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HARDBOUND ISSUES OF ALL ILLUSTRIRTE ZEITUNG ISSUES PUBLISHED BETWEEN 5 OCTOBER AND 28 DECEMBER 1939

Text and images copyright © 2025 by USM, Inc.

The oversized magazine Illustrirte Zeitung (also written Jllustrirte in German) was published weekly by Verlag J. J. Weber in Leipzig for a very long time before the National Socialists were elected to power in Germany. “Germany’s oldest illustrated weekly magazine” prided itself on providing “the best knowledge of Germany’s economy and culture” and contains lots of pictures and diplomatic and foreign policy news. It was the semi-official record of what went on in the Foreign Service and at the highest echelon of German government. The excellent editorial content was always supplemented with big, sharp photographs, illustrations and art in color and black & white, and all printed on high-quality white paper.

Over the years USMBOOKS has offered many different examples of Illustrirte Zeitung, single magazines and bound years. This is a 10-3/4 x 14-5/8 inch, 1 inch thick hardbound book containing all bi-weekly issues published between 5 October 1939 and 28 December 1939, with approximately 300 heavily illustrated pages. These seven issues of Illustrirte Zeitung were bound with their covers. The front cover from the first issue was used on the front hardcover of this bound book.

The content is remarkable! Looking through the book is like having a front row seat during the start of World War II. Lots of news, photos of the Wehrmacht invasion of Poland, Adolf Hitler visiting the troops, high-ranking Wehrmacht officers, military equipment, strategic advances, Polish capitulation, the victory parade in Warsaw, as well as maps.

There are news announcements about the death of Generaloberst Freiherr von Fritsch near Warsaw on 22 September 1939, behind the scenes diplomacy, that Dr. Hans Frank would be in charge of all civilian administration in German occupied Poland, etc., etc.

There are photos of Wehrmacht troops in action, military vehicles, RAD men repairing bridges, battle damage, Polish POWs, photo portraits of the German generals involved in the Polenfeldzug (Von Bock, Von Kluge, Halder, Von Küchler, Von Rundstedt, Kesselring, Löhr, Jeschonek, List, Von Manstein, Blaskowitz and others), and many of these generals visiting Adolf Hitler at the Reichschancellery in Berlin after the military victory in Poland.

Aside from the war news, these 1939 issues of Illustrirte Zeitung also have articles about wars started by England throughout the ages (including in Poland), the German war economy, a Hitler Youth Trip to the Balkans, Iran’s economic expansion, Belgian and Dutch neutrality, Nazi submarines, the NSKK Motor Sport School in Niedersachsen (left & below), Hitler’s visit to U-Boot crews in Wilhelmshaven (see photo at the top of this USMBOOKS web page), King Regent of Yugoslavia Peter II, the industrial-economic exhibition at Belgrade, changes in the Italian government, and the build-up of fortifications at the Westfront (accompanied by a full-page color map titled “Between the Westwall and Maginot Line").

There are many fine watercolor paintings and black & white sketches of the action on the battlefield in Poland, at sea and in the air.

They include Luftwaffe Stukas attacking the railway in Poland, a remarkable full-color, full-page painting of German planes attacking a British aircraft carrier, engineers rebuilding and repairing bridges so Nazi tanks could use them again, Wehrmacht troops encountering Volksdeutschen (ethnic Germans) in Poland, the aerial attack on the “Royal Oak”, Nazi submarines at sea, etc. They are by well-known artists like Rudolf Lipus, Karl Storch, Walter Zeeben, Wolf Strobel, and others.

The original advertising was also bound into this book and is by well-known companies such as by Mauser, Henschel, Steyr, Leica, Bols, NSU, Deutsche Reichspost, Warners, Hensoldt, Deutsche Bank, NSV, Dr. Oetker, Deutsche Reichsbahn, Nivea, Opel, Reichslotterie, Allianz, Mercedes typewriters, Asbach Uralt, Hansaplast, Junghans, Philipp Holzmann, Dresdner Bank and this bound book of fall-winter 1939 issues of Illustrirte Zeitung even contains a color insert advertising Agfa Sixtus exposure meters.

Above, advertising by the German Opera House in Berlin. They call the four opera performances advertised "the nicest Christmas gift for friends or acquaintances in the Reichshauptstadt!"

The last issue in this book (dated 28 December 1939) has extensive color and black & white content about the country of Romania, a staunch Nazi ally. It covers the Rumanian Propaganda Ministry, armed forces (above), oil industry, royal family, agriculture, foreign exports, folklore dresses, churches, art, tourism, etc.

It has a huge double-page spread color map of the country, portraits of King Carol II, Crown Prince Michael and Prime Minister Tatarescu as well as a heavily illustrated article about Romanian engineer and industrialist Nicolae Malaxa.

While we can not be absolutely certain that every page in every 85+ year old Illustrirte Zeitung magazine is there, we did not notice any missing, any pictures cut out or other damage to the 5 pound book while making the photos for this listing. Very nice used condition, no odor.

Above, Staatssekretär Dr. Friedrich Landfried, in charge of German-Yugoslav trade. Below, swastika flags in front of the German Pavillion at the Belgrade industrial-economic exhibition.