The first Passport of Federal Germany?
First Passport Federal Germany
As a genuine researcher and collector of German passports, it gives me today a great pleasure to display (one) of the very first “Federal Republic Of Germany” passports. After WWII, Germany was occupied by the Allied Forces and divided into four sectors. For six years, passports, travel permits, etc., were issued only by the Allied Forces Travel Board. On Feb 1, 1951, the power to issue passports was finally returned to Federal Germany. However, the Allied Forces still issued travel documents in Berlin only till 1968 (23 years after WWII).
Now I was excited to find out that a Federal Germann passport was issued at German Consulate General in New York, already on Nov 13, 1950(!) First Passport Federal Germany
The passport was issued to a business manager from Stuttgart, Germany living in New York. Two renewals till 1955. Several visas to Germany, France, Belgium, and Switzerland. The passport number is 190/50 (while the document serial number is 1000194), so we can assume that until November 1950, only 190 passports were issued. While researching when Germany established diplomatic relations again, I could only find clear evidence of the Consulate General in London, based on June 16, 1950. I believe mid-1950 was the earliest date when German Consulates and Embassies were established.
It’s fantastic that I could grab this early document which is my best knowledge, the first issued Federal Germany passport of physical existence.
During my research, I found out that the US Consulate in Hamburg was just the 11th Consulate worldwide, where the United States Of America established diplomatic relations with foreign nations. The Hamburg Consulate was established in 1790, and John Parish was his first Vice-Consul. The first foreign US diplomatic mission was established in 1781 in Paris. First Passport Federal Germany
