1939 (25 Sep) Third Reich, Germany, Postcard from Dachau Concentration Camp to Höllengrund (Saxony), Rare Postcard before Evacuation of the Camp, More Details in Description

This historical document is a prison postcard sent from the Dachau Concentration Camp, dated September 25, 1939, just 24 days after Germany invaded Poland, marking the very beginning of the Second World War.

Sender: Franz Weber, born on January 24, 1901. He was held in Block 4, Room (Stube) 3.
Recipient: His wife, Mrs. Marie Weber, living in Höllengrund near Sosa (Aue-Land district, Saxony).
Postmark: Stamped on September 25, 1939, just over three weeks after the outbreak of World War II.

Camp Regulations (Printed on the Left)
The left side outlines the strict rules enforced by the camp commandant regarding mail privileges for prisoners in protective custody (Schutzhaftgefangene):
Mail Limits: Prisoners can only send and receive two letters or postcards per month. Letters must be written in ink, limited to 15 lines on a single page, and can contain a maximum of five 12-Pfennig stamps. Postcards are limited to 10 lines.

September 1939 was a highly unusual period for Dachau. Between late September and early October 1939, the SS evacuated nearly all prisoners from the main camp. The camp was temporarily cleared so that the newly formed SS-Totenkopf-Division (SS Death's Head Division) could use the barracks and infrastructure for military training.
Due to this evacuation, thousands of Dachau inmates were transferred to other concentration camps, primarily Mauthausen, Buchenwald, and Flossenbürg. Dachau did not fully reopen as a concentration camp for prisoners until the spring of 1940. This makes mail from late September 1939 quite rare, as it captures the final days before the mass transfers.

The text on the back also makes it clear that the prisoner knows something is going to happen. "Please do not send me any mail until you hear from me again. Please do not send me any money in the meantime, either. Greetings and kisses, Franz"

Provenance: Ex Werbizky