Do You Collect The Third Reich?

Finches my wife was born in Holland in 1939, one of the youngest of 9 kids..i don't think she would be too supporting of my collecting that material !!

I have known many who lived in Germany during the War. Most had no clue as to what was really happening. Most were caught up in the Charisma and Propaganda machine that was the TR. After WW1 Germany and most of Europe was in an economic shambles. They need a scapegoat and Hitler provided one, actually many. He arrested, interred and executed Jews, Blacks, Socialists and Protestants just to name a few. If you didn't join "The Party" you risked arrest and possible execution. Most Soldiers were just that Soldiers doing as they were told. I know a number of Germans that still deny being German as they feel a great shame as a result of the War.
Just for the record the above comes from a student of History, who had most of his family executed in the camps during the War.

Edit for spelling

I really like how this book is made and I'm glad you shared this information with us. I'm not collecting Third Reich but, as it's an interesting piece of history, I'd like to go in in the future. As already said, it's better to know our past in order not to make the same mistakes.

Philb, yes I understand, many of those surviving carry deep scars much the same as 911 children and/or the surviving parent/spouses, blood relatives and partners.

My mum was born in 1927 in a farming village in rural Germany. She told us many stories about the war and the inflation period of 1923. Her younger brother at age 10 was manning an antiaircraft gun at the end of the war under the guidance of a soldier who had a leg removed according to mum.

The first she knew of the atrocities done to the Jews was when she moved out of Germany to Papua New Guinea in the mid 1950s. She was astounded (and ashamed) to hear what had happened.

Wow cool information. This is the next area of collecting I want to get more into. My Austria stamps are filling up, and Irland some what. Some great information here.... thanks

Peterethio, I had a friend in our stamp club who was also an anti aircraft gunner at age 17 in Germany...he said he was glad they never fired the guns as they were Russian guns bored out to German caliber and he did not trust them...he was a good guy..he emigrated to America just in time to get drafted into the 3rd Infantry division and sent to Korea..he said Korea was worse than WW2 !!