En travaillant en Allemagne 1943

Since 1940, and throughout the war, many foreign volunteers chose to work in Germany, whether for ideological reasons or, more often, for wages or even the release of close prisoners. But from March 1942 onwards, the Nazi government launched a vast policy designed to bring about an influx of labor on its soil. Indeed, due to the ever-increasing need for men in the army, the mines, industry and agriculture lacked the manpower to support the war effort.

As a prime target for this search, Vichy France first organized the "relief" (sending workers to Germany to "relieve" prisoners), then enacted various requisition laws before introducing the S.T.O. (Service du travail obligatoire) on February 16, 1943.
With 600,000 workers in the S.T.O. and 200,000 volunteers, France became one of the main contributors to the Nazi war effort.

Various information campaigns tried to promote work in Germany, deliberately confusing the S.T.O. (mandatory) with voluntary work. The poster "En travaillant en Allemagne, tu seras l'Ambassadeur de la qualité française" ("By working in Germany, you will be an ambassador of French quality"), produced by Éric Castel in 1943, seems to be part of this policy.

With a rather original iconography, this poster proposes a composition and a line rather remarkable for the time.

War 39-45 - Industry

You will be the French quality ambassador

Bedos & Cie Paris

Good condition, folds, small tears