Postal history and stamps of Bergedorf

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Thanks to the stamps issued by Bergedorf between 1861 and 1867, this small town is still present in the stamp catalogs as an independent area. With only five stamps issued, Bergedorf is the smallest German collecting area.

Before the introduction of the first postage stamps

Due to the favorable geographical location of Bergedorf, postal connections were created by the Hanseatic League early on and the postal connections with Hamburg in particular were well developed.

Since 1420 Bergedorf was owned by the Hanseatic cities of Hamburg and Lübeck . The duality of the state caused the curiosity that the Bergedorfer Post was not allowed to be administered by either Hamburg or Lübeck. Therefore, from a postal perspective, Bergedorf formed a tiny, independent territory. Several other principalities set up mail expeditions in Bergedorf: In 1746 Hanover set up its own mail forwarding company in Bergedorf, which existed until 1846, in 1785 the Thurn and Taxis dynasty followed the Hanoverians and also set up a mail forwarding company for the imperial Reichspost , which was named as a private successor company Thurn-und-Taxis-Post was only dissolved in 1851. In 1839, Prussia also opened a mail forwarding company in Bergedorf.

From 1806 to 1813 Bergedorf was occupied by the French during the Napoleonic Wars . During this time, the postal system was taken over by the Imperial French Post .

The Lübeck-Hamburg Post Office in Bergedorf emerged from the Prussian postal expedition in 1847 . This was expanded in the following years and its area of ​​influence expanded. In 1856 further postal expeditions were set up in Geesthacht and Kirchwerder .

In the years 1855 to 1856 Bergedorf concluded several postal contracts based on the model of the German-Austrian postal contract. This happened to Prussia and Mecklenburg-Schwerin , among others .

After Hamburg and Lübeck had already issued the first postage stamps in 1859, Bergedorf followed suit in 1861. The postage stamps from Hamburg, however, were officially sold at post offices alongside those from Bergedorf .

Own stamp issues

Postage stamp for ½ Sch.

On November 1, 1861, the five postage stamps of ½, 1, 1½, 3 and 4 schillings were issued in Bergedorf , at that time only about 12,000 people lived in the entire postal area. With these five different values, all important postal rates with regard to distance and weight were covered at that time. The imperforate postage stamps were printed as required and were valid for postage until December 31, 1867. The stamps are designed in a square shape, on the brand images you can find the value, the place name (Bergedorf) and the designation "Postmarke" in the middle, half of the coats of arms of Hamburg and Lübeck. The Bergedorf stamp series is often referred to as a “growing series” because the format of each stamp is a little larger than that of the previous (smaller in value) stamp. The 4 shilling value is already twice as large as the value of ½ shilling. In addition to the different paper colors per value, this should prevent the brands from being confused.

Association with Hamburg

With effect from January 1, 1868, Bergedorf became the sole property of the Hanseatic City of Hamburg. On this date, they joined the North German Confederation (forerunner of the German Empire). From this point on, the postal history of Bergedorf divides the postal history of the North German Confederation .

literature

  • Karl-Detlef Blunck: The Bergedorfer Landpost . In: Lichtwark No. 24. Ed. District Office Bergedorf, Bergedorf, 1962. See now: Verlag HB-Werbung, Hamburg-Bergedorf. ISSN  1862-3549 .
  • Harro Bruns: Mail delivery on the railroad in Bergedorf and the Vier- und Marschlanden . In: Lichtwark booklet No. 74. HB-Werbung publishing house, Hamburg-Bergedorf, 2009. ISSN  1862-3549 .
  • Karl Knauer: Bergedorfer postal history. 330 pages, 1961
  • Post office man Köhlbrandt: 100 years of Bergedorf post office . In: Lichtwark No. 5 + No. 6 + No. 7, 1st year. Published by Lichtwark Committee, Bergedorf, 1949. See now: Verlag HB-Werbung, Hamburg-Bergedorf. ISSN  1862-3549 .
  • Karl-Heinz Hornhues "Bergedorf -Katalog- von der Vorphilathelie until the end of the Lübeck-Hamburgische Postamt", 2nd edition 2010 Klaus Hess Verlag Göttingen, ISBN 978-3-933117-052
  • E. Puls: The brands from Bergedorf . In: Lichtwark No. 18. Ed. Lichtwark Committee, Bergedorf, May 1959. See now: Verlag HB-Werbung, Hamburg-Bergedorf. ISSN  1862-3549 .
  • Bergedorf: What you need to know about this collecting area. (Continuation article) In: Deutsche Briefmarken-Revue from issue No. 3/2001, p. 27 f

Web links

Commons : Briefmarken Bergedorfs  - Collection of images, videos and audio files