German Postal History 1919–1945
The German postal history 1919–1945 covers the period of the Weimar Republic and National Socialism .
history
The Weimar Constitution of August 11, 1919 created the legal basis for the unity of the German postal and telegraph system. In the execution, the previously independent post and telegraph administrations of Bavaria and Württemberg were transferred to the Reich on April 1, 1920 through state treaties that the Reich concluded with these countries.
The law on postal charges of September 8, 1919, which ushered in the post-war period, reorganized the charges in line with the times and, as a result of the continuing decline in the currency, became the starting point for an almost unmistakable series of considerable increases in charges.
From the point of view of charges, the law of April 29, 1920 deserves special attention from the short-term successive laws, because by repealing the provisions in Section 50 No. 6 and 7 of the Postal Act, it considerably expands the competence of formal legislation. Secondly, this applies to the law of December 19, 1921, because it authorizes the Reichspostminister (RPM) to change the fee rates from now on with the consent of the Reichsrat and a Reichstag committee consisting of 21 members by ordinance.
In the time of rapid inflation (hyperinflation) the idea was obvious to put the Reichspost, which required considerable subsidies from the Reich treasury, on its own two feet. The Reich Treasury was already in a very desolate state due to its reparation obligations and the consequences of inflation. The Reichspost, like the Reichsbahn, had to be disconnected from its direct connection with the general Reich budget in November 1923 and thus became financially completely independent. The Reich Postal Finance Act of March 18, 1924 (RGBl. I, 1924, p. 287) drew the legal consequences from this situation. However, this law has not changed the status of the Deutsche Reichspost as a direct Reich administration.
Postal traffic
After the war, the post office facilities had many gaps and were in parts run down. The railways, which are very important for the transport of mail, also had similar problems; In the early days, the railway only carried out around three-fifths of its pre-war operations. The postal rate system away from the railway was completely down, but was specifically promoted and expanded by the post. The local facilities for accepting, issuing and delivering mail were limited and were further reduced in the years of currency devaluation for reasons of economy. All branches of letter, parcel and newspaper mail thus showed a considerable decline.
The least amount of mail was carried in 1922 and 1923, when the occupation of the Ruhr also had an adverse effect on the economy. However, this difficult time was also used to set up postal testing departments. As a result, many devices were standardized, conveyor systems redesigned, the construction of motor vehicles for the postal service helped to shape the construction of high-performance letter stamping machines and the production of useful franking machines. The small parcel was introduced to general traffic as a new type of transport in 1920.
Postal checks
The banking system of the Deutsche Reichspost included postal orders , cash on delivery , postal orders and, as the youngest branch, postal checks . This cashless settlement agency, which has existed since 1909, has far surpassed the other branches in terms of scope and economic importance.
In the first years after the war, the development was positively influenced by inflation, so that the number of postal check customers, which in 1919 was 437,667, rose to 913,789 by 1922. The development was slowed down by the even faster rate of currency devaluation; after all, the number of customers increased to 999,196 by November 1923.
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Telegraph, telephone and radio
Telecommunications technology had made great strides in these years, which gradually led to a complete shift in communications. The telegraph was mentioned only on close, then bigger forever expectant distances from the official "telephone" phone displaced after the range of the phone had gradually extended. During this time it was recognized and taken into account during the expansion that the underground cable routing is cheaper than the one above ground. In the years 1920 to 1922, the so-called Rhineland Cable was built from Berlin via Hanover to the Rhine and one cable each from Hanover to Hamburg and Bremen and from Berlin to Leipzig.
From the war intelligence service emerged radio communications, which formed an indispensable addition to the wire telegraph over long distances and ultimately led to the world telephone service.
Intercourse with other countries
A well-established, reliable transport network is the most important foundation for Germany's global economic relations. The world war had severed almost all connections between Germany and abroad. With the Treaty of Versailles , Germany lost the submarine cables to overseas countries, its colonies and a large part of the merchant ships, which had formed the main basis of international transport connections before the war. It is true that the war could not seriously shake the existence of the Universal Postal Union and the World Telegraph Union ; the resumption of regular trade relations with foreign countries, especially with the former enemy states, was, however, opposed by strong inhibitions after the war. The post and telegraph system was the first public institution that could establish regular relations with foreign countries. As early as 1920, the Universal Postal Congress in Madrid met with Germany's participation.
Airmail , which started modestly in 1919, was on the upswing, offering new avenues for international traffic exchange. There were great difficulties in setting up the international parcel service; monitoring of foreign trade was still essential.
