1944 (7 Sep) Third Reich, Germany, Censored Complete Letter of Polish Elite from Ravensbrück Women Concentration Camp to Danzig, Censorship Postmark, More Details in Description

An official wartime envelope with complete Letter from the Ravensbrück Women's Concentration Camp (Frauen-Konzentrationslager Ravensbrück), located in Fürstenberg, Germany to Danzig from 7 Nov 1944

The left side of the envelope contains an official excerpt of the camp rules (Lagerordnung). It outlines strict censorship guidelines: prisoners were allowed only one letter or card per month, limited to two pages (15 lines each), written clearly in ink. No photographs were allowed.
The envelope features an official stamp from the camp's censorship office (Postzensurstelle F. K. Ravensbrück) and a red circular inspection stamp reading "Zensiert L" (Censored L).

The sender is Bogumiła von Wika-Czarnowska
The sender's handwritten name in German cursive reads v. Wika-Czarnowski (Bogumiła von Wika-Czarnowska).
She was assigned Prisoner Number 3062 and housed in Block 3. Her very low prisoner number confirms she arrived with one of the earliest transports of Polish women to Ravensbrück on April 10, 1940. She was a prominent member of the Polish elite in Danzig (Gdańsk) and served as the deputy head of the "Association of Polish Women" (Towarzystwo Polek) in Danzig-Langfuhr.

She was categorized as a „Schutzhaftgefangene“ (protective custody prisoner), the Nazi regime's term for political or arbitrary detainees held without trial.

The letter has also Camp Rules & Regulations (Printed on Left)
The header strictly warns that messy or illegible letters will be destroyed. The camp rules outline severe restrictions on communication:
Only one letter or card per month is allowed. Letters are limited to exactly two pages and 15 lines per page. No photographs are permitted.
All incoming packages are allowed, but money must be sent via money order.
The text explicitly states that appeals for release sent to the camp command are completely useless.

The handwritten pencil text consists of short, heavily restricted phrases providing a sign of life to her family:
She reports that she is "healthy" (a standard phrase forced by the censors to pass inspection).

Bogumiła survived years of imprisonment. In April 1945, she was evacuated to Sweden via the "White Buses" humanitarian rescue mission led by Count Folke Bernadotte. She returned to Poland after the war, dedicated her life to helping orphans, and passed away in Gdańsk in 1972.

Provenance: Ex Werbizky