Very complete German named civilian document grouping belonging to Kurt Fritz Rudolph of Chemnitz, a trained stone-setter and later building contractor (Baumeister).
The grouping consists of six original documents spanning more than three decades, from Rudolph’s apprenticeship beginning in 1914, through the Weimar and Third Reich periods, and into the immediate postwar era. Multiple documents contain matching personal information, photographs, signatures, Chemnitz references and professional details, allowing the group to be confidently attributed to the same individual.
Particularly noteworthy is Rudolph’s 1934 German Reisepass, which contains extensive international travel documentation, including a 1936 United States visa and documented admission at New York, as well as travel through Austria, Czechoslovakia and Italy.
Together, the documents provide an unusually detailed record of the professional and personal life of a German master craftsman and building contractor.
1. Steinsetzer Lehrbrief – Chemnitz – 1920
Large, highly decorative Journeyman’s Certificate (Lehrbrief) issued by the Steinsetzer-Meister-Innung zu Chemnitz in Sachsen.
The certificate records that Rudolph completed his apprenticeship in the stone-setting trade under master craftsman Louis Rudolph, beginning in October 1914 and concluding with his examination on April 23, 1920.
The document features elaborate architectural and occupational artwork, including Chemnitz city imagery, stone workers at work, trade tools and the guild seal.
Issued: April 23, 1920
Organization: Steinsetzer-Meister-Innung zu Chemnitz
Trade: Stone Setter / Steinsetzer
Apprenticeship: 1914–1920
Condition: Very good, with original folds, age toning and period handling.
2. Lehrbrief / Professional Certificate
Black hard-cover Lehrbrief containing additional documentation relating to Rudolph’s professional training and qualifications.
The document complements the large decorative Steinsetzer certificate and forms part of the surviving documentation of his development from apprentice craftsman to qualified professional.
Type: Trade / apprenticeship documentation
Period: Early professional career
Condition: Very good period condition with light age and handling wear.
3. Deutsches Reich Reisepass – 1934–1939
Original German Reich passport No. 534, issued to Kurt Fritz Rudolph by the Polizei-Präsidium Chemnitz on March 13, 1934.
The passport contains Rudolph’s original portrait photograph and signature and identifies him as a Baumeister (master builder/building contractor), born July 4, 1898, and residing in Chemnitz.
This is one of the highlights of the grouping due to the extensive travel documentation preserved inside.
The passport contains numerous visas, border-control stamps and currency-control entries documenting travel during the 1930s, including Austria, Czechoslovakia, Italy and the United States.
Of particular interest is a United States non-immigrant visa issued by the American Consulate at Dresden on December 5, 1936, identifying Rudolph as a Temporary Visitor.
The passport additionally bears an American immigration entry recording his admission at New York, confirming that the U.S. visa was actually used.
Later entries document additional European travel, including a 1939 Italian journey, together with German foreign-currency control paperwork and an attached Süd-Reise Büro travel document.
Issued: March 13, 1934
Issuing Authority: Polizei-Präsidium Chemnitz
Passport No.: 534
Occupation: Baumeister
Validity: Germany and abroad; valid until March 13, 1939
Notable Feature: 1936 U.S. visa and documented admission at New York
Condition: Very good used condition with numerous original stamps, visas and inserted travel documentation.
4. Handwerkskarte – Handwerkskammer Chemnitz – 1935
Original Handwerkskarte issued by the Handwerkskammer Chemnitz.
The card records Rudolph’s entry into the Handwerksrolle and documents his professional standing as the proprietor of a trade business.
Importantly, the document states that the holder was authorized to use the Meistertitel (Master Craftsman title) and to train apprentices in his trade.
It contains an original portrait photograph of Rudolph, his signature, official stamps and later administrative validations, including a 1945 Handwerk registration stamp and a 1950 Handwerkskammer Sachsen / Chemnitz validation.
This makes the card particularly useful in documenting the continuation of Rudolph’s professional career through the collapse of the Third Reich and into postwar Germany.
Issued: 1935
Organization: Handwerkskammer Chemnitz
Status: Registered Master Craftsman / Business Proprietor
Features: Original photograph, signature, official stamps and postwar validations
Condition: Very good period-used condition.
5. Jagdkarte / Hunting Identification Document
Original German hunting identification/license document belonging to Kurt Fritz Rudolph, preserved in its original dark blue protective cover embossed with a hunting motif.
The document contains another original portrait photograph of Rudolph together with official entries and validations.
As part of the same named grouping, it adds another aspect of Rudolph’s civilian life beyond his professional documentation.
Type: Hunting identification / license document
Holder: Kurt Fritz Rudolph
Features: Original photograph and protective cover
Condition: Very good period condition with expected handling wear to the cover.
6. Deutsches Reich Arbeitsbuch
Original Deutsches Reich Arbeitsbuch belonging to Kurt Fritz Rudolph.
The Arbeitsbuch documents his civilian employment and professional history and complements the Handwerkskarte and earlier trade certificates, helping establish the progression of Rudolph’s working life from trained stone-setter to master craftsman and building contractor.
Type: Deutsches Reich Arbeitsbuch
Holder: Kurt Fritz Rudolph
Occupation: Building / construction trade
Period: Third Reich
Condition: Good period-used condition with expected age toning and handling wear.
Historical Interest
What makes this grouping particularly desirable is not simply the individual documents, but their continuity and common provenance.
Together they document more than three decades in the life of one German craftsman:
1914 – Apprenticeship begins
1920 – Qualified in the stone-setting trade
1930s – Established professional career in Chemnitz
1934–1939 – International travel, including the United States
1935 – Registered master craftsman and business proprietor
1945–1950 – Postwar professional validations
The photographs also provide an interesting visual progression of Rudolph over the years.
The apprenticeship was completed under master stone-setter Louis Rudolph, who shares the recipient’s surname and may have been a relative; however, the exact relationship has not been established.
A particularly attractive and cohesive named German civilian document archive, substantially more interesting than a collection of unrelated individual documents.
Period: Imperial Germany / Weimar Era / Third Reich / Early Postwar Germany
Country: Germany
Location: Chemnitz, Saxony
Named Recipient: Kurt Fritz Rudolph
Occupation: Steinsetzer / Master Craftsman / Baumeister
Documents: 6 original related documents
Date Range: 1914–1950
Highlights: Multiple photographs, signatures, professional certificates, master craftsman documentation, Reisepass, international visas and border stamps, U.S. visa and New York admission
Condition: Overall very good period-used condition. Normal age toning, staining, folds and handling wear are present. Please refer to the photographs for individual document condition.
