Prinzersdorf: License plate

After the “Anschluss” of Austria to Nazi Germany in 1938, Lower Austria became the “Gau Niederdonau”. From then on, license plates were issued according to Nazi German standards: black letters on a white background with the stamp of the Nazi Reichsadler (imperial eagle).

In 1945, after the end of the Nazi regime, Lower Austria and its surrounding districts were placed under Soviet administration. The rules for license plates changed accordingly: they had to show a coat of arms and a flag, as well as white letters on a black background.

This license plate belonged to a bakery in Prinzersdorf near Sankt Pölten. During and after the liberation in 1945, Nazi symbols were banned from the public sphere. The license plate was therefore repainted according to the new standards. Nevertheless, the embossed Nazi Reichsadler remained visible.