Original Deutsche Reichsbahn Freight Bill

Offered is an original Deutsche Reichsbahn Frachtbrief (Railway Freight Bill) documenting industrial rail shipment during the early 20th century.

This original freight document was issued by Fulguritwerke Adolf Oesterheld, the well-known German manufacturer of fiber cement and asbestos cement products headquartered at Eichriede near Wunstorf, Germany. The company, founded in 1912 by Adolf Oesterheld, became one of Germany’s leading producers of fiber cement products and relied heavily on the Deutsche Reichsbahn rail network for transporting raw materials and finished goods throughout Germany and Europe. (Wikipedia⁠)

The freight bill records a shipment destined for Wörishofen and contains numerous original handwritten entries, routing information, railway accounting notations, and official transportation stamps. The reverse retains additional handwritten freight calculations and administrative notes made during the shipment process.

Particularly desirable are the multiple original railway handling stamps and accounting markings, which illustrate the detailed logistics and recordkeeping employed by the Deutsche Reichsbahn for commercial freight traffic.

Historical Significance

Freight bills such as this provide a fascinating look into Germany’s industrial transportation network. Rather than being a personal document, this piece records the movement of commercial goods through the national railway system, illustrating how factories and manufacturers depended upon rail transport to move products across the country.

Documents from industrial firms such as Fulguritwerke Adolf Oesterheld are increasingly appreciated by collectors because they combine business history, railway history, and German industrial heritage in a single original artifact.

Condition

Original period document showing expected fold lines, edge wear, age toning, handling wear, filing holes, and a small loss at the upper edge consistent with decades of archival storage and commercial use. Original handwritten entries, railway accounting notations, and official stamps remain visible and add to the document’s authenticity and historical appeal.

An excellent original document for collectors of Deutsche Reichsbahn history, German industrial memorabilia, transportation archives, and early twentieth-century commercial paperwork.