Information on the Kennkarte

[Schenk]

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for more information on the Kennkarte, civil type.
For instance, which organisation handed out the Kennkartes, the police?
And did every town hand out their own Kartes, or were the people in smaller towns supposed to go to bigger towns (Like from Meerbusch to Düsseldorf)?

[JUNGCO]

They were issued by the police or for smaller locals, the Burgermeister under police authority.
Jeff

[Schenk]

I recall the fact that civillians had to pay 3 RM. for their Kennkarte, but I see alot of Kennkartes without the payment stamps. It's probably the same with the stamps, some have eagle stamps, some have stamps with the town's coat of arms.
Is there an explanation for this, or did they just save theirselves the cost of an additional stamp?
If someone has photo's or scans of pamphlets and Bekanntmachungen, please post them, I've only seen those for the Dutch 'Persoonsbewijs'.

[JUNGCO]

According to Reichgesetzblatt 1938 I/ 2nd half, page 913, the "cost" of a Kennkarte was 3RM. For the needy (poor) the price was reduced by half or even eliminated completely. The smaller the issuing office, the more likely they kept their cities "coat of arms" stamp.
Jeff

[Schenk]

Is that the same Reichgesetzblatt which wrote about Jewish passports?
What was the text on the eagle stamps? Stadt (insert town) or something else?

[JUNGCO]

The Reichgesetzblatt was the list by year of all the new laws passed into law. It did not cover who used what stamp on the Kennkarte. Yes, that book covered Jewish passports (page 1342) but also many other laws changes regarding Jews.
Jeff

[Schenk]

Very interesting!
So like most stamps and such, everyone did what they wanted?
The only thing I'd find logical is that the police used eagle stamps, and the city council used their own stamps.

[Schenk]

I think I already know the answer, but were civillians required to get their Kennkarte in their own town?

[Schenk]

Does anybody know where to look for pictures of the issueing of Kennkartes?
I can't find any in the Bundesbildarchiv.

[Gerdan]

The issueing of the Kennkarte was a veryindividual process done by a local clerk/magistrate.

At first you had to file an application and to add two ID pictures (one for the files and one for the Kennkarte): After some time you had to come again to the office, sign the Kennkarte in front of the magistate and then you received your Kennkarte.
Normally no one did take photos of this process.

Gerdan

[Gerdan]

Responsable for issuing the Kennkarte was your local authority

(Gemeindeverwaltung/Stadtverwaltung/Bürgermeisteramt) from the town in which you are living - as it is today.

This is the reason that the stamps on the Kennkarte sometimes had the local city arms if the city which issues the Kennkarte - owns their own coat of arms.

It was not necessary for a city to have an own crest. If they did not have a local crest they had the state eagle on their stamp.

Gerdan

Gerdan

[andrewb]

Here is one issued in the town of St. Polten, 60km West of Vienna, Austria. Issued by the Police Director of the town and signed by him. The stamp has the Wehrmacht eagle wih the towns name around the bottom.

This one belongs to my mum.

Regards,
AB.

[Gerdan]

AB

the eagle on the stamp ist not only the "Wehrmacht eagle" - it was the official coat of arms of the Deutsche Reich.

A l l official German (governmeltal) institutions and offices had to use this eagle.

Gerdan

[andrewb]

"the eagle on the stamp ist not only the "Wehrmacht eagle" - it was the official coat of arms of the Deutsche Reich."

Exactly my point.

Regards,
AB.