DWM card

[Edward Tinker]

I have never heard this?

Forced Labour at DWM, German weapons-factory, controle card, 1944.

Original card of the Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken A.G. Posen (DWM).

Short background:

Due to the invasion of Germany in Poland the name of the weapons-factory Cegielski-Poznan S.A. was changed to DWM, producing German weapons such as the famous Luger and Mauser.

Historical interesting because in 1940-45 the group DWM & AFA counted 51.000 forced labourers from concentration camps and POW-camps. Those where companies of the famous family Quandt (w.a. Gunter Quandt).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/WWII-GERMANY...QAAOSwX~dWjtI5

[rolandtg]

Front and back of card in question. Perhaps someone can translate.

[ithacaartist]

It says, roughly, that it's a control card for company-owned attire. Monica was issued work shoes and an occupational dress. The fine print below says the work clothes belong at the factory, are provided for a fee, and are to be voluntarily returned upon termination of employment, even if it has become unusable. Some deposit is offset against something. Google helped.

[George Anderson]

The seller's description is so historically inaccurate that it's laughable.

[sheepherder]

What else...Hmmm...If the last letter was 'f', then Küchenhilf would be 'chef'...or cook...

So, Monika, who is a 'friseuse' ["hairdresser"], works in the kitchen??? Of an arms factory???

Makes perfect sense to me!

[DonVoigt]

Kitchen help, fry cook?

[sheepherder]

Originally Posted by DonVoigt

Kitchen help, fry cook?

My Langenscheidt's says "ladies hairdresser"...But if it was my house, I would do the haircutting in the kitchen...And I do have arms here...

Maybe I should issue passes???

[ithacaartist]

Originally Posted by DonVoigt

Kitchen help, fry cook?

Literally, kitchen help, which could be lots of specific things, sous chef, dishwasher, saucier, prep cook, line cook, butcher, pastry cook. It might well be that a woman who was an hairdresser by previous trade was conscripted to work in this factory. It makes sense that a factory would have a kitchen--nobody needed to go home for lunch, thus faster back at their jobs, and no escapees!

[Edward Tinker]

Originally Posted by George Anderson

The seller's description is so historically inaccurate that it's laughable.

Geo, that is what I thought - DWM was no longer called that by what, 1934 if not earlier...

[George Anderson]

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

Geo, that is what I thought - DWM was no longer called that by what, 1934 if not earlier...

My remark had more to the seller allusion to slave labor in occupied Poland than DWM. DWM continued to operate long after the arms division ceased to exist. I believe that they made everything from baby strollers to bicycles. As to "occupied Poland", Posen was a part of Germany from the 1750's through 1945. It was only after WWII that Poland gobbled up West Prussia, East Prussia, Pomerania, Galicia, Silesia, etc.

[rolandtg]

Originally Posted by Edward Tinker

Geo, that is what I thought - DWM was no longer called that by what, 1934 if not earlier...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsc...itionsfabriken

DWM existed in some form until the '50's. They used that logo from the mid-30's until the 50's.

[Sergio Natali]

Originally Posted by ithacaartist

Literally, kitchen help, which could be lots of specific things, sous chef, dishwasher, saucier, prep cook, line cook, butcher, pastry cook. It might well be that a woman who was an hairdresser by previous trade was conscripted to work in this factory. It makes sense that a factory would have a kitchen--nobody needed to go home for lunch, thus faster back at their jobs, and no escapees!

Somehow it's amusing to see that we are all LUGER enthusiasts, and quite often German/Nazi stuff is being offered for sale here, but most of us seem to use Google to translate from German, me included of course.