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REICHSFÜHRER-SS SCHNELLBRIEF DATED 26 APRIL 1940
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AN EXCEPTIONALLY
HISTORIC SS SCHNELLBRIEF (URGENT DIRECTIVE)
DATED 26 APRIL 1940
FROM THE
REICHSFÜHRER-SS
UND CHEF DER
DEUTSCHEN POLIZEI IM REICHSMINISTERIUM
DES INNERN IN BERLIN
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| Few historians and collectors of Third Reich material have ever seen an authentic Reichsführer-SS Schnellbrief or Urgent Directive. Schnellbriefe are extremely rare because they were used exclusively at the highest level to dispense very sensitive information to a tiny group of SS and Polizei officials. The Urgent Directives have a unique appearance. The page size is 210 x 295 mm (8-1/4 x 11-5/8 inches) and the perimeter of each page is a bold 10 mm (3/8 inch) red border. |
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| Schnellbriefe were NEVER allowed to circulate outside the offices of those agencies specifically addressed at the beginning. Everyone addressed also knew precisely who else had access to the information the Schnellbrief contained. When received by the addressee, each Schnellbrief was stamped in the upper right corner and dated with an official receipt stamp. All those who read the Schnellbrief were required to initial it. |
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| THIS SPECIFIC SCHNELLBRIEF contains four pages. The address of the sender (Der Reichsführer-SS) is at the top of page 1 along with the code of the Schnellbrief and the day it was sent (26 April 1940). A receiving stamp from the Office of the Reichsstatthalter in Wien (Vienna) was applied in the upper right corner with the date 29 April 1940, along with the initials of those who read it. |
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| The names and addresses of the 40 SS and Police units authorized to receive this Schnellbrief are listed numerically from 1 to 12 at the bottom of page 1. Units 13 to 40 are listed in full on page 2 and 3.
At the bottom of page 3 is the message from Heinrich Himmler over the seal of Der Reichsführer-SS und Chef der Deutschen Polizei im Reichsministerium des Innern, Chef der Ordnungspolizei, Kanzlei attested to by the signature of Himmler’s Police Administrative Secretary.
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| THE MESSAGE IN THIS SCHNELLBRIEF is extremely important historically. While Himmler used the burden of heavy railway traffic as an excuse to limit railway travel during the period of 10 to 15 May 1940, the real reason was the planned invasion of Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg and France. The message in this Schnellbrief translates: |
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| “The heavy occupancy rates on the Reichsbahn still exist. I therefore forbid all non-essential Police and SS travel in the time period from 10 through 15 May 1940. This order also applies to Service and Vacation Travel planned over the railways during this period.” Over the name H. Himmler, attested to by (signature) Police Administrative Secretary. |
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An absolutely fascinating and important piece of mid-20th century history, of a sort virtually never offered for sale. This Schnellbrief is from the collection of authors Ray & Josephine Cowdery and comes with a signed and dated Certificate of Authenticity. |
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For more Kripo, Gestapo, SS and concentration camp documents, click HERE.
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