Original WWII German Famous Paratrooper MAJOR KOCH ARTWORK POSTCARD. (Kunstwerk Postkarte) Certified

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Original WWII German Famous Paratrooper MAJOR KOCH ARTWORK POSTCARD. (Kunstwerk Postkarte) Certified. 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 Haus der Deutschen Kunst München, (House of German 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, (Armed Forces), in all three branches of service. One of the most prolific, and as a result one of the best known German war artists was Feldwebel Wolfgang Willrich. Willrich a WWI veteran, had volunteer for military service prior to the outbreak of WWII but had been rejected on the basis of his age, (42), and was assigned to Landwehr I as a trained reserve. Through his personal friendship with Erwin Rommel Willrich was able to secure a position in the OKH visual arts section of the Propaganda department. In this position Willrich painted and drew numerous personalities and regular soldiers in all branches of service through-out the war. Many pieces of his artwork were featured on assorted series of postcards developed by the “VDA, “Volksbund für das Deutschtum im Ausland”, (National League for Germans Abroad), among others. The VDA was originally a pre-war organization formed to assist German nationals living in foreign countries and during the Third Reich era the VDA was taken over by the NSDAP, National Sozialistische Deutsche Arbeiter Partei, (National Socialist German Worker’s Party), and placed under the jurisdiction of the SS, Schutz Staffel, (Protection Squad). In mid-1942 the OKH decided to have portraits of all the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross holders and Willrich was assigned the task. Of Note: On May 10TH 1940 Hauptmann and commander of Fallschirm Jäger Sturmabteilung Koch, (Paratroop Storm Unit Koch), Walter Koch lead the successful glider borne assault on the Albert Canal bridge and the fortress of Eban Emael in Belgium. As a result of this daring assault, Koch was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross and promoted to the rank of Major on May 10TH 1940. Koch actually didn’t receive his Knight’s cross until May 15TH at a ceremony held at Hitler’s Felsennest headquarters, where Hitler personally bestowed the award, as one of the first two Knight’s Crosses to be awarded for the campaign in the west. Koch died in a Berlin hospital in September 1943, while holding the rank and position of Oberstleutnant und Kommander Fallschirm Jäger Regiment 5. Roughly, 5 7/8″ x 4 1/8″, (4.8cm x 10.4cm), mid-weight card stock, full color artwork postcard. The artwork features a close up of Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross holder, Major Walter Koch wearing a camouflaged Paratrooper helmet and early pattern, mottled, green jump smock in the foreground with a bridge expanse over a river and the tactical emblem of a falling comet of the Sturm regiment in the background. Koch also has a pair of binoculars slung about his neck and his Knight’s Cross is also partially visible. The reverse of the postcard has black printed, Gothic/Fraktur script which includes, “Unsere Luftlandetruppen Major Koch, unter dessen Führung die Eroberung der Albrecht-Kanal-Brücken und des Forts Eban Emael gelang”. (Our Air Landing Troops Major Koch, under his guidance the conquest of the Albert Canal bridge and the fortress of Eban Emael was accomplished). The reverse also has additional printed script that includes, “VDA, “Volksbund für das Deutschtum im Ausland”, (National League for Germans Abroad). The postcard was produced by the VDA, as number two in the “P.1 R.10” series of fund raising postcards. 100% Guaranteed to be authentic Complete museum documentation (COA) Provided. Certified by The Gettysburg Museum of   History.   Please see our   other items.    Also note when browsing our web site there are several pages of items, at the bottom of the list look for other page numbers. Classic German Paratrooper Image