5 Kriegsmarine Posters from the Marine Picture Service for Schools

A collection of 5 coloured prints on card from original paintings produced for the Kriegsmarine Marine Picture Service. Each is numbered Folge (Edition) and the examples I have here are Folge 4,11,13, 15, 16. All are in very good condition.

In 1941, German youth were encouraged to join the navy. Large-format posters were made available to schools so that they could be clearly displayed to the young people. By 1943, ten German marine painters had created propaganda paintings with sometimes dramatic scenes from all areas of the navy.

The texts for the “school pictures” were written by employees of the Naval Picture Service, which published them with the support of the High Command of the Navy.

A total of 56 sequences of images were produced using colour offset printing in the format 50 x 70 cm. With an image size of 38 x 64 cm, space was deliberately left under the painting for a comprehensive description of the image in the propaganda style of the time, which was intended to persuade the boys to join the navy beyond the image itself. For example, the translated text of Folge 4 reads:

Episode 04: "German patrol boat shoots down enemy aircraft in the North Sea!"

From the North Cape to the Pyrenees, hundreds of patrol boats keep constant watch at sea, securing coastal waters against surprise enemy attacks and protecting our own armed forces through areas at risk of mines. Weather-hardy crews on seaworthy, lightly armed vessels, often converted from fishing trawlers, are on this gruelling and arduous front-line service, in constant readiness for action and sacrifice, indispensable for overall naval warfare, but rarely mentioned in the Wehrmacht report. Numerous ports and extensive coastal areas are entrusted to their vigilance, and many enemy aircraft have been snuffed out by our patrol boats before they even reach the German coast. The homeland owes them thanks for this!”

The posters were sent to schools until the autumn of 1944.

On 23 November 1944, a circular was issued by the Reich Ministry for Science, Education and Culture to the education administrations of the states, the Reich Governors, the senior and government presidents in Prussia and the Inspectorate of the National Political Education Institutions:

Due to the existing postal ban on parcels, the Wilhelm Limpert publishing house is currently unable to send the remaining picture series from the Marine Picture Service to schools. I have therefore instructed the publishing house to keep the printed but no longer deliverable picture series until it is possible to send them by post again. Schools should refrain from asking the publishing house about the lack of the remaining picture series. On behalf of: […]

Due to the worsening war situation, shipping was probably not resumed in 1945.

 Long before the war, school libraries had books advertising the navy. Some even included information sheets on how to join the navy. Examples include the books by Fritz-Otto Busch entitled Zwei Jungens bei der Reichsmarine (1933), Unsere Deutsche Kriegsmarine (1936) and Zwei Jungens unter der Kriegsflagge (1937) published by Franz Schneider. The former naval officer Fritz-Otto Busch was the "editor-in-chief" of various naval magazines.

An attractive collection of wartime Kriegsmarine prints well worthy of framing. Sent rolled.