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HEAVILY ILLUSTRATED 1943 YEARBOOK OF THE NAZI LABOR SERVICE

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Jahrbuch des Reichsarbeitsdienstes 1943 is a heavily illustrated Nazi book about the RAD or German National Labor Service published by Volk und Reich Verlag in Berlin in 1943. The material was assembled by Oberarbeitsführer Hermann Müller-Brandenburg (Leader of the RAD Department of Foreign Affairs) and the chapters were written by Arbeitsführer from many different parts of Nazi Germany.

In the foreword of this 7th edition of the RAD Yearbook the publisher mentions that while this book was being assembled, brave troops of the Reichsarbeitsdienst were fighting the Bolshevist enemy on battlefields in the East. The next edition of the Jahrbuch des Reichsarbeitsdienstes promised to include more in-depth coverage on the RAD participation in the Ostfeldzug, but this 1943 edition includes reports on the war-time work “with shovels and rifles” of 17 and 18 year old Arbeitsmänner and women of the Nazi Labor Service working for Führer, Volk und Reich within the borders of Germany.

Jahrbuch des Reichsarbeitsdienstes 1943 starts with a full-page photo of Adolf Hitler greeting Reichsarbeitsführer Konstantin Hierl at the Führer’s forested Hauptquartier, followed by a picture of an armed RAD member in the Soviet Union.

Chapters cover subjects like RAD education in war-time, Nazi Labor Service in the East, a report by a high-ranking RAD leader about his visit to motorized RAD troops attached to a Panzerarmee in the Soviet Union, war work by female RAD members, a report by a high-ranking RAD leader about his visit to RAD troops attached to an Army outfit in Ukraine, leadership of the Weibliche RAD, RAD construction projects in various parts of Greater Germany and territories occupied by German forces such as Alsace, Holland, Norway and Rumania.

Photos printed on glossy paper are interspersed throughout the text and show RAD men at work in Norway, taking down barb wire border fencing in the Alsace (below), putting metal anti-tank obstacles in place, RAD men eating and pitching their tents in the East, RAD men with Generalfeldmarschal Kesselring at an airport construction project in the East (above), building bridges and roads for tanks in the Soviet Union, a visit by Reichsarbeitsführer Konstantin Hierl near the frontlines in the East, an Iron Cross medal ceremony for RAD men, young women during their obligatory labor service, barracks for female RAD leadership, Norwegian Labor Service leadership with Reichsarbeitsführer Hierl in Berlin, Rumanian Labor Service leaders, Marschall Antonescu during a visit to a RAD leadership school in Rumania, etc. The photos are by named war correspondents, Presse Hoffmann Berlin, Scherl Berlin, RAD archives and other sources.

There are several technical drawings and charts and in the back the larger two-sided fold-out map is still there. One side shows RAD building projects all over Greater Germany and the reverse side shows the west coast of Schleswig-Holstein.

Since the covers of these RAD yearbooks look very similar some people assume the content is the same. It is not so check your Jahrbuch des Reichsarbeitsdienstes inventory to see if you own this 1943 edition!

This 7-5/8 x 8-5/8 inch hardcover example of Jahrbuch des Reichsarbeitsdienstes 1943 has 100 pages. The RAD logo and title of the book are embossed on the front cover. The 80 year old book is in nice used condition. The spine has been scotch taped, but the binding is tight and the pages are in very good condition. No odor.