Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Murnau POW Camp

Poland - Murnau WWII POW Camp

Oflag VII A Murnau, a typical German POW camp or just a nice place to wait out the war?
The camp covered about 77 hectares in the town of Murnau in Upper Bavaria, located about 50 km to the south-west of Munich.
Oflag VII A Murnau was designated by the Germans as a master camp ( Musterlager )





By most accounts life seemed much more bearable than most POW camps. This may have been due in part by the fact that it housed about 3 dozen generals and many high ranking Polish officers.
The camp had a theatre, orchestra, a library with apparently 25,000 books, a lake to swim in, a sports field, various fund raising groups, political parties, its own currency system, a cooperative with the Red Cross and communications with outside family members.



A Gala Event enjoyed by the Germans

As part of this communication, a post office system was set up in November
of 1942.
The stamps were apparently designed by T. Kluzniak and “engraved” on hard wood tablets.
They were printed by hand in a crude fashion using whatever paper was available.
The ink, a base of linseed or sunflower oil resulted in many colour varieties.
Initially the stamps were issued imperforate but later were perforated by a wheel device.
Income from the post office was apparently directed to the Widows and Orphans Fund.
Proofs, color trials, unissued stamps and special souvenir sheets exist.
A date of March 31, 1945 is given as the last day of stamp sales.
Most collectors will never have seen these stamps, they are uncommon, fairly expensive and ALL were forged in great quantities.

The stamps of Murnau have a strong political, historical background and religious overtone which may have escaped the notice of the Germans.
These stamps come in a multitude of colors and varieties. I will only show the stamps based on the Fischer catalog number.


1942, 6 November - Camp building - Fischer #1
Papers:
white smooth medium 
white smooth thick
gray smooth medium 
gray-brown rough medium 
yellow-brown smooth thin
It is found serrated and imperforated. 
The catalog distinguishes between the two colors gray and black, which is related to the amount of linseed oil added to the printing ink. 
Reprints were made from the original matrix. 
They are also printed on various types of paper, often similar to the original ones. 

Left, genuine, right 1959 Type 1 forgery

Left 1959 Type 2 forgery, right 1988 Type 3 forgery

NOTE - the forger is unknown,  The Type 3 forgeries appeared later in the 1980's and the forger was captured by the SÅ‚upsk police in January 1988 but there is no identification that I could find.


1942, 12-17 November - Wires - Fischer #2 - 3
Paper:
white smooth medium 
white smooth thick
white smooth stiff
gray smooth medium
gray smooth thick
The stamp was issued in two editions. The first mintage was blue (2,210). The second one was green and had a much smaller circulation (890 copies). 
Both of them have many shades of color. 
These stamps are also found in blocks of four.
Each sheet includes two blue stamps and two green stamps. 

Top Left Genuine, right forgery Type 2, bottom Forgery Type 3
NOTE - the forgeries are easily spotted by the spike which is higher up on the wire


Left genuine, right forgery 1959 Type 2

Forgery pair

Genuine Block

A rare souvenir sheet - possibly to give to Red Cross visitors

November 19, 1942 - Mail Trumpet - Fischer #4 - 5
It was published in two editions. The first was brown in the amount of 1562 stamps, the second in green, in the amount of 998 stamps.
These postage stamps were printed on various types of paper and many varieties of colors.
There is a printing defect in the form of more spilled ink, the so-called "Spotted Mountains"

Top left, genuine, right 1959 forgery Type 2, bottom 1988 forgery Type 3
The type 3 is much larger than the others.

Top left, genuine, top right 1955 Type 1 forgery
Bottom left, 1959 Type 2 forgery, bottom right 1988 Type 3 forgery

Above, 1959 Type 2 forgeries in both colors. Probably from a block of 4

This very crude sample does not match any of the known forgeries


1942, 14 December - Fisherman's Exhibition  - Fischer #6
Papers:
smooth medium gummed
smooth gray thick 234567890-\
gray spongy medium white
white smooth thick
To commemorate the Fisheries Exhibition organized by camp ichthyologists. 
The stamp was printed with paints of quite different shades of brown and red, on several types of paper.  - 
The total circulation is 1250 pcs, 570 basic stamps, 680 new prints, including 80 blocks. 
Genuine block

Top left genuine, top right 1959 Type 1 forgery bottom 1959 type 2 forgery


1942, 16 December - Triptych from the chapel   - Fischer #7
Paper: 
white smooth medium 
white smooth thick
white smooth stiff
gray smooth medium gummed
gray smooth thick
yellowish smooth
Original & 1959 type 1 forgery

Reprint in bogus color or forgery with original die


1943, 15 April -  Mountains  - Fischer #8
Paper:
smooth gray medium
white smooth and medium or thick
Printing
Type I - dark sky - records indicated only 98 were produced before the die was improved.
Type II - clear sky

Originals dark & light sky

A rare "dark sky" pair


Color & paper variety

1959 Type 1 forgery imitating dark sky
Bottom letters do not match original


As the Red Cross would often visit the camp, special souvenir blocks were prepared for them.


1943, 3 November - The Widow -  Fischer #9
Paper:
white smooth tissue paper 
white smooth medium  
white smooth thick
white rough stiff
gray smooth medium gummed
It comes imperf, serrated and partially serrated.
The total circulation of the item is 1600 items, 1050 items of basic stamps, 550 items of new prints, including 50 items of block. 
The counterfeit comes in shades of colors that are similar to the original colors and on various types of papers.
A genuine pair

A reprint made in the Camp for the Polish Red Cross visits

Top left genuine, right Forgery Type 1, bottom left Forgery Type 3, right Forgery Type 3

For some of the following I have not found any forgeries to date

1943, 29 Nov. - Canteen -  -  Fischer #10
Paper
smooth white thick
gray smooth medium gummed
gray medium soft

An imperf block


1943, 10 December - 50th race of the Society Horse Racing - Fischer #11
Paper:
Smooth white thick 
gray smooth medium gummed


1944, 12  March  - Grating - Fischer #12
Paper 
white smooth thick
gray smooth medium gummed


1944, 12 August Church in Miechow - Fischer #13
Paper:
white smooth medium
white smooth thick
gray smooth medium gummed


A genuine perfed block possibly from a souvenir sheet


1944, 20 November -  Anniversary of the November Uprising  - Fischer #14
Paper:
white smooth medium
white smooth thick
Genuine stamp


1944,G 22 November - Music Festival - Fischer #15
Paper:
white smooth medium 
white smooth thick
Genuine stamp

Forgery Type 3


1945, 31 March -  White Eagle - Fischer #16
Paper: 
white smooth thick
gray smooth medium gummed
Genuine stamp

Genuine block or souvenir sheet cutout


1944, 30 November - Chickens - Fischer D1
Paper: 
white smooth. 
Printed in sheets 10X10
Postage Due in 2 colors, Blue & Gray

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