Rabaul / Paua New Guinea: Rember Catholic Mission Wooden Church Vunapope Ex German Colony (Vintage PC ~1920s)

rare vintage printed postcard showing a historic missionary scene from the island of new pomerania (neupommern), which was part of the former imperial german colony of german new guinea (deutsch-neuguinea, now new britain, papua new guinea). the front features a rustic wooden church building at the rember mission station with a simple open timber bell tower standing on the far left. a large group of local indigenous melanesian church members and children, alongside a catholic missionary brother, are seen posing on the steps and in front of the main entrance. the lower border has a long printed german caption explaining the challenges of early mission construction work by lay brothers in the german colony.
the back of the postcard is unused (unposted) but serves as an official donation and support card for the rabaul mission. it features a large purple address and cachet stamp for p. gg. beckers m.s.c. at the catholic mission vunapope near kokopo in the territory of new guinea, via australia. the top left contains a printed appeal in german explicitly asking for financial support for the mission in rabaul, formerly known as neupommern in the south seas (helft unserer mission rabaul, früher neupommern im stillen ozean), via the sacred heart missionaries (herz-jesu-missionare) based in salzburg, austria.

size: ~ 9 x 14 cm (1 cm ~ 0.39 inch)

postally unused

condition: very good to excellent..please also refer to scans which show complete front and backside of postcard

ansichstkarte, ak, postkarte, postcard, carte postale, tarjeta postale, 葉書, colonialism, mission, religion, ethnic, indigenous, native, oceania