The relationship with the Swiss Post remained important for Germany. At the request of Germany, this brokered prisoner-of-war mail . Since Switzerland remained neutral , the existing relationships could be continued. Through the transit office in Basel 17 there was a very close relationship between the Deutsche Reichspost and the Swiss Post.
Changes 1917–1921
The postal regulations of October 1, 1917 brought only insignificant changes. On October 1, 1918, the extraordinary Reich taxes were increased. On October 1, 1919 the tariffs were redesigned in the law. The provisions still do not apply to internal traffic in Bavaria and Württemberg. The main changes were:
- There are no imperial taxes,
- For letters and postcards not or insufficiently franked, double the deficit was generally levied, and the single deficit was levied for service letters and postcards subject to charges. The amount was rounded up to a sum divisible by 5 pfennigs, also for chargeable service broadcasts.
- Printed matter and parcels with newspapers, magazines or news no longer enjoyed a discount,
- the weight level up to 100 g for samples was omitted,
- the maximum amount of postal orders for collecting money, cash on delivery and postal orders was set from 800 to 1,000 RM,
- Compulsory franking existed for letters stating the value and parcels of all kinds [is newly introduced], it also extends to mail from authorities,
- the maximum weight for parcels was reduced to 20 kg (previously 50 kg),
- a package card had to be added to every package ,
- the package fee for bulky goods has been rounded upwards,
- the order fee, except for express mail and newspapers, was dropped.
The following were newly introduced:
- Fee for returning the delivery document in local traffic,
- Handling fee for postal powers of attorney,
- Fee for extensive research in the amount of cost,
- Copy for duplicates for posting slips and postal orders, the parcel fees only differentiated between a near zone of up to 75 km and a far zone.
On January 1, 1920, the parcel weighing up to 1 kg was introduced through a change in the postal regulations. Registered mail, indication of value, cash on delivery, the request for a return receipt and the note “Poste restante” were not permitted for parcels; Rush orders (charges as for letters) were permitted; Parcels were considered letters. From May 6, 1920, parcels were also permitted to the Free City of Danzig , the Memel region , western Poland , abroad and the Saar region .
Most recently, with the law on postal charges, valid from April 1, 1920, only the simple deficit and a surcharge of 10 pfennigs were levied for inadequately franked, chargeable service postcards and service letters. When the postal regulations were changed at the same time, a new package storage fee was introduced for every package stored through no fault of the postal service. A change in the postal regulations of October 1, 1920 increases the maximum amount for cash on delivery from RM 1,000 to RM 5,000 (from May 1, 1921 back to RM 1,000).
Changes from 1921 to 1929
On March 21, 1919, the Reich Post Office became the Reich Post Office. On April 1, 1920, the postal system from Bavaria and Württemberg was transferred to the Reich. A special department of the Reich Postal Ministry was set up in Munich. There were Oberpostdirections in Bavaria in Augsburg, Landshut, Munich, Nuremberg, Regensburg, Speyer and Würzburg, in Württemberg in Stuttgart. The first all-German postal order of December 22, 1921 replaced the postal order for the German Reich of July 28, 1917, the postal order for Bavaria of March 24, 1917 and the postal order for Württemberg of September 12, 1917. All three lost their validity on December 31, 1921.
From January 1, 1922 to April 1, 1923
There were a lot of new regulations:
- Post-paid , official file letters from authorities over 250 to 500 g were accepted as mail. They were subject to the compulsory franking. They could be franked with ordinary postage stamps or with official stamps or (in Württemberg) with district stamps. File letters that were not or insufficiently franked had to be returned, otherwise they were subject to the package fee. The sender's information from the authorities was required.
- Consignments for the blind could also be accompanied by texts in ordinary print. They could also be sent in mixed mailings.
- Mixed items must contain the comment "mixed items" in the label.
- In the case of postal orders with an attached card to confirm receipt, the sender was free to choose whether he wanted to frank the card as a postcard or after the fee for printing. As a printed matter card if only the amount was indicated by hand or mechanically.
- A postal credit letter can be requested from any postal check office. When collecting the last partial amount of a postal credit letter, the identification card must be returned to the post office.
- The remark "Here a form for the certificate of service" must be prominently indicated in the label of the letters with the certificate of service.
- For a subsequent request to provide a return receipt, double the return receipt fee must be paid.
- The letters handed over to the mail attendants, etc. on the way are treated as having been posted at the nearest post office.
- Swiss Post can also allow normal letters to be posted without cash on delivery (with the exception of small parcels) through tram mailboxes for an additional fee.
- For the residents of individual properties whose homes are not included in the land orders, the post office can set a reduced fee in the case of closed bags being transported.
- In the case of postage and return of registered parcels, value parcels and insured letters, the registration fee must also be reassigned.
