Postal history of Sweden

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Brief Swedish postal history from messenger mail to modern times.

prehistory

Official letters and letters, the so-called "King's Letters", are known from Sweden from the time before 1600. The year of origin of a public Swedish postal system is given as July 28, 1636. The first preserved state regulation on the administration of the postal system is the royal “ Ordinance because of the postman ” of March 20, 1636. At this time, the field postmaster of King Gustav Adolf (1594–1632), Andreas Wechel, was in charge of the postal system. Once a week his messengers went in all directions from the post office in the capital Stockholm. His successors were on lease.

State Post

Swedish Post logo

King Karl XI (1655–1697) abolished the leasing system and set up the post as a state transport authority by ordinance of January 7, 1677. From now on the postal connections were considerably improved, and soon there were 84 post offices in the country. In 1697, the Upper Postal Directorate in Stockholm was created in Stockholm as the highest postal authority. At first it was subordinate to the State Chancellery and was then assigned to the Ministry of Finance in 1840. In 1849 its head was given the title “General Director of the Post”. In 1900 he was subordinated to the Ministry of the Interior, and in 1920 to the Ministry of Transport. The upper administration has been with the Federal Council since 1946. Today it is a public company.

Since 1822 mail has been transported between Sweden and the mainland by steamboats. In 1855 the first postage stamps appeared together with a standard fee. Since 1858, mail has also been transported by rail . In 1861, mail delivery was introduced in the main cities. At the same time “post stations” were set up to supply the rural population. The cash on delivery and postal order service in the internal service was introduced in 1866. Postcards have been around since 1872 . Land delivery was created from 1877 onwards. In 1889 card letters came to the counter. From 1892, postal orders could also be sent by telegram and the postal service was introduced.

In 1893 the postal area was divided into postal districts, the management of which was transferred to inspections and later to directorates. As so-called “Americans”, mailboxes were set up in 1895 . From 1910 motor vehicles were used to transport mail.

From 1914 on, the post office was given the task of paying out state pensions (folkpension). From 1915 the post office also sold stamp tax stamps (staatsstämplar) and in 1918 the post office was entrusted with the collection of taxes (skattenppbröd) in the country and the sale of national debt letters.

Sweden has had air mail since 1920 . The first post expeditions in places with medium mail volume have been set up. Since 1925, the Post has been transporting people in postal vehicles. The postal transfer service has existed since 1925 . As a modern service company, Swiss Post is constantly developing.

literature