Postage stamps 1940–1945

The Protectorate's first stamps for the German Red Cross appeared on 29 June 1940, designed by M. Geyer, in sheets where stamps alternated with coupons like a chessboard; they show a nurse with a standing wounded soldier.

Czech Wikipedia reads this sequence as a hidden anti-German joke by the designers – the soldier's condition supposedly worsening year by year, with the soldier on the 1942 stamp described as dying. The Beneš catalogue describes the motifs neutrally, and no other source was found to confirm this reading.

The second series of landscapes, castles and towns came out gradually from 31 March to the end of 1940; the high values from 5 to 20 K followed on 20 November 1940, showing Bechyně, České Budějovice, Kroměříž, the Wallenstein Garden in Prague and Charles Bridge.

For the 100th anniversary of the birth of Antonín Dvořák, born on 8 September 1841 in Nelahozeves; the stamps came out two weeks early, on 25 August 1941.

Four stamps were issued on 7 September 1941 for the Prague Fair: a ploughman for agriculture on the 30 and 60 h values and a blast furnace for industry on the 1.20 and 2.50 K. They were designed by J. Sejpka and V. Silovský and printed in photogravure in 2 million sets.

The issue for the 150th anniversary of Mozart's death recalls his tie to Prague: Don Giovanni had its premiere at the Estates Theatre on 29 October 1787, the only theatre in the world where Mozart himself premiered an opera and which is still in use today.

For the 3rd anniversary of the Protectorate, on 15 March 1942, two landscape stamps of 1941 – 1.20 K with Prague and 2.50 K with Brno, both designed by J. C. Vondrouš and engraved by B. Heinz – received an overprint with an eagle and a date, blue on the lower value and red on the higher.

The German Reichspost issued surcharged stamps for Hitler's birthday on 20 April every year from 1937; the Protectorate took up the practice in 1942–1944.

The definitive series with Hitler's portrait appeared in July 1942 and was among the first to carry 'Deutsches Reich' as well as 'Böhmen und Mähren / Čechy a Morava'. It was designed by J. Sejpka; the 1 K to 2.40 K values were engraved by J. Schmidt, the 2.50 K to 50 K values by J. Goldschmied, and the heller values were printed in photogravure.

The definitive series with Hitler's portrait appeared in July 1942 and was among the first to carry 'Deutsches Reich' as well as 'Böhmen und Mähren / Čechy a Morava'. It was designed by J. Sejpka; the 1 K to 2.40 K values were engraved by J. Schmidt, the 2.50 K to 50 K values by J. Goldschmied, and the heller values were printed in photogravure.

The Protectorate marked Stamp Day on 10 January 1943 with a single 60 h stamp showing a mounted postilion, designed by A. Erhardt. On the same day the German Reichspost issued its own Stamp Day stamp with an old mail coach.

The Winter Relief charity stamps came out on 29 January 1943, designed by A. Langenberger, and show three figures of 14th-century Bohemian history: Charles IV (60 h), the master builder Peter Parler (1.20 K) and John of Luxembourg (2.50 K). From 1356 Parler led the building of St Vitus Cathedral, where he built the choir, and the Old Town Bridge Tower is also his work.

On 15 February 1943 a second issue appeared with the same Benda dove, now with 'DEUTSCHES REICH' at the top; the nine values from 2 h to 1 K kept their colours.

For Hitler's 54th birthday two stamps came out on 20 April 1943, designed and engraved by J. Schmidt; according to the POFIS catalogue they show Hitler at Prague Castle.

The stamps came out exactly on the 130th anniversary of the birth of Richard Wagner, born on 22 May 1813 in Leipzig. The portrait was designed by A. Langenberger, the scenes from The Mastersingers of Nuremberg and Siegfried by A. Erhardt.

The stamp for the first anniversary of the death of Deputy Reich Protector Reinhard Heydrich, who died after an attack by Czechoslovak parachutists, appeared on 28 May 1943 and shows his death mask.

For the 5th anniversary of the Protectorate three surcharged stamps came out on 15 March 1944, designed by A. Erhardt and printed in photogravure, showing Chod and Haná folk costumes and an eagle with the arms of Bohemia and Moravia.

The third and last Protectorate issue for Hitler's birthday came out on 20 April 1944, designed by A. Erhardt – this time in photogravure, whereas both earlier ones had been printed by rotary recess.

For the 60th anniversary of the death of Bedřich Smetana – the stamps appeared on the very day, 12 May 1944; the composer had died in Prague on 12 May 1884.

For the 600th anniversary of St Vitus Cathedral, whose foundation stone was laid in 1344. The building was finished almost six centuries later, in 1929.