Postal history and postage stamps of Braunschweig

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The postal history and postage stamps of Braunschweig are the historical basis for the fact that the former Duchy of Braunschweig is present as an independent area with the postage stamps issued between 1852 and 1867 in the scrapbooks of philatelists .

The state posts of the Duchy of Braunschweig

Under Heinrich the Younger (1489–1568), Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg , the development of a permanent central administration began in the residential city of Wolfenbüttel , which was provisionally concluded in the "Great Chancellery Ordinance" of 1535. Such an administration required an orderly messenger system based on the taxi model.

Duke Julius (1528–1589) of Braunschweig-Lüneburg placed a riding post from Wolfenbüttel, where he resided, to Saxony via Halberstadt and Halle to Leipzig in 1576 , but this was interrupted again in 1589.

In 1640, Röttger Hinüber received permission from Hildesheim to produce direct mail between Braunschweig , Hanover , Bremen and Kassel . The Duke awarded him the title of ducal Braunschweig-Lüneburg postman and postmaster in Hildesheim. That called the Thurn and Taxissche Post on the scene, they saw the establishment of the course as an interference in the Reich postal monopoly and therefore filed a complaint with the Kaiser. Emperor Ferdinand III. recommended that those involved set up a Taxis post. Braunschweig and Saxony declared that they would set up and operate their own posts in their own area. The argument went on. After the Treaty of Münster and Osnabrück in 1659, another imperial patent was issued demanding that the dispute with Thurn und Taxis be ended. A subsequent patent forbade the entertainment of postillons in sovereign postal clothing. One remained steadfast.

Duke Georg Wilhelm (1624–1705) had brought a man named Stiegenetto with him from Italy . With the approval of the three Braunschweig-Lüneburg dukes, Stechinelli , as he was called, was commissioned to set up a postal network throughout the country and to set up a postal administration modeled on the Thurn and Taxis Post Office. On July 17, 1678, Stichenelli was appointed general heir postmaster for the entire house of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel.

The first minister, Count von Platen-Hallermund in Hanover, bought the postal service from the Italian in 1682 and was given the title of General Hereditary Postmaster. Count Platen was responsible for the entire postal system in the Braunschweig, Lüneburg and Wolfenbüttel parts. In 1683 the duchies of Bremen and Verden were added, in which the Braunschweig-Lüneburg postal order now also applied.

First printed postal regulations for the Duchy of Braunschweig

The Thurn and Taxis Reichspost kept its post offices under the protection of the Duke. Later a comparison was made, Platen operated taxis for the traveling and horse-riding mail, so it remained until 1790.

After the former “Princely Braunschweig-Lüneburgische Post” had become an “Electoral Hanoverian” with the elevation of Hanover to an electorate in 1692, on October 23, 1736 the Royal British Electorate of Hanover took over the entire postal system. With this, Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel was eliminated. Count von Platen hoped at least to be able to remain in office in the Duchy of Braunschweig, but Duke Charles I refused the investiture and on March 1, 1738, also took the postal system into state administration.

In 1718, at the instigation of the head post office in Leipzig, the “ yellow carriages ” from Braunschweig via Hesse and Merseburg to Leipzig, which from Braunschweig again maintained contact with the ducal kitchen mail with Hamburg . The kitchen mail, for its part, was not welcomed by Prussia . Freight and thus postage was withdrawn from the Prussian course via Magdeburg. Prussia argued that private mail would run counter to postal rights and insisted on repeal. Braunschweig and Saxony nationalized the yellow and kitchen mail in 1750 and operated them as a joint institution. The kitchen mail drove to Stolberg am Harz, with a connection to the yellow post. All letters from Saxony and the places touched on the way, which were destined for the seaside towns and the Lüneburg area, all letters and parcels which were destined for Saxony, Bohemia and Austria from Hamburg, Lübeck, Bremen, the Hanoverian and Braunschweig area, were sent by the yellow carriages. The line was changed in 1815, when large parts of Saxony, until shortly before Leipzig, came to Prussia. Now the yellow carriages led from Blankenburg via Hasselfelde to Nordhausen with a connection to the Kassel – Leipzig route.

With the creation of the Kingdom of Westphalia , the Brunswick postal system went over to that of the Kingdom. The French who immigrated with King Jérôme Bonaparte (Hieronymus) exploited the postal system and raised taxes for this purpose. On the other hand, they also modernized the postal system.

Before the introduction of the first postage stamps

Receipt from the Braunschweig Post Tax Office for postal customs clearance from 1840

The princely family of Thurn and Taxis were responsible for handling the postal service in Braunschweig from an early age . In the 16th century, Duke Heinrich the Younger of Braunschweig had his own Princely-Braunschweigische Landespost set up. However, the Princes Thurn and Taxis continued to work in the Braunschweig postal system until this was forbidden by the Braunschweig Duke Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand on July 1, 1790.

In addition to the Thurn und Taxische Post in Braunschweig, there was also a postal service from Brandenburg in Braunschweig for a while.