- The conditions for airmail transport are determined by special orders from the post office.
As far as the changes as they have been determined in the new postal regulations. The first change came on July 1, 1922:
- The fee for letters up to 20 g in local traffic has been reduced, and a new weight level has been introduced for letters over 20 to 100 g.
- Printed matter cards were no longer used as a type of shipment, now the cards were subject to the fee for printed matter up to 20 g (25 g). In the case of printed matter, a preliminary stage was set up for items up to 20 g.
- The previous weight level for parcels over 50 to 10 kg is divided into 2 levels over 5 to 7½ kg and over 7½ to 10 kg. On October 1, 1922, the maximum weight of braille items was increased from 3 to 5 kg. For printed matter, the first weight level was increased from 20 to 25 g on March 1, 1922. The package fees were redesigned and since December 1, 1922, individually dispatched, undivided printed volumes over 1 to 2 kg could be given as printed matter. A new weight limit of 3 kg was introduced for parcels on January 15, 1923.
On March 1, 1923 it was
- the maximum weight of the letters is set at 500 g and a new fee rate of 250 to 500 g has been introduced for local and long-distance transport.
- The official file letter from authorities was omitted as a special dispatch item.
- The fee for braille mail was increased from 10 pfennigs per 500 g to 1 mark per 1 kg.
- The postage charge for letters that were not or insufficiently franked was reduced from twice to one and a half times the shortfall. For service postcards and service letters that had not been cleared, only the simple shortfall had to be levied, the previous surcharge of 30 pfennigs was dropped.
- The calculation of the rush order fee has been simplified.
- One month later, on April 1, 1923, a preliminary stage up to 100 g was introduced for product samples.
- The package fee is set at 3 distance levels (75 km, over 75 to 375 km and over 375 km).
- The package order fee and the package delivery fee are canceled.
From July 1, 1923 to December 31, 1923
In 1923 a new class of postal agencies was introduced, the so-called postal agencies with a simpler operation. They were only open some time before the arrival and after the departure of the posts, but generally had the same acceptance powers as the postal agencies with full operation, later they were given the designation Poststelle II, Land. In the same year the independent city post offices became branch post offices.
On July 1, 1923, the previous lower rate for postcards, for greetings with a maximum of five words, was dropped. Further changes followed in which the maximum rates and fees were adjusted to inflation. The previous revision of the fees had regularly lagged behind the development of inflation.
On September 1, 1923, a key figure was therefore used to determine the fees. This key number was based on the personnel costs in the postal administration. The Reichspostminister was able to set the fees on the basis of these key figures. The consent of the Reichsrat was reserved for other changes, in particular the basic amounts. The Reichspostminister had to fix the fees ten times in this way.
The currency devaluation in the German Reich was ended on November 15, 1923 by the replacement of the paper mark with the introduction of the Rentenmark . The officially fixed rate was 1 billion marks = 1 Rentenmark (and 10 billion Mk = 1 Rentenpfennig). Since not enough new money could be printed by this date and there were also huge amounts of paper mark notes in circulation, the paper mark continued to be regarded as emergency money until the beginning of 1925.
On November 1, 1923, the company was forced to double the fees for letters and parcels. From November 15, 1923, parcel traffic with the Free City of Danzig was governed by international traffic regulations.
The Deutsche Reichspost used the period after November 15 to raise postage further.
| Postage for a 20 g long-distance letter | 10 million Mk | 100 million Mk | 1 billion Mk | 10 billion Mk | 20 billion Mk | 80 billion Mk | 100 billion Mk | 10 pension fund |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| from | 10/20/23 | 11/01/23 | 05.11.23 | 11/12/23 | 11/20/23 | 11/26/23 | 12/01/23 | 12/01/23 |
| to | 10/31/23 | 04.11.23 | 11/11/23 | 11/19/23 | 11/25/23 | 11/30/23 | 12/31/23 | - |
The imperial budget forced the postal administration to increase the fees at ever shorter intervals in order to keep the balance of income and expenditure at least approximately. As of December 1, 1923, the Deutsche Reichspost finally changed its fee overview to Rentenmark. After December 31, 1923, all postage stamps with paper mark values lost their validity.
