Army - Original Signature of Knight's Cross Recipient Oberstleutnant Alfred Haase
on Hoffmann postcard, with very fine ink signature “Haase”, adhesive residue on reverse, good condition.
Army - Original Signature of Knight's Cross Recipient Oberstleutnant Alfred Haase
This Hoffmann postcard with the original signature of Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Haase, a Knight's Cross recipient of the Wehrmacht, represents a significant historical document from the Second World War era. Such signed postcards served both military propaganda purposes and personal correspondence, and today constitute important testimonies of military history.
Hoffmann postcards were published by the Hoffmann Verlag, the official photographer of the Nazi regime. Heinrich Hoffmann had been Adolf Hitler's personal photographer since the 1920s and controlled much of the Third Reich's official photographic propaganda. The publishing house produced millions of postcards featuring military leaders, soldiers, and war scenes, which served hero worship and propaganda purposes.
Lieutenant Colonel Alfred Haase was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross for his military achievements, the highest bravery decoration of the Wehrmacht. The Knight's Cross was instituted by Hitler on September 1, 1939, and during World War II was awarded to approximately 7,300 individuals. Recipients of this decoration enjoyed high prestige and were frequently used for propaganda purposes.
The practice of signing postcards by officers and Knight's Cross recipients was widespread during the war. These signed cards were sent to comrades, family members, or admirers, or distributed at public events. They served to boost morale and spread the hero cult that was central to Nazi propaganda.
The ink signature on this card shows the surname “Haase” in characteristic handwriting. Such autographs are highly sought after today by collectors of military historical objects, as they establish a direct personal connection to historical figures. The authenticity of such signatures can be verified by comparing the handwriting with other documented signatures.
The adhesive residue on the reverse of the card indicates that it was once glued into an album or collection. This was a common method of preserving such memorabilia. Many soldiers and civilians maintained collection albums during the war in which they kept photographs, postcards, and other mementos.
The military-historical significance of such objects lies not only in their documentary value but also in their role as sources for researching the propaganda and memory culture of the Third Reich. They demonstrate how the Nazi regime attempted to maintain popular support for the war through the veneration of military heroes.
In preserving and studying such objects, it is important to understand their historical context and regard them as testimonies of a dark period in German history. Today they serve primarily for historical research and education, helping to better understand the mechanisms of totalitarian propaganda.
