Original German WWII Female 1942 Propaganda Poster – We Women Know our Duty – 23⅛” x 33″ Original Items

Original Item. Only One Available. Recently we had another dealer purchase this poster and declare it was a post war fantasy printed on the wrong type of paper. However, since that time we have had a few more opinions from third party experts that believe the poster to be authentic to the WWII period, which is how we are selling it. 

Here is another original and identical example located in the collection of the Victoria & Albert Museum in London at this link. 

This is an unbelievably rare example of a German WWII propaganda poster meant to encourage women to take up factory jobs during wartime, featuring an Aryan woman with her sleeves rolled up at a machining job, with German soldiers in the background tinted red, charging toward battle. This female factory worker is an embodiment of strength and fierce patriotism. Her duty lies in the factory just as the soldier’s does in battle. The poster is in contrast to pre-war NSDAPimages of women whose female duties were depicted as maternal and domestic.

The text under the woman reads: Wir frauen kennen unsere Pflicht! This translates to We Women Know our Duty! This poster was meant to encourage women on the homefront to take up the jobs left by men who joined the military. This poster is in great condition with two sizable tears at the top and several other small tears across the edges. It may have been folded once in the past but it’s very hard to tell.

The text at the top of the poster reads Creditanstalt-Bankverein Wien, a bank in Vienna where the poster was likely displayed. On the right side reads CYLIAX DRUCK WIEN, which is where it was printed. There is a symbol for the men who designed the poster on the left side, two interlocking rings with MOROCUTTI BERNHARD between them. 

German propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels and the American Office of War Information took on similar tasks during World War II. Both worked to persuade citizens of the importance of the war effort, stir up patriotism, and emphasize crucial efforts like resource conservation and silence about military tactics.

This is a very rare example of a propaganda poster from a government that dissolved many years ago. It measures roughly 23⅛” x 33″. Ready for further research and display!