At the same time, the number of weight and fee levels for letters in local and long-distance transport was limited from 4 to 2 (up to 20 g and over 20 g to 500 g). In the case of printed matter and product samples, the first two weight and fee levels were combined into one, and a further fee rate was introduced for the last two weight levels of printed matter. The registration fee was generally no longer charged for items of value. For Braille items weighing up to 5 kg, the fee for the first level of printed matter (3 RPf.) Applied. As before, the postage fee for items that were not or insufficiently franked was one and a half times the deficit and should be rounded up to a full 10 pension pfennig. A number of unprofitable ancillary fees will be abolished, namely: the collection fee for postal orders and cash on delivery, the fee for repeatedly showing postal orders and cash on delivery, the fee for issuing the return request or changing the label of postal items and payment cards, a fee for taking back items that have not yet been dispatched , the handling fee for postal powers of attorney, the surcharge for poste restante items or money orders, the fee for requesting poste restante items outside of post office hours, the treatment fee for collection declarations, for special agreements due to checking the recipient's authorization to receive, the postage fee for normal collection. In addition, the replacement amount for a registered item was reduced to one hundred times the basic amount of the registration fee (100 × 0.20 = 20 Rentenmarks), and for a parcel without a specified value to four times the basic amount for a 5 kg parcel in the first zone (4 × 0.40 = 1.60 Rentenmark) for each pound of the whole shipment.
From January 1, 1924 to February 1, 1929
With the Reich Post Finance Act of March 28, 1924, the Deutsche Reichspost became a Reichsanstalt with special assets, combined with the establishment of an administrative council , which included the unionist Else Kolshorn . Since April 1, 1924, the Reich Postal Ministry has consisted of the departments I postal system, II telephone and telegraph construction, III telegraph and radio system, IV human resources, V household, cash and post office check system and VI of the Munich department. On July 25, 1924, the class designation of the post offices was dropped. On December 23, 1924, the "Reichspost- und Telegraphenverwaltung" received the name "Deutsche Reichspost (DRP)".
On February 1, 1924, the cash on delivery fee was 20 RPf. on 10 RPf. reduced, on February 15, 1924 the charges for letters of credit were reorganized.
The fees for printed matter were completely redesigned on June 1, 1924. In the first weight level, up to 50 g, a distinction was made between fully printed items (at 3 RPf.) And partially printed items (at 5 RPf.). That corresponded roughly to the later printed matter . In the case of package fees, the weight of 5 kg was reintroduced as the first weight level (3 kg introduced on January 15, 1923). The fees were adjusted to the costs, the exemption of bulky urgent parcels from the bulky goods surcharge (introduced on December 19, 1921) was lifted, in future six times the fee for ordinary parcels was to be levied for such parcels, and also, if required, the express delivery fee. For insured items, the previously graded insurance fee for insured letters and sealed valuables parcels on the one hand and for unsealed valuables parcels on the other hand, was set uniformly for all insured items, but a graded handling fee for insured letters and sealed valuables parcels up to 100 RMark inclusive (40 RPf.), Over 100 RMark ( 50 RPf.) And for unsealed value parcels (only permitted up to 100 RMark) (25 RPf.). Finally, the registration fee went from 20 to 30 RPf. increased, so that the compensation for a registered mail increases to June 1, 1924 to one hundred times the basic amount of the registration fee (100 × 0.30) to 30 RMark.
Other small changes followed. On January 1, 1925, the weight levels for letters from 20 to 250 g were added. There were now weight levels up to 20 g, 250 g and 500 g. There were significant discounts in postal checks. The customs clearance fees for letters from the customs exclusions and the Saar area as well as for shipments from abroad totaled 30 RPf. For a short time, the telegraphic transmission of collected postal orders and cash on delivery amounts was also permitted.
On April 1, 1925, direct mail was experimentally approved as a new type of printed matter. The fee set was ⅔ of the tariff-based printing fee, rounded up to a full 10 RPf. The flight surcharges were reduced on May 1, 1925 for parcels up to 1 kg from 3 to 2 RMark, and for every ½ kg or part thereof from 100 to 60 RPf. In future, all domestic airmail parcels (including the Free City of Danzig and Switzerland) were to be treated as urgent parcels when transported by means of transport other than airmail. On July 1, 1925, the delivery of ordinary letters through tram mailboxes in Hamburg was reduced to 5 RPf. lowered.
On October 1, 1926, the introduction of checking and correcting addresses ( address checking ) was introduced on a trial basis . The fee was 2 RPf. for each address, rounding up the total amount to a full 100 RPf. In addition, the transport fee for the return shipment as a letter or parcel was initially to be paid in advance if the fee was doubled. Since November 1, 1926, pressure pieces with an attached sample (maximum weight 20 g) have been permitted for direct mail, and, of the fee for mixed mail was provided.
As a new type of subsidiary post office, post offices were set up from April 1, 1927 . They served the reorganization of the land supply, ie the supply of postal customers in the "flat country".