During the occupation by France in the course of the Napoleonic Wars , the first postmarks were introduced in 1808 . Until then, the location was handwritten on the letters . On December 5, 1851 Braunschweig joined the German-Austrian Postal Union. Just three weeks later, it came to the introduction of the first stamps under Duke Wilhelm I .

Own stamp issues

The first stamps

Brunswick postage stamp from 1852

On January 1, 1852, the first three postage stamps were issued in Braunschweig at 1, 2 and 3 silver groschen. With these values ​​one could cover all important postal rates with regard to distance and weight at that time. These five unperforated postage stamps were printed on stamp sheets as needed . However, sales at the post office counters were only made in horizontal strips of 10. The first stamp issue in Braunschweig shows numerous defects. The stamps are usually at an angle to each other, the stamp sizes fluctuate and the print is usually unclear and blurred. In addition to the value and the state name, the Brunswick coat of arms , the Sachsenross, can be found in the center of the brand images . It consists of a jumping horse in a lying oval. The stamps were printed in letterpress on yellowish paper with reddish gum .

Further stamp issues

The following stamp issues remained true to the previous motif. From March 1, 1853, the stamp paper was provided with a watermark for security reasons . This consisted of a post horn surrounded by a line . The stamps were also only printed in black on colored paper. A separate color was provided for each value. In addition to the three previous values, there were several supplementary values ​​of 1 ⁄ 4 and 1 ⁄ 2  Gutegroschen and 1 ⁄ 3  Silver Groschen. (See: Braunschweigische Finanzgesetze ). In July 1864 the first pierced postage stamps finally appeared at the counters in Braunschweig. Previously, several attempts had been made with punctures.

New motifs

The last series of stamps in Braunschweig was issued on October 1st, 1865. Like all postage stamp issues in Braunschweig, it was valid until December 31, 1867. The special thing about this series was that the previous motif was completely changed. The Brunswick coat of arms is in this edition in the erected oval. The stamp itself is also in portrait format. The stamp values ​​of 1 ⁄ 3 , 1, 2 and 3 silver groschen were printed in this form . The embossing was now colored instead of black, but the stamp paper was white.

The divisible stamp

A special position of the stamps of Braunschweig takes the separable postage stamp to 4 × 1 / 4 , a Gutegroschen. This square postage stamp was issued on March 1st, 1857 and consisted of 4 equally sized and identically designed parts of 1 ⁄ 4  Gutegroschen each . These could (and should) be cut to size as required. The aim was to avoid having to spend further 1 ⁄ 2 , 3 ⁄ 4 and 1 Gutegroschen for domestic traffic in addition to the already existing 1 ⁄ 4  Gutegroschen stamp . As with the other postage stamps, the print was black on colored paper.

Such divisible stamps were already issued by Mecklenburg-Schwerin in 1856 (see Postal History and Postage Stamps of Mecklenburg ).

Entry into the North German Confederation

On January 1, 1868, she joined the North German Confederation (forerunner of the German Empire). From this point on, the postal history of Braunschweig was divided by that of the North German Confederation ( North German Post District ). The twenty stamps from Braunschweig could only be used up to that day. An exchange of the Brunswick postage stamps for postage valid postage stamps of the North German Confederation was possible until March 31, 1868.

The tariffs of the Herzoglich-Braunschweigische Post 1814–1868

Braunschweig mileage indicator

The positive outcome of the Battle of Leipzig for Germany ended foreign rule, and the Westphalian Post also ended six years later . The princes returned to their countries and restored the previous administration. In Braunschweig, the ducal coats of arms were already attached to the offices and post offices on November 3, 1813. The solemn takeover by Friedrich Wilhelm took place on November 6, 1813.

The Westphalian tariff continued to apply , although it was denominated in francs and centimes. The Westphalian postal order of November 1, 1810 was also ordered for the liberated parts of the country by General Circular of February 23, 1814. The franc was worth 5 1 ⁄ 2   good groschen . The taler had 24 good groschen or 26 Mariengroschen or 288 pfennigs.

Obituary notice of a postmaster from Braunschweig after 57 years of service

The Princely Postal Directorate introduced an expedition procedure by circular letter dated February 7, 1814, according to which all post offices had to change the mailbags among themselves . An agreement with the Kgl. Hanoverian Post Directory included some Hanoverian post offices (e.g. Bremen, Celle, Clausthal, Göttingen, Harburg, Hamburg Hanover, Peine, etc.). The postal expeditions exchanged the post with the nearest post office.

A decree of May 19, 1814 stipulated “ that the now organized chamber should also include the postal system, the coin and the lottery, but only with regard to accounting, to its departments. "(§ 12). It was not until 1830 that the administration of the posts was subordinated to the Finance College (Section 6).

In the Westphalian era, the tariffs were constantly criticized, and the Braunschweigische Post lowered them.

1814

Postage from 1814

An ordinance of February 12, 1814 regulated the taxes in the Duchy anew; it came into force on March 1, 1814. Only the taxis were regulated. The weight of the simple letter was increased from 12 g to 1 lot (16.66 g). The weight progression no longer increased by 6 g, but with each lot, which made the heavier letters extremely cheaper. The regulations for product samples and printed matter have been changed significantly. In the past, up to 30 g (2 lot) the single postage and up to 4 lots one and a half times the postage was to be paid. This resulted in an increase in the price of smaller programs; however, the higher overall weight was an improvement. A messenger wage (order fee) of 4 pfennigs each for letters, notes and addresses was introduced.

