German-Austrian postal association

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The German-Austrian Postal Union started its work on July 1, 1850. The German Customs Union, established in 1834, created the administrative requirements . On October 18, 1847, at the suggestion of Prussia and Austria , the representatives of the German postal administrations met in Dresden for the German postal conference. Slowed down by political conditions, Prussia and Austria only signed a contract on April 6, 1850 in Berlin for the establishment of a “German-Austrian postal association”.

history

requirements

Bavaria had printed its first postage stamps. The first railway had existed in 1835, and by 1849 6,000 km of rails had already been laid. Progress took its course. The economic upswing in almost all branches of the economy required a well-organized post office, and this could not be achieved with small states . A closed economic area was needed.

The German Customs Union established in 1834 had already created the administrative prerequisites for this. By 1840, under Prussia's leadership, 23 states with more than 80% of the population had come together by abolishing customs and trade barriers. Austria sought to weaken the German Customs Union through protective tariffs. Not least through the accession of Hanover, the association had become a contributor to the “industrial revolution”. A unified economic area required a unified post, and so the establishment of the German-Austrian Post Association played an important role.

The differences in the existing posts extended to all parts of the postal laws, the post office shelf , the compulsory post , the guarantee conditions, the special privileges of the posts, and the penal provisions. Of course, also for the tariffs for all categories of mail, the postage free, the transit conditions, the postal transport and the handling of the mail. A concise tabular overview of the existing legislation on the post office shelf and mandatory post in the various German federal states, which was prepared for the conference, comprised seven closely printed folio pages . In the case of the rates, there were also differences in the form of tariff formation, in the individual rates and in the gradations. In some states the postage tax consisted of two, in others thirty gradations according to distance and weight. Then there is the difference in the number of miles, coins and weights.

For a shipment that had to go through multiple territories, all of these differences had to be taken into account when calculating the final postage. The following were proposed:

  • from Austria 8.75 g
  • from Prussia 12 g
  • from Bavaria 15.6 g
  • from Saxony 15 g

It was agreed on 1 lot club weight = 15.6 g excl. In the postal union contract it was in fact retained but defined as 1 ⁄ 30 of the customs pound for each part of the letter weight.

The post conference

These traffic-inhibiting conditions gave rise to the idea of ​​creating a uniform German postal system early on. After many unsuccessful efforts to achieve this goal, on October 18, 1847, at the suggestion of Prussia and Austria, the representatives of the German postal administrations met in Dresden for the German postal conference to discuss postal relations in the German states and the provisions for the establishment of a German postal association elaborate. The negotiations, in which all members of all German postal administrations took part in 37 sessions, dragged on until February 3, 1848.

The simplification of postage for letters was seen as the most urgent task. Bavaria suggested a rate of six kreuzers for each letter, Austria wanted a three-tier tariff, Prussia even five-tier. The Bavarian proposal met with the most approval, but it is believed that it would not be able to cover the costs of the postal service, not even through the inexpensive use of the railways, see: Bahnpost , Bahnpost (Germany) and Bahnpost (Austria) .

The introduction of a special postal currency as a postal union coin was considered, but not carried out. Their unit should be a Posttaler, equal to the 12th part of the Cologne mark fine silver and divided into 100 Kreuzer. (A Cologne Mark of fine silver (233.855 grams) corresponded to 20 guilders or 13⅓ thalers in 1753  and 24½  guilders or 16⅓ thalers in 1837.)

After the political situation had initially hindered the pursuit of the idea, Prussia and Austria resumed negotiations and signed a contract on April 6, 1850 in Berlin for the establishment of a “German-Austrian postal association”.

The Union

Mail delivery with the Thurn-und-Taxis-Post 1852

The association was originally supposed to come into being on May 1st, 1850; the date had to be postponed to July 1st, 1850. In addition to the two founding states, the Royal Bavarian, Royal Saxon, Grand Ducal Mecklenburg-Schwerin, the Grand Ducal Mecklenburg-Strelitz government and the Schleswig-Holstein supreme postal authority had already joined.

The purpose of the contract was to “establish uniform provisions for the valuation and postal handling of letters and driving mail , as well as for the regulation of transit conditions not only for the two federal states, but possibly for the entire German federal territory”.

Postage stamp from the Thurn-und-Taxis-Post 1859

The postal association was now regarded as an undivided postal area for correspondence. For letters , printed matter (cross-band consignments), product samples and samples, as well as for newspapers purchased from the post office, collective fees were charged in association (exchange) traffic. In the case of letters, samples and samples, the amount was based on the weight of the shipment and the distance between the place of posting and the destination, measured in a straight line. Each postal administration had to collect the fees for the letters sent by its postal service. The contract provided for freedom of passage, but not for it to be free of charge. The receipt of the transit fees due to the individual postal administrations from the letter post was specifically regulated in the contract. Common provisions were provided for the exemptions from fees. In Art. 7 of the treaty, the designation "Exchange of post office union states" appears for the first time.

