Chess Set in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.

This chess set glorifies Nazi Germany’s urge to conquer. The pieces are shaped like weapons and the text in the border refers to countries occupied by Germany in 1939 and 1940. The chess set was made by a German soldier, artist Georg Fuhg from Königsberg, who was stationed in the Netherlands. It was shown in 1941 at the exhibition Kunst der Front organized by the German occupier in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam. The chessboard is made of wood and earthenware with 2 x 16 white and brown earthenware chess pieces. The chess pieces have a military shape: the pawns are infantrymen; in the case of the white party, the tower is a 'Flak' (Flugzeug Abwehr Kanone - anti-aircraft gun); the horse is a motorcyclist; the runner a fighter aircraft (type Junker Ju 87, the so-called Stuka (Sturzkampfflugzeug)), king and queen are air grenades. In the case of the brown lot, the horse is a rider. The runner is a fighter (not Stuka). The king is a tank. In the border around the chess field is the following text: 1939 SCHACH-MATT POLAND. DENMARK. NORWAY. HOLLAND. BELGIEN. FRANKREICH. ENGLAND USW