F04_P09: War in the Balkans
1944 September 19, Front side - Lettersheet from prisoner-of-war in Zagreb, Croatia.
Beige lettersheet with printed text and outline in German using black ink. Cursive handwriting using pencil is present. At the top right, a cancellation dated September 19, 1944 appears. At the center left, a pink overprint stamp with a signature in pencil.
Name/Title
F04_P09: War in the BalkansEntry/Object ID
2008.4.71Scope and Content
1944 September 19, lettersheet from prisoner-of-war in Zagreb, Croatia.Context
On April 6, 1941, the armed forces of Germany, Italy, Hungary, and Bulgaria invaded Yugoslavia, and forcibly dismembered the federation, annexing part of the conquered territory to the victorious neighboring Axis countries, and imposing a vassal Ustashe fascist government on Independent Croatia (which incorporated Bosnia and Herzegovina). A German military occupation force governed Serbia. In early July 1941, a popular uprising against the Nazis occurred in Serbia. Communists led by Josip Broz Tito emerged as the leaders as the revolt spread to all parts of Yugoslavia. Tito created a guerrilla fighting force of 200,000 to 300,000 men known as Partisans, which in 1943 engaged twenty German divisions. Despite the harsh conditions of war, Tito’s forces provided every assistance to Jews fleeing the Nazis. The Partisans liberated Belgrade on October 20, 1944. A September 19, 1944, return portion of a prisoner-of-war lettersheet from Zagreb, Croatia, to a Croatian POW at a Nazi forced labor camp in Norway, censored upon arrival.Collection
Nazi Scourge II: Five Frame ExhibitCategory
Lettersheet
Philatelic Material