1943 (10 Aug) Third Reich, Germany, Censored Folded Letter from Dachau Concentration Camp to Bohemia and Moravia, Censorship Postmark, More Details in Description

The documents consist of a complete, censured letter (envelope and contents) sent from the Dachau Concentration Camp to a family member in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.

Sender was Václav Otradovec (born February 5, 1912) with prisoner number: 47196 (assigned in Spring 1943)
He was located in Block 20/4, Concentration Lager Dachau 3 K
The recipient was his wife, Mrs. Helena Otradovská in Budweis (České Budějovice), Pisekstraße 11/1, Bohemia

The left side of the envelope lists the strict rules imposed by the camp commandant. Prisoners were limited to two letters or cards per month. Writing had to be in clear ink, restricted to 15 lines per page, and sent in unlined envelopes.
The letter bears the official stamp: "Postzensurstelle K. L. Dachau geprüft" (Mail Censorship Office Concentration Camp Dachau Approved). A direct intervention by the SS censor is visible on the back page: Václav asked for a lighter component and "acetone," which the censor struck out with red ink and wrote "verboten!" (forbidden) above it.

The letter is divided into two distinct tones—personal concern and forced propaganda.
Family Concerns (Genuine Voice): Václav responds to a previous letter from July 27. He expresses deep sadness and anxiety regarding his mother's failing health.  He expresses deep helplessness about not being able to be home to support her. 
The second half of the letter shifts dramatically into an absurdly positive depiction of camp life. Václav explicitly asks his wife to translate these lines for his worried mother. He claims they live in "clean, comfortable barracks with modern technology," enjoy "theaters, cinemas, a first-class jazz orchestra, sports, and sunbathing," and receive "excellent food with plenty of fat and meat." He writes that his weight increased to 72 kg (7 kg more than before) and calls the camp a "sanatorium rather than a concentration camp," dismissing all negative rumors as "myths of the past."

This highly idealized description was a mandatory requirement by the SS censorship guidelines. Prisoners were forced to write reassuring lies to mask the mass atrocities of the camp from the outside world and prevent domestic unrest.

Provenance: Ex Werbizky.