Since January 1, 1927, the fee for running letters has only been charged once it has been established that the post office was not responsible. The fee was from 20 to 50 RPf. has been increased. As of February 1, 1927, direct mail items were more than 20 to 50 g for a fee of 3 RPf. approved per piece.
August 1, 1927 brought an increase in the distance mail fee from 10 to 15 RPf. At the same time, many other fees were also increased by 50 to 60%. There was no longer any distinction between full and partial printed matter; at the same time, the 1 to 2 kg weight category for individually sent, undivided printed matter was no longer available. Printed matter cards were introduced, also with a dependent reply card with its own fee of 3 RPf. The direct mail was now part of the postal regulations. The fee for printed matter up to 50 g was 3 RPf. and for mixed items up to 20 g 6⅔ RPf. fixed. The distinction between “letter parcel” and “other parcel” has been removed. For pneumatic tube deliveries , the fee for the shipment is a surcharge of 10 RPf. for the transport of pneumatic tubes and an express delivery fee, stated as a total fee. In the package traffic there were in future 5 distance levels instead of the 3. For urgent parcels, instead of the previously applicable triple parcel fee, in addition to the simple fee for normal parcels, a surcharge of 100 RPf was added. raised. For bulky packages, the old surcharge of 100% of the normal package fee remains. In parcel traffic between East Prussia and the rest of the Reich, the fee for the next lower zone is applied. Newspaper packages for reduced fees were no longer available. The insurance fee was 10 RPf for shipments of value. 500 RM each instead of the previous 100 RM. A new contribution level of 10 RM was introduced in the postal order traffic. There was a fee of 5 RPf for the transport of the yellow postal check letters. newly provided. In the case of ancillary fees, there were no fees for checking the recipient's authorization to receive, making duplicates of posting notes, and transporting locked bags. From now on these services were carried out free of charge.
On October 1, 1927, the provisions on additional fees were changed; so far, the one and a half times the shortfall was 5 RPf., at least 10 RPf. round up the minimum amount of 10 RPf. fell away. On a trial basis, the procedure for “checking addresses” ( address checking ) was redesigned while reducing the fee. In addition to the cards, card-sized notes could also be used, and the addresses could also be submitted in the form of lists - one list for each post office. Letters with these lists could be delivered through the mailbox, only parcels or parcels (without a parcel card, with the return with a parcel card, now with an additional fee). In the case of extensive inquiries, the package with the lists for checking addresses had to be posted at the counter. The fees were set by the destination post office and collected in the form of additional fees. The charging of fees was reorganized; Without a transport fee, 2 RPf. were charged for each address check, rounded up to a full 10 RPf. at least 20 RPf. (instead of previously 100 RPf.) to be paid. For individual orders, special postcard forms (you had to make them yourself) were to be used and with 3 RPf. to frank. Since July 1, 1928, printed matter cards were no longer “openly sent cards” but “cards sent without an envelope”. On November 1, 1928, the information centers for direct mail were new. The answers cost 50 RPf including the transport fee, which was charged as an additional fee. A little later, the fee for the answer was limited to 5 occupations each.
Changes from 1929 to 1933
The postal regulations of January 30, 1929 did not change the content of the postal regulations of December 22, 1921. It only experienced an editorial change by replacing obsolete terms with contemporary ones at various points and making some changes.
On March 1, 1931, some fees were reduced. The fees for printed matter up to 20 g now also applied to the Saar region, the Free City of Gdansk, Lithuania, the Memel region, Luxembourg, Austria and Hungary. Direct mail and parcels over 10 kg also became cheaper, to name just the most important. The maximum for product samples has been redefined. When the letters, printed matter, business papers, samples and mixed items that exceeded the maximum weight for these items, but which met the shipping conditions for other parcels, were handed over by mistake to the destinations, the fee for letter parcels was no longer charged from August 1, 1931 (60 Pf.), But only the fee for other parcels (40 Pf.) Will be taken into account.
On January 15, 1932, the following were reduced: the fees for long-distance letters up to 250 g, for long-distance postcards and for parcels. A delivery fee was charged again for packages. This was collected at 15 pfennigs for each parcel - regardless of the weight of the individual parcel or the sending of several parcels with one parcel card - in the event of delivery from the recipient. The parcel collection fee was dropped. The obligation to postage paid for normal parcels has been lifted. The new domestic charges for letters and postcards now also applied to traffic with the Saar region, the Free City of Danzig, Lithuania, the Memel region, Luxembourg and Austria. In border traffic with Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Switzerland, the fees for letters and postcards have been changed. The postcards for 8 and 8 + 8 pfennigs were for sale from January 15, 1932 for 6 and 12 pfennigs. The new cards could not be sold until the old ones were used up.
