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17-06-2018 12:25:02
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Federal Republic of Germany : First Generation Post-war Passport (1954)

The passport was issued in Frankfurt, Germany.

After World War II, Germany was occupied by the Allied Forces which was divided into four sectors. During this period, passports, travel permits and other documents were issued only by the Allied Forces Travel Board under control of Allied Military Government. On 1 February 1951 the power to issue passports was given to the Federal Republic of Germany, which was loosely called as West Germany. However, the Allied Forces were still issuing travel documents in Berlin until 1968.

German passports are issued, just like German ID cards, by local municipal registration offices. Applicants have to apply for a new passport in person and the data in newly issued passports is essentially an authenticated copy of the personal data found in locally stored registration documents.

Coat-of-Arms of Germany
 
The coat of arms of Germany displays a black eagle with red feet, beak and tongue on a yellow field, blazoned: Or, an eagle displayed sable beaked langued and membered gules. This is the Bundesadler or "Federal Eagle", formerly the Reichsadler or "Imperial Eagle".

The Federal Republic of Germany adopted the Weimar eagle as its symbol in 1950. Since then it has been known as the Bundesadler ("federal eagle"). The legal basis of the use of this coat of arms is the announcement by President Theodor Heuss, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and Interior Minister Gustav Heinemann of January 20, 1950, which is word for word identical to the announcement by President Friedrich Ebert and Interior Minister Erich Koch-Weser by November 11, 1919:

By reason of a decision of the Federal Government I hereby announce that the Federal coat of arms on a gold-yellow shield shows the one headed black eagle, the head turned to the right, the wings open but with closed feathering, beak, tongue and claws of red color. If the Federal Eagle is shown without a frame, the same charge and colors as those of the eagle of the Federal coat of arms are to be used, but the tops of the feathers are directed outside. The patterns kept by the Federal Ministry of the Interior are definitive for the heraldic design. The artistic design is reserved to each special purpose.

— The Federal President Theodor Heuß, The Federal Chancellor Adenauer, The Federal Minister of the Interior Heinemann, Announcement concerning the federal coat of arms and the federal eagle.


PHOTO
 
The photo was put together into the document by using two circular metal clips on top-right and bottom-left. Both however are showing sign of rust and a special OPP was but in between pages to avoid contact.

STORAGE NOTES
 
1. Because of the document has two metal clips, it has to be stored without having any pressure on any side as to avoid the metal from making more impressions to other pages.
2. Rust problem from the metal clips. OPP was put to avoid contact with other pages and requirement to put under controlled humidity as to avoid further rust.






FOOTNOTES

1. Thank you to Tom Topol for his help and his websites.
http://www.passport-collector.com/first-federal-germany-passport/
http://www.passport-collector.com/earliest-passport-federal-germany/

2. Reference for Coat-of-Arms
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coat_of_arms_of_Germany#Federal_Republic_of_Germany