Germany Occupation of Serbia year 1943 stamps – War Invalids

Germany Occupation of Serbia year 1943 stamps – War Invalids MLH block

During the German occupation of Serbia from 1941 to 1944, a range of stamps were issued. These stamps hold historical significance as they reflect the control and influence of Nazi Germany during World War II. The stamps from this period can be categorized into several main issues:

1. Initial Issue (1941)

• Following the invasion and occupation of Yugoslavia in April 1941, Serbia came under German military administration. In October 1941, the German authorities released a set of stamps for Serbia.
• Design: The first stamps were overprinted Yugoslav stamps from the pre-occupation era. These overprints were in Cyrillic, and they often included “Serbien” (German for Serbia) along with the new denomination.
• Value: These are popular among collectors due to the overprint variations.

2. Definitive Issues (1942)

• In 1942, a series of definitive stamps was released for Serbia. These were newly designed stamps specifically for the German-occupied territory.
• Design: They often featured symbols and imagery designed to reflect both Serbian culture and German authority, such as coats of arms and local Serbian architecture. There were stamps with portraits of Prince Miloš Obrenović, a 19th-century Serbian ruler.
• Purpose: These stamps were used for everyday postal needs and showed the administrative and symbolic control of the German regime.

3. Commemorative Issues

• Some stamps during the occupation were issued for specific events, such as the anniversary of the invasion of Yugoslavia or other wartime occurrences.
• Themes: These typically included military or nationalist symbols and occasionally propaganda messages aligned with the Nazi ideology of the time.

4. German Military Postal Services

• In addition to the local Serbian postal services, the German military operated its own postal service in the region. These stamps were used by the German soldiers stationed in Serbia.