German Third Reich stamps year 1937 Hitler Souvenir Sheets set MLH
That is a fascinating and historically significant area of philately. The German Third Reich issued several souvenir sheets (mini-sheets or blocks) in 1937, and some of the most notable feature Adolf Hitler.
The main Souvenir Sheets featuring Hitler or related to Nazi events in 1937 are typically identified in the Michel Catalog (the primary German catalog) as Block 7, Block 8, Block 9, and Block 11. In the Scott Catalog (a major US catalog), they are referenced with semi-postal numbers like B102, B103, and B104.
Here is a breakdown of the key 1937 souvenir sheets:
1. Hitler’s 48th Birthday Sheet (Michel Block 7 / Scott B102)
- Issue Date: April 5, 1937.
- Purpose: Commemorate the 48th Birthday of Adolf Hitler. This was the first time Hitler appeared alone on an official stamp.
- Design: Contains four stamps featuring a portrait of Hitler, surrounded by an inscription that translates to: “Whoever wants to save a people must think heroically” (a quote from Hitler).
- Watermark: Features a Swastika watermark covering the entire reverse of the sheet.
- Stamp: Perforated (Mi. 646 / Sc. B102a).
2. First National Philatelic Exhibition (Michel Block 8 / Scott B103)
- Issue Date: April 16, 1937.
- Purpose: Commemorate the 1st National Stamp Exposition (“The German Postage Stamp”) in Berlin.
- Design: Virtually identical to Block 7, but the stamps are imperforate (not perforated).
- Watermark: Also features the Swastika watermark.
3. Culture Fund Donation (Michel Block 9 / Scott B104)
- Issue Date: June 10, 1937.
- Purpose: Issued to raise funds for the Culture Fund and coincided with the 2nd National Socialist Party Rally in Hamburg.
- Design: Similar design to Block 7, but with an additional inscription indicating the surcharge: “25RPf inclusive of Culture Fund donation” (Rpf is Reichs-Pfennig).
- Watermark: Also features the Swastika watermark.
4. Nuremberg Reichsparteitag (Michel Block 11 / Scott B106)
- Issue Date: September 3, 1937.
- Purpose: Issued for the “Rally of Labour” (Reichsparteitag der Arbeit), the 9th Nazi Party Congress in Nuremberg.
- Design: Very similar to the Culture Fund sheet (Block 9), but with extra text on the left and right sides of Hitler’s head reading “Reichsparteitag” and “Nürnberg 1937.”
