Another AMG Stateless passport
Allied Military Government travel document.
Towards the end of World War Two the allied forces liberated areas that were originally under Axis rule, starting with northern Africa, moving on to Sicily, Italy France and ending with Germany (on the European continent).
The Allies governed Germany, Austria, France, Italy and Trieste. Each one of those areas had special papers and documents, currency and stamps. They administrated a military type of rule and the governing body of this military administration was called the Allied Control Council.
Germany was divided into 4 separate zones, the Western zones run by the Americans, British and French and the eastern zone run by the Soviet Union. Each zone had its own movement permits and also an “Inter-zonal Travel Permit” and a “Zonal Travel Permit” for German nationals.
The occupiers in Germany issued travel documents for those under their control, for German nationals and for those now displaced or stateless and wanted to either return back to their original homes or find a new beginning elsewhere abroad. They began to issue them in 1946-1947, printed several times, and another second version that appeared in 1948, this time a green clothed cover for German nationals and a red clothed cover for the stateless or DP’s.
“Military Government for Germany” was the title on the first travel documents issued, and later issues had the issuing body printed as “Allied High Commission for Germany”.
The item here was issued for stateless individual, and this was one of the 1st versions, printed at the end of 1947 (imprint: PSS (B) 5812/30m/10.47), simple and rather primitive thick covers. Document No. 61148 was issued at Bad Zalzuflen to IRO refugee Jossy Dawidowics, native of Czechoslovakia.
The item here is an attractive sample, for one reason, because the issuing date is rather late, for its final destination: British Palestine.
The entry visa was made out by the British VISA section in Germany on April 30th of 1948, about 2 weeks before the termination of the occupation, the Mandate, and establishing of the State of Israel. Visa number H/1498 was a rare issue for the time: the British imposed strict entry quotas and mainly to those trying to arrive from liberated Europe, mainly Germany. All illegal entry attempts were dealt with harshly, with the captured being deported to detention camps.
Jossy arrived, in transit, at France on May 17th, and left from Marseille via boat, arriving on the 30th at Haifa with the fresh and new entry stamp applied by the Immigration Department (page 8). Jossy went through the customs procedures on June 3rd at the Tel Aviv Custom House (p.10).
From then on he was a citizen, and a free one at last.
Enjoy the images.
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