Winterhilfe

[Beppo Schmidt]

I read that Hitler made his famous "We are Coming" Battle of Britain speech on September 4, 1940 at the Berlin Sports Palace during a charitable even organized by the Nazis known as Winterhilfe which distributed food parcels to the needy. When was Winterhilfe established, and how was it organized (who ran it, how was the food collected and distributed and by whom, etc.)?

[Zapfenstreich]

Beppo...I don't know if this will be any help to you or not. I collect German postage stamps and from my very limited knowledge I believe the very first Winterhilfswerke semi-postals were issued on 4 November 1937. Perhaps that is when the program began.

On the other hand, I find an Alters und Kinderhilfe issue from 1922, a Rhein und Ruhrhilfe issue from 1923 and a Nothilfe issue from 1924.

There might be earlier issues that I don't know about. My knowlege is
very limited.

Z

[Landser]

The WHW started in 1933 as a collection drive during the winter month' for unempolyed and needies.It's similar
to the United Way ,maybe had not as many deficencies and scandals connected.

Das Winterhilfswerk

http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/nazi/innenp ... interhilf/


There also was a jewish WHW started in 1935 which had the same aimes.

Jüdisches Winterhilfswerk

http://www.dhm.de/lemo/html/nazi/antise ... hilfswerk/