The best known postal item from Theresienstadt is the parcel admission stamp depicted above. These stamps were initiated in July, 1943, and intended for parcels from Bohemia and Moravia to the camp. If an inmate wished to receive parcels of food and clothing, he could fill out a request every two months. These requests would be forwarded to the Jewish Council in Prague. After processing, the Council would send a notice to the proposed sender of the parcel, if living in Prague, to come to the office and pick up the stamp. If the proposed sender was outside of Prague, the stamp would be attached to the notice. The stamp had to be attached to the parcel itself. When the parcel arrived, it was inspected and the wrapping paper containing the stamp was either destroyed or removed, but rarely was the stamp kept, which makes genuine used copies quite scarce.
The stamp, printed in Prague, was designed by a Czech with the initials F.C. These initials can be seen with a magnifying glass among the roots of the first tree on the left. It is estimated that no more than 75,000 copies of the stamp were used.
Examples of Parcel Admissions Forms
Below are two thumbnails of a parcel admission notice (identified in Simon as type 8) issued by the Jewish Council in Prague on July 20, 1944. The notice advises the proposed sender, Dr. Oskar Strauss in Bronn, that a parcel admission stamp is enclosed and that the stamp must be glued actually to the parcel which is being sent to Ernst Singer at Theresienstadt. Since the sender was outside of Prague, the parcel admission stamp was enclosed with the notice (glue marks are on the upper left of the notice. After receipt of the notice and the stamp, Dr. Strauss sent the parcel through the mail on August 2, 1944, as evidenced by the parcel receipt attached to the notice. Of special interest is the list of items included in the parcel, which list is attached to the notice. The first thumbnail shows the notice with the list of items, and the second thumbnail shows the form with the list bent back so the parcel receipt is visible. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Form 1" in the left frame to return.
Below are thumbnails of four parcel admission notices. The first (identified in Simon as type 4) was issued by the Jewish Council in Prague to the proposed sender, Marianne Krcik in Kolin, a town in central Bohemia on February 16, 1944. The recipient was to be Richard Weissenstein at Theresienstadt. The form contains a receiving cachet from the Jewish Council in Kolin. This ghetto was liquidated about two weeks after the date of this form. The second (identified in Simon as type 10) was issued by the Jewish Council in Prague to the proposed sender, Jaro Brumlik, on August 24, 1944. The recipient was to be Suse Grossmann at Theresienstadt. The last two (identified in Simon as type 7) was issued by the Jewish Council in Prague to the proposed sender, Leontine Fialka in Pilsen on December 20, 1943, and March 29, 1944, respectively. The former contains a circular cachet of the Judenrat Prague branch office in Pilsen, and the latter contains a four line cachet of the Judenrat Prague branch office in Pilsen. The receipents in Theresienstadt were Erwin Lekner and Georg Franek, respectively. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Forms 2-5" in the left frame to return.
Below are thumbnails of three more parcel admission notices. The first (identified in Simon as type 5) was issued by the Jewish Council in Prague to the proposed sender, Dr. Otto Benisch on May 19, 1944. The recipient was to be Arnold Rubin at Theresienstadt. The second (identified in Simon as type 6) was issued by the Jewish Council in Prague on November 23, 1943 and contains a four line handstamp in German and Czech notifying the sender of the proposed parcel to pick up the admission stamp within eight days. The third (identified in Simon as type 11) was issued by the Jewish Council in Prague to the proposed sender, Erwin Herrmann. The recipient was to be Ilse Wald at Theresienstadt. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Forms 6-8" in the left frame to return.
Parcel Receipt Acknowledgement Cards
In Theresienstadt, parcels had to be picked up at the camp post office and a receipt signed. At the same time, the recipient was given a thank-you card which was filled out and mailed to the sender. Below are thumbnails of the front and back of five different types of acknowledgement cards. The first (identified in Simon as type 2) is postmarked September 27, 1943, from Anna Fuchs at Theresienstadt. The second (identified in Simon as type 4) is postmarked July 28, 1944. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Cards 1-2" in the left frame to return.
The third (identified in Simon as type 6) is postmarked September 29, 1944, from Rudolph Fuchs at Theresienstadt. This card also contains a mailing cachet directing return mail through the Judenrat in Prague. The fourth (identified in Simon as type 7) is postmarked July 11, 1944. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Cards 3-4" in the left frame to return.
The fifth (identified in Simon as type 8) is postmarked May 2, 1944, from Else Wesse at Theresienstadt. The last card is one that was prepared by the International Red Cross for packages to Theresienstadt. Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Cards 5-6" in the left frame to return.
Below is a thumbnail of a package wrapper sent registered from Strassnitz, Bohemia & Moravia to Theresienstadt inmate, Jakob Bassist (Transport Nr. AV 370-used as form of identification). The wrapper is stamped with 1942 issue of Bohemia & Moravia postage. The package is marked Liebesgabe Packchen (care package). Please click on the thumbnail to see the full image, and then click your back key or "Other" in the left frame to return.
Frantisek Benes and Patricia Tosnerova, Mail Service in the Ghetto Terezin 1941-45 (1996)
Sam Simon, Handbook of the Mail in the Concentration Camps 1933-1945 and Related Material, (1973). Referred to as Simon
Berkely, Hitler’s Gift, The Story of Theresienstadt, (1993)
Copyright © 2002-06 Edward Victor