Since the beginning of 1932, postal parcel traffic with foreign countries has been increasingly inhibited by economic measures taken by European and non-European countries to protect against unwanted imports. A new type of mailing for newspapers for a reduced fee has been approved on a trial basis under the name Postzeitungsgut . The mail followed, initially on a trial basis, on January 15, 1933. The following conditions applied to the posting and transport of mail: Initially, they were only between Berlin, Breslau, Chemnitz, Dortmund, Dresden, Düsseldorf, Erfurt, Frankfurt (Main), Hamburg, Hanover, Karlsruhe (Baden), Kiel, Cologne, Königsberg (Pr.), Leipzig, Ludwigshafen, Mannheim, Munich, Münster (Westf.), Nuremberg, Regensburg, Rostock, Schwerin (Mecklenburg), Stettin and Stuttgart. The number of mail items was not stipulated for these locations. When sending mail to other postal services, at least 5 items had to be posted at the same time. The maximum weight was set at 7 kg. Posting as unsealed valuables or cash on delivery was permitted, but not as sealed valuables and the request for a return receipt. There was no obligation to postage, no surcharge was levied for postage items up to 5 kg that were not postpaid. Express delivery was not permitted.
After the then Reichspostminister Karl Stingl (1922–1923) resigned on June 2, 1932 , the next day Paul von Eltz-Rübenach was appointed by the railway administration in Karlsruhe (Baden) as the new Reichspostminister and Reichs Minister of Transport.
time of the nationalsocialism
On February 15, 1933, postage fees were reduced. As a result of the " seizure of power " on February 28, 1933, the secrecy of the post, telegraph and telephone was lifted. With the “Law on Post Compensation” of July 15, 1933, the states of Bavaria and Württemberg received post compensation; according to the provisions of this law as remuneration for the transfer of sovereign posts and telegraphs.
On August 1, 1933, the initial level for printed matter was expanded from 20 to 50 g. An initial level of 100 g for 8 pfennigs has been introduced for samples, business papers and mixed items. The surcharge for bulky packages has been reduced from 100 to 50%. Direct mail for printed matter up to 20 g was reduced to 1½ pfennigs, for mixed mail to 4 pfennigs. Unlocked direct mail, mixed mail with a collective address (printed matter and samples) over 20 to 100 g should be approved as direct mail by March 1, 1934 for a fee for mixed mail up to 100 g (8 Pf.).
Since October 1, 1933, a surcharge of 50%, previously 100%, of the parcel fee has been charged for bulky parcels. If necessary, the amount must be rounded down to a sum divisible by 5 pfennigs. The following changes occurred on December 1st. a) The postage fee for items over 20 to 250 g was increased from 15 to 16 pfennigs in local traffic; in long-distance traffic reduced from 25 to 24 pfennigs; b) The fee for printed matter up to 20 g was generally from 4 to 3 pfennigs and c) the fee for printed mail has been reduced from 1½ to 1 pfennig; d) Under certain conditions, small, thin samples could be added to the printed matter. Registered mail, cash on delivery charges and the request for a return receipt are permitted for letters. From April 1934, the picture postcards were printed for collector's purposes, from which the year of manufacture, the number of the edition, the printing cylinder and the picture could be seen (e.g .: 34-49-1-B4.). On July 1, 1934, the provisions for maximum and minimum dimensions for letters, printed matter, direct mail, business papers, parcels and newspaper sales were changed in some points.
In 1934 the name "Oberpostdirektion" was changed to "Reichspostdirektion". On the basis of the “Law to Simplify and Cheap Administration” (February 27, 1934), the offices in Darmstadt , Halle (Saale), Constance, Liegnitz and Minden (Westphalia) were dissolved on April 1.
The guidelines for the assessment of services at the Deutsche Reichspost (DRP) (assessment guidelines ) appeared on October 1, 1937. The assessment was based on the volume of business. The resulting guidelines for the evaluation of posts in the area of the DRP (evaluation guidelines) came into force on April 14, 1938. This resulted in a new division of offices and offices. Offices were divided into the letter groups A to I, public offices and branch post offices in K, L and M, and the post offices in Römisch I and II, depending on whether they were post agencies with full operation or those with simple operations (post offices). Finally there was the post office. In addition, there were “Official Offices II, City” to improve delivery options in the outskirts of large cities.
The reorganization of the post and telecommunications system in the Saar area into the Deutsche Reichspost took place on March 1, 1935.