  • On this, H. v. Stephan: Especially with regard to faster transport and the simplification of postage and reduction, both within the association's territory and letters transported through Germany. In Holland one paid z. E.g. earlier for a letter to Alexandria 22 Kreuzer Prussian and 12 Kreuzer Austrian transit postage, altogether 34 Kreuzers, currently a total of 9 Kreuzers for the same distance from Emmerich to Trieste, not including the weight progressions.
1850 - Postage rates in the DÖPV

The letter post tariff applied equally in the entire association area. As an exception, it was envisaged that "the correspondence between those places, for which there is currently a lower tax, this lower tax, after the agreement of postal administrations involved therein and further (= continue ) come into use."

With regard to the cruiser tax, the convention coin or imperial currency was charged depending on the "national currency". This regulation continued even after the introduction of a new coin currency, Austria introduced the Neukreuzer on October 2, 1858 .

  • The correspondence of all members of the regent families of the postal union states was forwarded postage free in the entire area of ​​the association, further correspondence in purely civil service matters and the official correspondence of the postal authorities and post offices.
  • No new postage was charged for returning or forwarding a letter.
  • Apart from the taxes from the table, no further fees were allowed to be charged, and as an exception they were only permitted with regard to the order fee. The reimbursement of cash expenses for extraordinary procurement (e.g. order by an express messenger) was not excluded.
  • Correspondence with foreign countries was subject to the same treatment as correspondence with the association. The postage surcharges for unpaid letters were not applied.

For parcels , the specification of the value was only required for valuables . As a replacement for a lost, simple package, 10 silver groschen or 30 kreuzers were set for each pound. The postage was two pfennigs per pound, at least letter postage. When the mail was handed over to each other , the postage was determined according to the distances between the postal borders and the departure or departure points. Destinations calculated. For the valuation of the driving mail consignments, border points were agreed up to which and from which points the billing and the receipt of the postage will take place. In other words, at least two distances added up. To calculate the postage for transit items, the number of miles was based on average distances on several transit lines.

A weight postage was charged for each driving mail shipment, but a value postage was only charged if a value was declared on the shipment. The letter postage was assumed as the minimum weight postage for each rate route. For all shipments for which a higher postage resulted from applying the tariff according to the weight, the following should be charged: for every pound for every five miles ½ kreuzer or two silver pennies or the corresponding rate in the national coin. Excess plumb bobs were calculated as one pound. - Several parcels to an accompanying address were calculated independently. The cover letters were free up to a lot. For heavier letters, on the other hand, the postage concerned had to be applied according to the letter or driving post tariff.

It was optional to either post the items with no postage or to postage them completely to their destination. The postage reference is calculated according to the above tariff provisions for the transport route of each individual administration. Returning and continuing shipments were subject to the charges for the transport route to be covered on the way there and on the way back.

The following should be charged for items of value :

  • up to a distance of 50 miles for every 100 guilders 2 kr. and for every 100 thalers 1 Sgr.
  • over 50 miles for every 100 guilders 4 kr. and for every 100 thalers 2 Sgr. with the proviso that for sums less than 100 the amount for the full hundred should be charged.

The sender could determine the value of the shipment himself. Compensation was paid in accordance with the declared value. For other packages a maximum of 10 Sgr. or 30 kr. per pound.

“The current agreement comes into effect on July 1, 1850. The same remains in force until the end of 1860 and from then on, subject to one year termination ”.

Revised Postal Union Treaty

The first conference took place in Berlin in 1851, on December 5, 1851, the "Revised Postal Union Treaty" of Austria, Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Hanover, Württemberg, Baden, Holstein, Luxembourg, Braunschweig, Mecklenburg-Schwerin was established , Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Oldenburg, Lübeck, Bremen, Hamburg and the Thurn and Taxis postal administration. The "Deutsche Postverein", as it was now called, did not yet include transport mail .

The following should be emphasized from the provisions of this contract:

  • Guaranteeing the freedom of passage for letters with moderate transit fees
  • Introduction of a uniform postage fee graded according to three distance levels
  • Reduction of fees for printed matter and samples
  • Offsetting of the fees for letters by postage stamps
  • Arranging orders for newspapers
  • Maintaining the political boundaries for driving mail , i.e. especially for parcels, in such a way that a special fee was still charged for each postal area

I. Addendum to the Revised Postal Union Agreement

Another conference took place in Vienna in 1855. At this conference, the association's regulations were agreed: Items whose transport is dangerous were excluded. He regulated the transit fees, the carriage of the letter post , said what to do with insufficiently or insufficiently franked letters. Regulated the guarantees for registered letters , parcels and shipments with a declaration of value and much more.

