Original Item: Only One Available. The WHW, Winterhilfswerk (Winter-help-work), was an annual charitable donation event held by the "NS -Volkswohlfahrt" (National Socialist - Peoples’-welfare-organization), in which personnel from all of the organizations would solicit donations from the public, and reward contributors with a wide variety of lapel badges or propaganda booklets.

This is an very nice condition red-painted, sheet metal can, roughly 17cm in overall height, and 10.5cm in diameter. Featuring a hinged lid which is stepped as it ascends, with an angled coin slot to its apex, unto whose surface are the raised serial numbers 18429 (serial number). To the lid, immediately above its hinge, is a small, circular perforation, with Papier (Paper) embossed to one side of it and Geld (Money) to the other. A handle is riveted to the reverse, beneath the lid’s hinge. Embossed to the can itself, Gau Weser-Ems .

The Gau Weser-Ems, formed on 1 October 1928, was an administrative division of Germany from 1933 to 1945 in the core part of the Free State of Oldenburg, the state of Bremen and the western parts of the Prussian Province of Hanover. Before that, from 1928 to 1933, it was the regional subdivision of the NSDAP in that area.

The can also bears the original 1937-1938 label that reads Freude durch das WHW (Joy through the WHW) as well as the original seal with wire loop intended to hold the can locked until cut open to release the collected donations. 

The bottom of the can is embossed with the maker’s name; M. Westermann & Co, with G.m.b.H. underneath it, for Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (Company with limited Liability), both arching above Wesco within a diamond, and with Neheim-Ruhr arching beneath that. The embossed number 9 may be seen below the latter location.

Examples of these cans have become harder and harder to find.