Since March 19, 1938, the Austrian Post and Telegraph Administration and the Postal Savings Bank Office have been under the Reich Administration of the Deutsche Reichspost and thus the Reichspostminister. The introduction of new postage fees for letters and postcards in Austria took place on April 4, 1938. On August 1, 1938, the final introduction of new postage rates and the adjustment of the postal service in Austria took place (RGBl. No. 110).
Since May 15, 1938 there have been no more parcels weighing up to 1 kg. Pneumatic and airmail deliveries were included in the postal regulations on July 15, 1938. In order to make the use of advertising mail easier and cheaper, a type of mail was introduced from April 1, 1938, initially on a trial basis, which was given the name " Advertising Response ". Ordinary letters and printed matter up to 20 g as well as postcards were permitted. They had to be printed with the remark “Advertising reply”, the address of the recipient and the request “Do not postage, fee pays recipient”.
In the Reichsgau Sudetenland created under the Munich Agreement , the administration of the post and telegraph system was incorporated into the Reich Postal Administration on October 29, 1938. After the attack on Poland began on October 20, 1939, the post and telegraph administration of the former Free City of Danzig was transferred to the German Reich and thus incorporated into the Reich Postal Administration. Domestic service conditions and fees applied. As with East Prussia, the next lowest fee level applied in the parcel service. On January 1, 1940, postal and telecommunications law was introduced in the incorporated eastern areas with the exception of the Free City of Danzig. Among other things, the postal regulations and the postal check regulations applied. As for the details, it was announced: "The time at which the individual branches or services of the German Reichspost will be introduced in the incorporated areas will be determined by the Reichspostminister and published in the official gazette".
The news traffic was regulated on April 9, 1940 in the "Ordinance on the news traffic". Excerpt from the important provisions: “§ 1 The following are to be regarded as communications within the meaning of this ordinance: letters, printed matter, samples, business papers, mixed items, newspapers, Maternbriefe, postal orders, letters to and from the post office, small parcels and parcels; the carrier pigeon traffic. § 2 Direct and indirect communications with hostile countries are prohibited. § 5 Communication with non-hostile foreign countries is generally permitted. However, no news about the military, economic or political situation may be transmitted and no postcards, braille, technical tasks, crossword and other puzzles or lined envelopes may be sent. Domestic communications § 9 Domestic communications may be subject to restrictions or requirements for reasons of warfare by the High Command of the Wehrmacht . § 11 The communication of the German Red Cross as well as the prisoners of war and internees is regulated by special regulation. "
The Official Gazette 33 of April 1, 1940 deals with the discount or the complete elimination of fees in the field post traffic. "The field post , intended to maintain the postal connection between the military forces and home as well as within the military forces." Ordinary postcards and letters (up to 250 g), parcels (up to 1 kg), postal and payment orders in the field up to RM 1,000 were permitted , Postal orders and payment cards from the field up to RM 1,000, some newspapers, field post newspaper packages and telegrams. Excess weights were tolerated for letters up to 25 g and for parcels up to 100 g. Military agencies could also send items by registered mail or insured mail, as well as parcels. Postal orders, cash on delivery, direct mail, letters with a certificate of delivery, return receipts and telegraphic payment orders were completely excluded. These provisions came into force on April 1, 1940.
The effects of the war required the exclusion of bulky and extensive parcels. From August 15, 1942, the following shipments were excluded from domestic service until further notice: Bulky parcel shipments with the exception of shipments containing live animals, hatching eggs, X-ray tubes and other healing devices as well as parcels from authorities or on behalf of authorities. Parcel shipments were considered bulky if they exceeded 1.30 m in any dimension or which exceeded 1 m in one dimension and 0.50 m in another. This decree did not apply to the field post. In 1943 the lock was changed. The packages from the authorities were now also excluded. Parcels were now not allowed to exceed 2.50 m in any dimension. All other restrictions were retained.
To protect the workforce of the large numbers of women employed by the Post, the maximum weight for parcels was reduced to 15 kg from October 1, 1942. On December 15, 1942, the advertising answering service was immediately suspended for the duration of the war. A transitional period until February 28, 1943 was granted for ongoing campaigns. As of May 12, 1943, the formal delivery of ordinary letters was suspended until further notice on the basis of an ordinance by the Reich Minister of Justice on war measures. On October 15, 1943, the ordinance amending the postal regulations came into force. Registered letters up to 500 g were only accepted; parcels, station letters and newspapers were completely excluded from registration. The same regulation also applied to the field post and the chargeable postal service " By German field post ". From December 10, 1943, the registered service for letters to authorities and from and to NSDAP offices was again permitted up to 1000 g.