II. Addendum to the Revised Postal Union Agreement

1858 - Tariffs for letters and driving post in the German-Austrian Post Association

At the conference in Munich on February 26, 1857, an addendum to the Revised Postal Union Treaty was signed, which reorganized the provisions for driving mail and set common fees. The postal areas of the postal administrations affiliated to the German-Austrian postal association were now also to be regarded as an undivided postal area for driving mail traffic. The amount of the driving post fee was based on the weight of the shipment and the immediate distance from the place of posting to the destination.

The fees from the change of driving mail flowed to the association as joint driving post income and were distributed among the administrations according to a certain ratio to be determined from time to time based on the distance covered by the consignments. Originally the contract was supposed to come into force on January 1, 1858, the collection of laws and ordinances for the Duchy of Braunschweig announced April 1, 1858 as the new date at the end of December 1857, announced a new date in March, which would then finally be on April 1, 1858 July 1858.

1860 - New postal association contract

In the revised postal contract of 1851, the validity was limited until 1860. The postal conference of 1860 in Frankfurt (Main) therefore had to formulate a new postal contract. The introduction of a new coin currency in Austria on October 2, 1858 was taken into account.

As early as November 1, 1858, the convention coin after the 20 guilder foot was replaced by new cruisers after the 45 guilder foot, equal to the 30 thaler foot.

There have hardly been any important changes: Printed matter was no longer allowed to weigh more than 500 g. Registered letters no longer had to be franked. In the case of express delivery , there was no longer any distinction between day and night; the express letter had to be delivered immediately. The minimum rate for driving mail changed from over 40 to over 32 miles. The value postage was changed, instead of 40 thalers the tariff was now for 50 thalers. Driving mail deliveries could be posted against acknowledgment of receipt. In the case of cash on delivery shipments, the maximum amount could be exceeded due to high transport expenses and expenses. Cash on delivery and cash payments were still not permitted in Austria. Accompanying letters, a lot or heavier, were no longer taxed according to the letter post tax, but after the driving post tax, i.e. the minimum driving post tax (6 Sgr.) Up to a distance of 36 progression levels, and above this with the weight. When returning, accompanying letters up to 4 lots were free. Particular attention is drawn to the reduction in postage for certain transport mail from home to the soldiers, from Wachtmeister downwards, up to 6 pounds inclusive and up to 20 thalers by half, but at least 4 Sgr.

Area connections

After the German-Danish war in 1864, the two German great powers ruled over the Elbe duchies as an Austro-Prussian condominium . Through the Treaty of Gastein , the postal system in Schleswig came to Prussia and that of Holstein to Austria. The postal system in Lauenburg came to the postal inspectorate in Ratzeburg and that was under the top management in Berlin. Schleswig and Holstein, although managed by members of the postal association, could not be closely tied to the postal association for political reasons.

official source

In Hamburg, the “Danish Post Office” was abolished in February 1864. The tasks were taken over by a special business department called the "Schleswig-Holstein Department" of the Hamburg city post office.

In 1866 the Austro-Prussian dispute over the future of Schleswig-Holstein led to the German War. On the side of Prussia were the north German small and medium-sized states (excluding Hanover and Saxony) and the Kingdom of Italy . In the decisive battle near Königgrätz, the Prussian troops were victorious . Prussia forced Austria to recognize that the German Confederation had been dissolved .

After Austria left Germany, Prussia took over the sole administration of the postal system in the Elbe duchies. With the Prussian annexations of October 1866, the former Hanoverian postal system was incorporated into the Prussian postal system. Thurn and Taxis came to Prussia by contract of January 28, 1867, for compensation of three million thalers.

Prussia had the Hohenzollern Lands , Schleswig-Holstein, Hanover and Hesse-Nassau, including the free city of Frankfurt am Main and Lauenburg. Thus on July 1, 1867, it had expanded by 3½ million inhabitants and more than 500 post offices.

As a result, the number of independent state postal areas has decreased to thirteen, there are still: Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, Württemberg, Baden, Braunschweig, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Oldenburg, Luxembourg, Bremen, Hamburg and Lübeck. Add to that a Danish post office in Lübeck and a Swedish post office in Hamburg.

The "Deutsche Postverein" came to an end with the political events of 1866/67. He not only promoted the cultural and economic relations between the German states linked by a common language, but was also a model for the establishment of the General Postal Union and the later Universal Postal Union.

source

  • official documents,
  • Schmid, Dr. KAH, “History of Letter Post Reform in Germany” Jena, 1864. Schmid was Thurn and Taxis archivist in Regensburg.