1936 German RPPC Postcard: FLIEGENDER HAMBURGER Train

The Legend on Rails: The 'Fliegender Hamburger' The front of this high-quality RPPC features a stunning photograph of the legendary DRG Class SVT 877, the "Flying Hamburger."

When it entered service in 1933, this streamlined, diesel-electric marvel became the fastest scheduled train service in the world, covering the route between Berlin and Hamburg at an average speed of 124 km/h (77 mph). Its maximum speed, celebrated by a purple slogan stamped on the reverse, was an incredible 160 kilometers per hour. The caption also notes the train featured "Mitropa-Bewirtschaftung," referencing the luxury at-seat dining service provided by Germany's premier hospitality company, Mitropa, making this a journey of both world-record speed and first-class comfort.

The stamp itself depicts the brand-new "Brücke über die Saale" (Saale Bridge), a monumental arch bridge for the Reichsautobahn that had opened just 12 days before this card was mailed. The reverse is also printed with the slogan "Buy Welfare Stamps for the Winter Relief!" A Voice from the Past: The Sütterlin Message What elevates this artifact to a truly unique level is the complete, handwritten message on the reverse, penned in the now-archaic Sütterlin script.

Lilli Laster" in Munich about personal matters: "As a passenger, arrived well after all, at Mother's. It is not a modern reproduction.