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Niedersachse Samba Member
Joined: December 13, 2013 Posts: 34 Location: Hannover, Germany
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 9:18 am Post subject: KdF notification about the order number of the KdF-Wagen |
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Good morning!
This postcard was given to me a while ago. I thought perhaps it would be interesting to you.
It was sent to Mr. Otto Rütters at Domäne Steimke near the town of Uslar in southern Lower-Saxony. I don't know how to translate "Domäne" properly. It's a kind of big farm, perhaps somebody who can explain it will chime in.
Postal stamp dates September 5, 1938. Comes from DAF, Gau southern Hanover-Brunswick.
Backside of the card:
Text reads as:
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"Subject: Order number for your KdF-Wagen
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You have received the Gau order number 5576 for the KdF-Wagen you ordered. This number is decisive for the delivery of the KdF-Wagen within our Gau.
The current payment, up to the amount of the total purchase price including insurance premium, may under no circumstances be stopped by the notification of the order number, if you want to keep the acquired rights to timely delivery. We would like to point this out most politely and emphatically.
We kindly ask you to deliver the 4th savings card as soon as the fields are filled with the savings stamps. The 5th savings card can also be delivered against receipt, as soon as it contains the corresponding brand values for the remaining purchase price including insurance.
Heil Hitler!
Tobies
Gauwagenwart" |
Maybe the number is 5516, maybe the name is Tobias. Quite polite, huh?. The card's text is mostly translated by deepl.com. Maybe someone with a-grade translation skills can correct it, if necessary. I fail to translate "Gauwagenwart", like any online translator. "District car supervisor" maybe comes close
Greetings,
Lars _________________ My Cars: 1970 1300 Beetle, 1969 Bundeswehr Thing, 1972 1302 Convertible (aka Super Beetle), 1978 T2 Westfalia, 2012 T5 Kombi. And: 1964 Knaus Monsun Caravan, 1969 0,5ton trailer VEB Anhängerbau Wittenberge (GDR) Coming soon: Custom Trailer for the Thing (Work in progress since 3/2020)
www.boxerstop.eu (Sorry, only german. But lots of pics in the gallery.) |
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finster Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2012 Posts: 8930 Location: north o' the border
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 11:08 am Post subject: Re: KdF notification about the order number of the KdF-Wagen |
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I think domane would be equivalent to 'estate' as in the country estate owned by herr steimke ie large house surrounded by acres of grounds. in fact there is this place which fits the bill -
https://www.gut-steimke.de/index.php/home/gutshaus
perhaps the car is still there lurking in an outbuilding! _________________ "we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut
nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect... |
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Martin Southwell Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2010 Posts: 1042 Location: Bath, England
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 1:21 pm Post subject: Re: KdF notification about the order number of the KdF-Wagen |
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I'm no expert, but think that Gau order number 5576 should read Build Order Number. In the Gothic German on the card, it looks like Gau, but I think that the 1st letter should be read as a b, as in bau, and not as G, which then translates into Build in English.
Using the same principle, bauwagen wart becomes Construction car was waiting according to Google. |
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T2_681 Samba Member
Joined: October 08, 2018 Posts: 82 Location: Czech republic
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 1:59 pm Post subject: Re: KdF notification about the order number of the KdF-Wagen |
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The same "g" is also in the next sentence. I am not able to get a correct translation but there is no doubt the letter is "g". Sorry but I do not speak German.
Heil Hitler! |
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Niedersachse Samba Member
Joined: December 13, 2013 Posts: 34 Location: Hannover, Germany
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Posted: Thu Jan 02, 2020 2:02 pm Post subject: Re: KdF notification about the order number of the KdF-Wagen |
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Martin, Gau is correct. The number is for the future deliveries in the said Gau. It means Mr. Rütters was supposed to get the 5576th car that would be delivered to the KdF-organisation in Gau Hanover-Brunswick. You can see the gothic capitals of "G" and "B" in "Gau-Bestellnummer"
"Wart" doesn't mean "waiting" (that would be "warten") but "Aufseher" (warden, keeper, supervisor).
