LATVIA : WO II

June 22, 1941 Operation Barbarosso, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, started. July 1, 1941, Riga is occupied and 10 July whole Latvia was occupied.
On October 1, 1941, the Latvian Post and Deutsche Dienspost Ostland went up into the Generalpostkommissariat Ostland.
This card is sent 19-5-1944, so in the period of Generalpostkommissariat Ostland.
Postal stationary card with 'Hitler head' stamp, overprinted 'Ostland'. There are two different: 6 Pfennig, this card, (issued 11.1941, Michel P1) and 5 Pfennig (issued 03.07.1943, Michel P2).
THe handbook of Hofmann gives the postal rates: period 4 (01.07.1943 - 30.06.1944): inland postcard 6 Pfennig and local card 5 Pfennig. In the period before: no special rate for local postcards. The overprinted P2 was issued for the new rate local use.
The card is sent from the Latvian Daugavpils, in the postmark we see also the old German name DÜNABURG.

The postmark, resized 50 %.

This is a German postmark for a Latvian post office: German name with the Latvian name in brackets next to the German name. This type postmarks is prepared in Germany from about the middle of 1942.

The card is sent to the Latvian place Ēglaine and the text is in Latvian:
Laikrakste (Newspaper)
"Daugavas vēstnesis" (Daugava messenger)
stacijas kioskā (station kiosk) .....

June 22, 1941 Operation Barbarosso, the German invasion of the Soviet Union, started. July 1, 1941, Riga is occupied and 10 July whole Latvia was occupied.
Liepāja was taken already on 28 June 1941. This occupation lasted until May 8, 1945.



Mi.2, resized 50 %.
The 'Latvian Post' started already on July 1, 1941, and issued 'Latvian' postage stamps: stamps of the Soviet Union - series workers and soldiers - overprinted in black with LATVIJA 1941.1.VII. Also the Latvian stamps were valid. The Latvian Post was meant for Latvian civilians and managed the mailboxes.
On September 1941 the more or less independent Latvian Post ended her activities. On October 1, 1941, the Latvian Post and Deutsche Dienspost Ostland went up into the Generalpostkommissariat Ostland.

The Deutsche Dienspost Ostland (D.D.O.) started on August 16, 1941, and was not meant for the inhabitants of the occupied Latvia. The DDO managed not mailboxes and mail should be delivered to the offices of the DDO. Also in Liepāja was een 'Dienstpostamt (Dienesta pasta kantoris), office, of the DDO established.

In the postmark we see the indication Deutsche Dienstpost Ostland. Also we see the old German name for Liepāja: Libau.

Here is used an folded fieldpostcover and the postmark has serial letter c. This postmark is used 26.08.41-29.04.45. Other postmarks of the DDO in Liepāja:
serial letter a (08.12.41-28.04.45)
serial letter b (10.10.41-24.12.44)

The text of the letter:
Libau. 22. juni 43'
Liebe Eltern!
Mit viel Freude und Dank habe Ich getern 2 Pāckchen von Euch erhalten. Besten Dank dafur.

Dear Parents,
With great joy and thanks yesterday I received two packets from you. Many thanks for that. ......

The Handbook

• Lettland Handbuch Philatelie und Postgeschichte : Lettland vor dem und als Teil vom Generalpostkommissariat OSTLAND = = Latvia Handbook of Philately and postal history : Latvia before and as part of the "Generalpostkommissariat OSTLAND" / herausgegeben von Harry von Hofmann
  Hamburg : Harry v. Hofmann Verlag, 2001. - 448 p.
  [About: Latvia before and as part of Generalkommissariat Ostland: chronicle, currencies and postal tariffs, stamps, postal stationery, special types of dispatch, fieldpost, postmarks, special procedures, postal forms, postal locations, documents, in German and English]

Pictures on this page, if not mentioned otherwise: scanned about 300 dpi. Then set right and resized 25 % of this image and saved as jpg.

Literature

• Post uit Liepāja, Libau, ЛИБАВА [LIBAVA] 4 / Jan Kaptein
  In: HBG 2016 ; 68. - p. 14-19
  [Post from Liepāja,part 4: Latvian Soviet Republic (1940), World War II German occupation, Courland Pocket (stamps), article in Dutch]

The postmark, resized 50 %.