Original item: One-of-a-kind. This is a great example of a scarce German WWII Gerichtsgefängnis "Court Prison" painted aluminum sign, and is the first example that we have ever handled! In NSDAP-ruled Germany, the increased incarceration of political prisoners and other "undesirables" lead to the need for prisons / jails attached or directly adjacent to the state houses where the courts were. One such example is Gerichtsgefängnis Ulm (Court Prison Ulm), where many political prisoners were held, some of which were even executed.

This is a wartime produced injection molded aluminum building sign, painted red with antique white borders, text, and insignia. The German warning text on the front reads:

Condition is very good, with some paint loss around the edges, mostly the white areas which were added after the red base coat. The rear of the sign shows some molding artifacts, and also has scattered oxidation. The sign measures 12 3/4" x 15 1/8", and is really a very nice example.

Signs of this nature were quickly destroyed after the fall of Germany in April 1945, ones like this were salvaged by USGIs who wanted to bring home a trophy of war. Therefore, finding authentic (beware many fakes) signs from the Third Reich has become quite difficult in the collector's market.