Napoleonic Post in Northern Germany

Map of the northern German part of the French Empire with its postal locations

The article Napoleonic Post in Northern Germany deals with the postal system during the Napoleonic rule in Northern Germany, known as the French era , from 1806 to 1813/1814. During this time, the three Hanseatic departments were set up to enforce the continental barrier.

Postal organization in the annexed areas

It took some time for the French postal administration to supply the new postal services with the most essential equipment. Immediately after the announcement, stamps were ordered in Paris. The old stamps were still in use until they arrived, if any were in use at all. In the French state creations, in the Grand Duchy of Berg and in the Kingdom of Westphalia , stamps had already been introduced. Only those from Thurn und Taxis were used by the German postal administrations, and this was due to postal agreements with France.

Of the stamps delivered first, there were some with the wrong spelling, which were soon replaced by new ones. If there was a larger volume of mail, they probably continued to exist for some time. There was no regulation about the stamp color. Most frequently the exit stamps in black and the Port Paye stamps in red have been removed. But there are also known tees in green and blue. Each post office received an ordinary postmark with the department number on the top line and the name of the post office on the bottom line. This stamp was used when the postage still had to be paid by the recipient, as was customary at the time.

However, if the postage was paid by the sender, the Port Paye stamp was used. It is marked with a "P" before and after the department number. Misdirected letters were given a "Debourse" stamp at the place to which they had been misdirected and secured this post office the postage that was now due. He was knocked off on the back. Letters from the later period also show the debourse stamp on the front in connection with handwritten value information. It can be assumed that so-called postal advances were identified in this way . The post office clerk made postal advances; it was up to him to collect the fee from the recipient. Proof of such a postal regulation, which opens up this possibility, could not be provided so far, but the admonition to the post office holder to use the postmark only for misdirected letters. The handwritten information can also be a date.

The secondary postmark “Charge” was used for registered (re-ordered) letters. In his case, the stamp color, namely black, was prescribed, so such an ink pad was also available. The oldest known number stamp of the Hanseatic departments is known from August 1, 1811, but it must be said that the exact period of use is very difficult to determine. With the expulsion of the French, most of the stamps were lost or confiscated. "Forgotten" stamps were still in use for a few years after the turmoil, and most of them had their department number removed.

The postage free was very carefully monitored. For this purpose, particularly beautiful cachets were made by offices. Presumably they were made by private stamp makers . Of course, handwritten franchise notes were also considered permissible.

organization

The French commissioner Juillac, based in Hamburg, was appointed head of the general post office in the Hanseatic departments and for Lippe . The organizational structure was identical in these departments. Two each were subordinate to an "Inspector", the heads of the post offices in Hamburg and Bremen were called "First Post Director", whereas those in the other cities were only called "Post Director". An order from Napoleon also called for the existing German postmaster to be replaced by French, as in the other administrative units. The post offices in Hamburg, Lübeck, Lüneburg, Stade, Osnabrück and Munster were comparable to today's leading post offices. The other post offices often only consisted of a mounted messenger who nonetheless had his own stamp. The messenger also carried the mail to places without a post office.

"Dutch" departments in Germany

Postmark from Münster while it was part of the 121 Oberissel department (September 1810 to April 1811)

As early as July 9, 1810, it was decided to annex the Kingdom of Holland , which had been ruled by Napoleon's brother Louis Bonaparte since 1806 , to France. The northern part of the Kingdom of Hanover and areas west of the Ems from the Grand Duchy of Berg were also captured . This arrangement was short-lived. The Bergisch arrondissements Münster, Rees and Steinfurt formed the department 131 Lippe since April 27, 1811 .

120 - Issel estuary

Since December 26, 1810, the southern part of the Steinfurt arrondissement belonged to this department . In addition to post offices in Burg Steinfurt , Rheine , Coesfeld and Bentheim, there were branches (distributions) in Horstmar , Maxhafen , Nottuln , Neuenkirchen and Emsdetten . Like those in the other arrondissements, they had no stamps. Department stamps are only known from Rheine. For the other places stamps are possible, but not yet proven.

121 - Oberissel

The arrondissements of Münster and Rees were also removed from the Grand Duchy of Berg and added to the Dutch department of Yssel-Supérieur . Post offices were in Munster, Ahaus, Bocholt, Emmerich and Rees, branches in Elten , Borken, Haltern and Telgte . There was a border post office in Anholt .

123 - West of the Ems

The northern part of the Steinfurt arrondissement came to the department "West of the Ems" . Post offices are known from Nienhuys (Neuenhaus) and Nordhorn. No stamps from this time have yet been found.

April 1811 marked the end of the three departments 120, 121 and 123. With effect from Senate resolution 6700 of April 27, 1811, Article 1, the arrondissements of Rees and Münster (department "Obere Issel"), the arrondissement Steinfurt (department "Issel estuary"), the arrondissement of Neuhaus (belonging to the department west of the Ems) separated from these departments. They formed the newly created "Departement de Ia Lippe" (131). Its main town was Munster.