Greetings
Lars _________________ My Cars: 1970 1300 Beetle, 1969 Bundeswehr Thing, 1972 1302 Convertible (aka Super Beetle), 1978 T2 Westfalia, 2012 T5 Kombi. And: 1964 Knaus Monsun Caravan, 1969 0,5ton trailer VEB Anhängerbau Wittenberge (GDR) Coming soon: Custom Trailer for the Thing (Work in progress since 3/2020)
www.boxerstop.eu (Sorry, only german. But lots of pics in the gallery.) |
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Blue Baron VW Aficionado
Joined: June 16, 2006 Posts: 25950 Location: Southeast USA
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Posted: Fri Jan 03, 2020 7:27 pm Post subject: Re: KdF notification about the order number of the KdF-Wagen |
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A "Gau" was a political district in the Third Reich. _________________ We are striving for perfection, to make our cars run forever, if possible.
Heinz Nordhoff |
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Martin Southwell Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2010 Posts: 1042 Location: Bath, England
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Posted: Sat Jan 04, 2020 6:17 am Post subject: Re: KdF notification about the order number of the KdF-Wagen |
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From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gau_(territory)
The term Gau was revived in German historical research in the 18th and 19th centuries, and was erroneously considered an ancient administration structure of Germanic peoples. It was adopted in the 1920s as the name given to the regional associations of the Nazi Party (NSDAP).
Each Gau denoted an administrative region, created by a party statute dated May 22, 1926. Each Gau was headed by a Gauleiter. The original 33 Gaue were generally coterminous with the Reichstag election districts of the Weimar Republic, based on the constituent states (Länder) and the provinces of Prussia.
Following the suppression of the political institutions of the Länder in the course of the Nazi Gleichschaltung process and the implementation of Reichsstatthalter (Reich Deputies) in 1933, the Gaue became the de facto administrative regions of the government and each individual Gauleiter had considerable power within his territory. |
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Niedersachse Samba Member
Joined: December 13, 2013 Posts: 34 Location: Hannover, Germany
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Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2020 8:45 am Post subject: Re: KdF notification about the order number of the KdF-Wagen |
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Hi!
I mailed the owner of Gut Steimke if anybody there knows about Mr. Rütters and actually got a reply.
Turns out the name is Büttner and Otto Büttner was the owner at that time. His son, Bernd, inherited the estate and sold it to the current owner eight years ago. Mr. Büttner jr. still visits the place regularly.
They had multiple VWs when Mr. Büttner jr. was a kid but of course they are all gone
I‘m still a bit exited about the reply since I find it always interesting to find out a little bit of the historic background I will visit Gut Steimke next spring, maybe I’ll have the pleasure of meeting Mr. Büttner.
Greetings,
Lars _________________ My Cars: 1970 1300 Beetle, 1969 Bundeswehr Thing, 1972 1302 Convertible (aka Super Beetle), 1978 T2 Westfalia, 2012 T5 Kombi. And: 1964 Knaus Monsun Caravan, 1969 0,5ton trailer VEB Anhängerbau Wittenberge (GDR) Coming soon: Custom Trailer for the Thing (Work in progress since 3/2020)
www.boxerstop.eu (Sorry, only german. But lots of pics in the gallery.)
Last edited by Niedersachse on Mon Jan 06, 2020 11:10 am; edited 1 time in total |
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djfordmanjack Samba Member
Joined: June 15, 2009 Posts: 2221 Location: Graz, Austria, Europe
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Martin Southwell Samba Member
Joined: November 24, 2010 Posts: 1042 Location: Bath, England
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Posted: Mon Jan 06, 2020 4:24 pm Post subject: Re: KdF notification about the order number of the KdF-Wagen |
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Good on you for delving into matters, & bringing history back to life. Any meeting with Mr. Büttner Jr should prove interesting. |
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finster Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2012 Posts: 8930 Location: north o' the border
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Posted: Wed Jan 08, 2020 12:08 pm Post subject: Re: KdF notification about the order number of the KdF-Wagen |
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Great result! Hopefully some pics too... _________________ "we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut
nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect... |
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