Original WWII German Propaganda Leaflet – “German Soldiers are Friends of the People!” (Eastern Front, 1942–43)

Rare original German propaganda leaflet printed in Russian for distribution among Red Army soldiers on the Eastern Front.
The front shows a German soldier embracing a child, with the caption “Немецкие солдаты — друзья народа!” (“German soldiers are friends of the people!”).

The reverse contains a detailed message addressed to Soviet troops — “Бойцы! Командиры!” (“Fighters! Commanders!”) — encouraging them to surrender to German forces, with promises of good treatment and better living conditions under German occupation.
At the bottom appears the official Wehrmacht eagle seal and the text “Dieser Passierschein gilt für Offiziere und Mannschaften der Sowjetarmee”, marking it as a valid passierschein (safe-conduct pass) for surrender.

Printed on thin wartime paper by Propaganda-Abteilung WPr. Ost, likely issued around 1942–1943 during operations in Ukraine and southern Russia.

Condition: Very good for age, with period wear, light soiling and folding marks. All text clearly legible.
Dimensions: approx. 19,5 × 15 cm
Guaranteed original WWII example.

These leaflets were air-dropped or fired in artillery shells over Soviet positions to demoralize enemy troops and present the Wehrmacht as “liberators from Bolshevism.” Authentic examples like this are increasingly hard to find.