124 - east of the Ems

The Department 124 "East of the Ems" continued with its creation on July 9, 1810 parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the northern part of Hannover together. In 1801 the Kingdom of Hanover was separated from Great Britain. The department was divided into three districts, in Aurich , Emden and Jever with a total of 108 communities in 14 districts. Aurich was chosen as the central location. After a decree from Fontainebleau of October 18, 1810, seven post offices were established in Aurich, Emden, Esens , Jever, Leer , Norden and Wittmund . The stamp color was black until 1811 and changed to red in 1812, with the exception of Esens. The earliest date known was March 25, 1811 for “124 Norden” and March 31, 1811 for “124 Aurich”.

The Hanseatic departments

The area along the North Sea and a line from Haltern via Telgte, Stolzenau , Ratzeburg to Lübeck, annexed on the basis of a senate resolution of December 13, 1810, included the duchies of Lauenburg and Oldenburg , the Free Hanseatic City of Bremen , the county of Bentheim-Steinfurt , and the Duchy of Arenberg -Meppen and the princes of Salm-Salm and Salm-Kyrburg , the northern part of Hanover, parts of the Kingdom of Westphalia and the dioceses of Osnabrück and Minden .

On January 1, 1811, Napoleon ordered the division into the three Hanseatic departments , and on April 27, 1811, the Dep. to the lip. The also controlled Swedish Pomerania with the main town Stralsund remained unchanged.

128 - Département of the Elbe estuary

The administration of the Grand Ducal Bergisches Oberpostamt had already become French on August 4, 1808. By decree of December 18, 1810, it became the main post office of the new department des Bouches de l'Elbe (Département der Elbe estuary). The previously used stamps with the rayon designation were used until August 1811. The new stamps of origin, however, have been known since April 1811.

In Hamburg there were two posting stamps "128 Hamburg", which differ from each other by a slight shift of the "128" compared to the bottom line. The Port Paye stamps, like the Déboursé stamps, were knocked off in red. During the period of occupation from March 18 to May 5, 1813, a small one-liner, probably of Prussian origin, was in use. After the reoccupation by the French on May 30, 1813, some stamps were lost. So instead of the Port-Paye stamp, a secondary post-Paye stamp was added to the red struck “128 Hamburg” until September. The stamp of origin for post from Denmark was also untraceable. Until the new stamp was available, a "Thurn & Taxis" stamp was given a new honor. However, new stamps were soon used. Presumably these stamps were made by local stamp writers.

The department did not only consist of the main town of Hamburg, there are 14 other post offices. The Neuhaus postmark “128” is so far only known beyond doubt on a letter dated May 2, 1811.

129 - Department of the mouth of the Weser

The creation of the administrative unit Département des Bouches-du-Weser (Département of the mouth of the Weser) also goes back to the decree of January 1, 1811. The main town was Bremen, the Grand Ducal Bergische Postamt was taken over. 26 post offices belong to the department.

About Bremen: The small stamp existed until the end of the occupation.
To Burgförde: This post office was on the road from Oldenburg to Aurich. In 1813 it was closed and reopened in Westerstede.
To Lehe: During the battles of the Napoleonic troops against the Russians, the departure stamp was lost. Instead, the Westphalian stamp with the handwritten "129" was used for a short time. Exactly this stamp is known as a forerunner from 1811.
To Rotenburg: There are two series. When the Russians marched in, all papers and stamps were lost. The postmaster Watenberg is said to have collaborated with the Cossacks Tentenborgs and was therefore sentenced to death, but later pardoned. On April 26, 1813, Rotenburg was "liberated" by French troops under Louis-Nicolas Davout . The origin of the new stamp is disputed.

130 - Department of the Upper Ems

This Département de l'Ems-Supérieur (Département of the Upper Ems) , which was created on January 1, 1811 and confirmed in Saint Cloud on July 4, 1811 , had Osnabrück as the main town and administrative seat of a total of 19 post offices.

Note on the stamp location Osnabrück: Until the department stamps arrived, the Westphalian stamp was in use.

131 - Département of the Lippe

Examples of place stamps

The Département der Lippe existed with the effect of the Senate decision of April 27, 1811. It consisted of the arrondissements of Münster, Rees and Steinfurt, which in turn had been subordinate to the Dutch departments since October 26, 1810. The new administrative unit had the city of Munster as its main town, and a further 13 post offices were subordinate to it.

Rare, prepaid letter "P 131 P Steinfurt"

End of Napoleonic rule

The Battle of the Nations near Leipzig from October 16-19, 1813 brought a decision that was favorable to Prussia. Napoleon was defeated and had to lead his troops back across the Rhine.

The collapse of Napoleonic rule in Germany also meant its irrevocable end, but its impact went well beyond the year 1813. The first-time introduction of postmarks with all the radical innovations associated with them and the handling and delivery of letters and the other appropriate and fundamental changes in the postal service had an effect on the further development of the post in Germany that should not be underestimated. They created the basis for the reform and standardization of the German postal system.

literature

Wilhelm Heinrich Matthias: About items and post shelves. Self-published, Berlin 1832 ( limited preview in Google book search)
Albert Reinhardt: Departments conquis. 1792-1815 . Peter Feuser Verlag, Stuttgart 1989.
see also under German Postal History # Literature