WWII Nazi German Third Reich 1942 Luftwaffe Hospital Braunschweig Postcard – Luftwaffenlazarett

Original WWII German 1942 Luftwaffe Hospital Braunschweig Postcard – Luftwaffenlazarett – Kriegshilfswerk Cancel

Original WWII-era German postcard showing an impressive aerial view of the Luftwaffenlazarett Braunschweig, the German Luftwaffe military hospital complex at Braunschweig.

The reverse is especially interesting and is officially printed:

“Luftwaffenlazarett Braunschweig”
“Freigegeben durch RLM. 24 925/42”

The RLM abbreviation refers to the Reichsluftfahrtministerium (Reich Air Ministry), and the printed authorization number ending in /42 corresponds with the postcard’s 1942 wartime use.

The card is handwritten and dated 9 February 1942 (9.2.42). It was mailed to a woman in Braunschweig, with the address appearing to include Schroederstraße 7.

A particularly attractive postal-history feature is the large “KRIEGSHILFSWERK 1942” wartime postal marking printed/stamped across the center of the address side. The card is franked with a German postage stamp and retains its circular postal cancellation.

Historical Interest

Military hospitals such as the Luftwaffenlazarett Braunschweig formed an important part of the Luftwaffe’s wartime medical system. They treated wounded, injured and ill Luftwaffe personnel before patients were either returned to service, transferred to another medical facility, or released for further recovery.

The photograph provides an excellent period aerial view of the hospital grounds, showing the extensive multi-wing main building, auxiliary structures, landscaped grounds, roads and surrounding countryside.

The “Freigegeben durch RLM” marking is also noteworthy. Wartime photographs and postcards associated with Luftwaffe installations were subject to official controls, making the printed RLM authorization an interesting feature for collectors of Luftwaffe and German military postal history.

Handwritten Message

The handwritten German is in period cursive and portions are difficult to decipher with certainty. It appears to be a personal message concerning the sender’s stay/recovery and includes greetings to the recipient. Rather than provide an inaccurate word-for-word translation of unclear handwriting, the original writing is shown clearly in the photographs for examination.

Collector Highlights

• Original WWII German postcard
• Dated 9 February 1942
• Luftwaffenlazarett Braunschweig
• Luftwaffe military hospital subject
• Dramatic aerial photograph of the complete hospital complex
• Printed RLM / Reich Air Ministry authorization
• “Freigegeben durch RLM. 24 925/42”
• Large KRIEGSHILFSWERK 1942 postal marking
• Period German postage stamp
• Genuine wartime postal usage
• Handwritten period correspondence
• Excellent combination of Luftwaffe, medical and postal history

A very interesting original wartime piece that would display well in a collection of WWII German Luftwaffe material, military hospitals, German postal history, Feldpost-related material, wartime architecture, Braunschweig history or Third Reich ephemera.

Condition: Original period-used condition with normal age, handling and postal wear. Please examine all photographs carefully as they form an important part of the description. Item is sold exactly as shown.

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YB4 series