Altena

The stamp incorporates the distinctive RLB-style starburst emblem, making this a visually appealing example of prewar German civil-defense paperwork.

Translation

Certificate

Mrs. Irma Schunk, Thomeestraße 36, participated successfully from 12 May to 30 May 1938 in a:

Training Course in Air-Raid Protection

Altena (Westphalia), 30 May 1938

The document carries two original handwritten signatures at the bottom:

Ortsgruppenführer – Local Group Leader
Schulungsleiter – Training Leader

Historical Background

Germany greatly expanded civilian air-raid protection training during the 1930s in anticipation of the danger that modern aerial warfare posed to cities and civilian populations.

Courses of this type were intended to prepare civilians for wartime emergencies and could include subjects such as air-raid warnings, blackout procedures, fire protection, first aid, gas protection and emergency response.

This example is particularly interesting because it was issued to a female participant in May 1938, documenting civilian defense preparations already underway before WWII.

Condition

Original period document showing age and use. There are multiple original folds, creasing, edge wear, small edge tears and general handling wear. The purple organizational stamp remains strong, and both signatures are clearly visible. Please examine all photographs for exact condition.

A nice original piece for a collection focused on German Luftschutz, RLB-related material, civilian air defense, women on the German home front, Altena/Westphalia history, or pre-WWII documents.

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