Post WW2 1945 German Allied Occupation Postcard Refugee Family Hesterberg AM POST

Original immediate post-WWII German correspondence, consisting of a handwritten card dated 31 July 1945 together with its later postal side bearing Allied occupation-era AM POST stamps, postmarked Sulingen, 11 August 1945.

This is an especially interesting piece of German civilian postal and refugee history from only a few months after the end of WWII in Europe.

The handwritten letter begins:

“Hesterberg den 31.7.1945
Werte Familie Grohs!”

Translation:

“Hesterberg, 31 July 1945
Dear Grohs Family!”

The writer says that after a long time they have finally heard from one another and expresses relief that the family apparently survived the war:

“Lange konnten wir ja nun voneinander nichts hören, nun aber endlich ist uns das Schreiben wieder freigegeben. Wie geht es Ihnen? Hoffentlich haben Sie alles gut überstanden.”

Translation:

“For a long time we were unable to hear anything from one another, but now at last we are permitted to write again. How are you? Hopefully you have come through everything well.”

The writer continues by expressing thanks that the war has finally ended and asks whether the family has received any news concerning their son:

“Gott sei Dank, daß der Krieg endlich nun ein Ende hat. Ich möchte nun mal anfragen, ob Sie nun schon über Ihren Sohn irgend eine Nachricht haben.”

Translation:

“Thank God that the war has finally come to an end. I wanted to ask whether you have received any news about your son.”

She then asks whether he is perhaps already home and requests that the family write back with news. The continuation on the postal side states that they are 11 people at the moment and that she still has no other news concerning her husband, before closing with greetings.

The sender appears to be Frau Dora Goye, writing from Hesterberg über Sulingen, while the correspondence is addressed to the Grohs family in Klein Liedern.

The card bears a clear boxed “23 Hesterberg über Sulingen” marking. Period postwar records confirm the use of the address “Hesterberg über Sulingen, Kreis Nienburg” during this era.

Of particular philatelic interest are the two Allied occupation AM POST 1 Pfennig stamps, tied by a Sulingen 11.8.45 circular cancellation. AM POST issues were introduced for civilian postal service in the British and American occupation zones following Germany’s defeat.

This is a fascinating and very personal 1945 postwar correspondence item, touching directly on the immediate aftermath of the war: disrupted communications, families searching for missing sons and husbands, crowded households, and the relief that civilian correspondence was once again possible.

Condition shows expected age and handling wear, with the card mounted/bound along one edge with a period paper strip and punched holes as pictured. Writing remains largely clear and legible. Please review all photographs for exact condition.

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