Wartime Signature on a Thank-You Card of Ministerialdirektor Leopold Gutterer

Leopold Gutterer (25 April 1902 – 28 April 1991) was a senior official (Ministerialdirektor) in the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda), serving directly under Joseph Goebbels. A long-time civil servant and National Socialist administrator, Gutterer held influential posts related to press, film, and cultural coordination during the war years. This original wartime thank-you card, personally signed by Gutterer, was issued on the occasion of his promotion within the Ministry. The printed text expresses gratitude for the attention shown upon his advancement, ending with his handwritten signature in black ink. Awards and Decorations Golden Party Badge of the NSDAP. War Merit Cross (Kriegsverdienstkreuz) 2nd Class. Various civil service awards for long-term political and administrative service. Item Details Original wartime signature of Ministerialdirektor Leopold Gutterer. Issued on a printed official thank-you card marking his promotion. Institution: Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, Berlin. Medium: Heavy stock card with deckle edges, period typeface, and ink signature. Size: Approx. 10 × 15 cm (postcard format). Condition: Very good; light age-related toning and minimal edge wear. Signature remains clear and well preserved. Collector’s Note Authentic signed material from senior officials of the Propaganda Ministry is scarce, especially from Ministerialdirektor Leopold Gutterer. This example illustrates the formal bureaucratic correspondence and ceremonial culture within the Reich’s propaganda administration. A historically valuable document for collectors of Third Reich political and administrative ephemera.