9 november 2024

Some Dutch political prisoners were send off to the Zuchthaus (prison) in Siegburg, Germany. This envelop, which includes the letter, was sent by Willem Hammer to his wife in Rotterdam. It was sent from Köln, March 26, 1944. Of course, both the envelope and the letter have passed the German censor.

What’s special here is that there is also an invoice for the internment which has to be paid. The invoice is of the ‘Deutsches Landesgericht’ in The Hague, but at that moment (August 18, 1944) there was an office in Nijmegen, on the eastern border with Germany. The date, August 18, is just a month before Nijmegen was liberated!

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Cover and part of letter dated 18.3.44.
Back of cover showing censor cachets and address in Siegburg prison.

The invoice is both in German and Dutch. It is interesting to see what had to be paid: NLG 300 for 200 days of internment (14.1/1.8-1944). In present day money this is Euro 1912.

Multilingual standard letter from Deutsches Landesgericht.
Back showing the amount due.
René Hillesum

René Hillesum

Collector of postal history of Finland and postmarks of Imperial Saint Petersburg.

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