1941 (23 Sep) Third Reich, Germany, Censored Postcard of an Italian Laborer from Labor Camp Bochum-Riemke to Italy, Censorship Postmark, More Details in Description

This card with red cesorship postmark was sent in September 1944 by an Italian laborer—likely a civilian forced laborer or an Italian Military Internee (IMI)—stationed at a labor camp in Bochum-Riemke back home to his family near Venice. Following Italy's armistice with the Allies in September 1943, hundreds of thousands of Italian citizens were deported to Germany to sustain the wartime economy through forced labor.

Translation:
21-9-44 - My Dearest Parents,
I am reaching out to you with this short note after some time to let you know that I am doing well, as I hope is true for all of you in the family, and also Galilei.
Dear parents, I delayed writing to you because I did not have the opportunity. And even if you should remain without precise news, do not suspect anything bad—if you only knew what kind of times we are living through.
My dear parents, now I am doing well, since the first of September I am free and no longer a prisoner. I feel like a different person, and life will be a bit easier for me. I greet you with a thousand kisses, your son who always remembers you, Livione. Kisses.

Historical Context: Bochum-Riemke
The location Gemeinschaftslager Bochum-Riemke explains the crucial details hidden between the lines of the postcard:
The Change of Status ("since the first of September I am free"): In late summer 1944, Hitler and Mussolini signed an agreement converting Italian Military Internees (IMIs) into civilian workers. This is exactly why Livione writes that he is no longer a prisoner as of September 1st. While this lowered the guard presence, it was a forced transition to keep them working in the German war economy under severe restrictions.
The "Times We Are Living Through": By September 1944, Bochum and the wider Ruhr area were targets of devastating Allied bombing raids. Forced labor camps like Riemke had little to no air-raid shelter for the workers, meaning he was likely writing under extreme danger and psychological stress.

Provenance: Ex Werbizky.