BACKGROUND: Artwork, as a propaganda tool, was widely used during the Third Reich and Hitler’s own humble artistic background also helped foster a general interest in German art. Many art exhibitions were held through-out German during the time period with the largest being held annually, ever summer from 1937 to 1944, at the German House of Art in Munich. As early as 1938 the OKW, Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, (High Command of the Armed Forces), actively began recruiting artists who were assigned to a units Propaganda Company along with photographers and journalists. By the end of the war almost two hundred war artists had served in the Wehrmacht. An effective and inexpensive form of propaganda was the production of assorted postcards that were issued in an almost endless variety of styles and images. This example is a series of twelve artwork postcards of prestigious German military awards produced sometime after September 28TH 1941. Of Note: The bestowal of all awards during the Third Reich was regulated by the Statutes of Titles, Orders and Decorations which was originally revised on January 30TH 1934, with numerous additional revisions as new awards and decorations were introduced. The regulations prescribed the criteria for bestowal and the specific form of wearing the award. Regulations of July 1ST 1937 dictated that the sole legal authority for bestowal of all decorations and awards lay with Adolf Hitler and the Reichs Chancellery. Even depictions of the decorations and awards, as featured on these postcards, had to have authorized approval.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Standard size post card. "War Merit Cross 2nd Class".