"In order to give the population after severe enemy air attacks on the one hand the opportunity to convey a sign of life to their relatives away from home in a simple and quick manner, and on the other hand to enable urgent inquiries from abroad for the address of relatives etc. in the emergency areas, an express message service is being set up" . Urgent message cards and urgent order cards for checking an address based on a special sample were permitted. The prerequisite was the naming of the affected locations in the Wehrmacht report and they were valid within four days or, in the case of inquiries, from the 4th to the 10th day. The cards were not allowed to be posted in mailboxes. The express message service was free of charge in both directions.
A major restriction in normal postal traffic had to be announced in Official Gazette 77 of August 14, 1944. Parcels, mail and urgent parcels, parcels including sealed and unsealed value parcels, unless they were absolutely essential to the war effort, printed matter, samples, business papers and mixed items were no longer permitted for dispatch. Every express delivery was canceled, letters were only delivered once a day and no longer on Sundays, and mailbox emptying was largely restricted. The delivery fee for parcels was eliminated and the parcel fee only differentiated between two zones; in the near zone up to 75 km, the parcel fees of the previous zone 1 were levied, for the far zone, over 75 km, the fees of the previous zone 3. The Field post and official mail. Open letters franked as letters were not objectionable.
In January 1945 there were major restrictions due to the failure of most of the long-distance trains. A distinction was now made in the letter service between local and neighboring post service on the one hand and long-distance post service on the other. The local traffic comprised the local and rural delivery district, the neighboring local traffic the connections with convenient places. The head of the post office determined which were the neighboring towns. The management of the post via the rail mail was only permitted if there was enough space in the rail mail car. For local and neighboring local traffic, only postcards and letters up to 1000 g and registered letters were permitted after the restriction of 1944. After that, the maximum weight was limited to 100 g, and each post office had its own quota. Registered letters up to 500 g had to be posted openly at the counter so that the officer could determine the urgent need to be able to allow the carriage. The long-distance mail service only allowed normal postcards and letters up to 20 g for private senders. Authorities could send and receive letters weighing up to 500 g in urgent war and vital cases with the approval of the responsible Reichspostdirektion (RPD). There was no longer any talk of a regular postal service.
philately
Until 1933, philately did not play a major role in the Reichspost. Relatively few stamps were issued, and their design was also out of date. From 1933, the spending policy changed: the number of issues was increased, pleasant motifs and an appealing (albeit conservative) design of the stamps were the rule. Typical for a dictatorship was a large number of political reasons for the issues; collectors had to pay for political organizations via unusually high surcharges on the stamps (which exceeded the face value many times over).
The Reichspost issued collector IDs for the purchase of special stamps, postcards and official stamps for the first time in 1943 . The postal customers now had to collect the issues within fourteen days of the first day of issue by submitting the chargeable post office form (1 RM). Their use has been proven up to the last regular edition of the Volkssturm in February 1945 .
Reichspostminister
- from 1919 to 1922 Johannes Giesberts
- from 1922 to 1923 Karl Stingl
- from 1923 to 1925 Anton Höfle
- from 1925 to 1927 Karl Stingl
- from 1927 to 1932 Georg Schätzel
- from 1932 to 1937 Paul von Eltz-Rübenach
- from 1937 to 1945 Wilhelm Ohnesorge
- from 1945 to 1945 Julius Dorpmüller
literature
- Rainer E. Lütgens: Postage rate catalog 1923 to 1945. Langenhagen and Hamburg 1986.
- Werner Steven: Constitution of the German Empire of Aug. 11, 1919 (excerpt regarding postal and telecommunications systems) Postal Law (amendments), Law on postal charges (Oct. 1, 1920, Jan. 1, 1921, April 1, 1021), postal regulations for the German Reich (valid for the period from Oct. 1, 1917 to Dec. 31, 1921), archival Philatelic series of publications - Issue 10, Phila-Promotion, Forchheim, 2000
- Werner Steven: 1917–1929, postal regulations, pneumatic post, airmail, laws, ordinances in the text. Compilations . unpublished
- Werner Steven: 1929–1945, postal regulations, pneumatic post, airmail, laws, ordinances in the text. Compilations . unpublished
- Michel Postage Handbook Germany . Schwaneberger Verlag, Munich 2004, ISBN 3-87858-554-3 .
- Werner Götz: Requirement letters Germany after 1945 structured according to postal services with indication of all postage levels . Augsburg 1980.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Alfred Dietiker: From the post office Basel 17 Transit and its exchange of parcels with other countries . In: Postal Magazine . No. 2 , 1932, p. 56-68 .
- ↑ German postage fees 1916 to 1924 ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Concise dictionary of the postal system , 1953
- ↑ Further investigations are required on the background. These collector's cards then served the GDR Post as a model for introducing similar cards in 1953.
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