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This is extremely rare Nazi era automotive ephemera from 1939. It is an original 5-1/8 x 8-3/8 inch fold-out color brochure that advertises gas stations on the remarkable Reichsautobahn freeway network of Nazi Germany that have long distance telephone service, or Reiseruf ("travel call"). It was produced by Reichsautobahn Kraftstoff GmbH Berlin or RAK, the company that managed gas stations along the Nazi freeway network.

Reichsautobahn Reiseruf was made possible as a result of cooperation between RAK, Deutsche Reichspost and the Reichssautobahn company and was advertised as a practical feature for travelers that they “will use often and with pleasure”. It states that travelers who use the Reichsautobahn reach their destination faster in all cases, and that with this special phone service they could easily remain in contact with people at their destination.

Like nowhere else on earth, it was also possible to contact travelers driving on the Reichsautobahn through the Reichsautobahn Reiseruf system. Special blackboards were set up in the median near a gas station and gas station operators would write the name or license plate number of a traveler on them to advise traveler to pull off for a phone call!

Note the black sign on the front cover of this brochure announcing a phone call for Dr. Karsten, and the reference photo below with a license plate number instead of a name.

When unfolded, the brochure has a 16-3/4 x 20 inch map on the back showing the entire Reichsautobahn network. Finished stretches are shown as well as planned projects, and freeways sections under construction. The blue dots show RAK Tankstellen or gas stations in operation and under construction. The list of city names on the right side of the map shows the locations of the gas stations and which ones have long distance telephone service (MIT Reichsautobahn Reiseruf) and which ones do not (OHNE Reichsautobahn Reiseruf).

This is a very rare Nazi brochure for a service that was decades ahead of its time. The Reiseruf system remained in use for many years after the Third Reich ceased to exist, but Reichsautobahn Reiseruf brochures like this one with the swastika pennant on the front panel are virtually impossible to find nowadays! This 84 year old example is complete and in very nice used condition, exactly as shown.