An ordinance of March 10, 1814 stipulated the distances between the post offices. They were used to calculate the mail tax and were posted in all post offices and post stations. When calculating the distance, a distinction was made between letter, travel and money post, as well as extra post . So it is understandable that there were two distance specifications for the distance from one place to another.

The post office was still a very insecure institution. Not only that hussars could be used to accompany important, i.e. valuable, transports, but also that the postal workers did not carry out the postal service very properly. This was not because of their unreliability, but because of the lack of clear rules.

Postage from 1833

1833

After the death of Duke Friedrich Wilhelm and the expulsion of his eldest son Karl II, Duke Wilhelm took over the government from 1831 to 1884. A new postal order published on August 13, 1832, made it possible to improve the postal facilities considerably. They were supposed to come into force on January 1, 1833, but were delayed until April 1, 1833 because the necessary preparatory work could not be completed. In the preface it says that " the legal provisions concerning the postal system, some of which were out of date, some of which were scattered in many individual ordinances and were not in accordance with the principles existing in neighboring towns, had to be revised ".

The new postal regulations comprised 292 paragraphs. The replacement services for lost, recruited shipments were reorganized. The replacement for a lost registered letter was 15 thalers, for lost items with an indication of the value an amount of up to the stated value was replaced, for all other mail items up to 10 thalers were replaced. Post bills were issued for recruited letters, money, mail and normal parcels, but only on the sender's request for the latter. - Parcels weighing up to 20 pounds were only allowed to be sent by post. The maximum weight was 120 pounds. " Access to the post office = office is not permitted for the public. “The switch, usually a small hatch, was z. B. in the hallway. “ At locations [without a post office] that are touched by passing posts ”, the municipality was able to name a resident who, without the post office being present, was able to accept the mail and also to correct the postage. - The post office officials were allowed, at their own risk, to give cash advances on letters or parcels. “ Letters up to 4 Loth incl. Belong exclusively to the letter post. "" Letters weighing more than 4 lot will be sent with the parcel post as soon as the request for sending by post is not expressly noted on the address. “If a letter is specifically proven“ the sender has to put the words 'recommandirt' or 'recommended' on the address. “A posting slip was issued to the sender and the delivery receipt (return receipt) was issued and sent to the sender. "Money letters and things from Werth" were only sent by post if this was expressly requested. They were not allowed to exceed the value of 5 thalers, weigh no more than 16 lots and had to be sealed with five seals. All parcel items over 16 lots had to be accompanied by special addresses (package accompanying letters). “ On the addresses, the content or the genre of the official matter, or if the object of a general nature, the designation 'Manorial service matter' (HDS) and the name and service character of the sender, or information about the public authority, is and must be set the objects must be sealed with the official seal or a public seal. “The term“ ex officio ”was no longer sufficient, especially for broadcasts abroad.

Postage from 1833 or from 1835

Listed with postage taxes. The basic rule was: “ Postage for letters, parcels and money should be levied on the local state post according to the direct distance, namely according to the mileage indicator attached here. “This“ mile pointer ”contains some foreign post offices. “Conventions” made it possible to calculate the mail items destined for these locations according to the domestic tax. “ Postage for letters is regulated according to the number of miles and the weight of a letter. ““ A simple letter within the borders of the local country is one that weighs no more than 3 ⁄ 4 lot. “- For letters with an attached sample, the sample must be visibly attached. The letter could not be heavier than 3 ⁄ 4 lot. - Printed matter was to be understood as price courante, printed circulars or letters of recommendation, newspapers, pamphlets, printed announcements, individual printed sheets and printed lottery lists that were sent under cruciate ligament. Samples and printed matter abroad could only be accepted at the reduced rate if there was no transit postage to be paid. - Recommended letters had to be franked when they were sent. - Has taken the File tax claim, the epistolary message could not have 3 / 4 weigh Lot. Judicial obligations, documents and negotiating documents, bonds, mortgage certificates, loaner house certificates, interim certificates of the Prussian provincial banco-comtoirs, bank instructions, bills of exchange, coupons for interest not yet payable, lottery tickets, manuscripts, invoices, proof sheets and Government bonds or similar bonds that have been taken out of course are delivered.

“ The parcel postage is based on the letter rate. The same thing distinguishes good and little things. "" Victuals, liquid and easily perishable items, including printed items and books, are counted as minor items. “The package cover letter was “ released ” up to 3 ⁄ 4 lot, only the excess weight was applied after the“ letter postage rate or the file rate ”. A surcharge of a third of the parcel tax was levied for bulky goods. For the dispatch of several parcels to one recipient that were subject to the same tax, the postage was charged according to the total weight, but at least three times the postage. Small parcels, files and smaller sums (up to 10 pounds, up to 50 thalers) could be sent by express mail with a 50% surcharge. For parcels and all shipments for which a posting slip had been issued, the recipient had to sign a delivery slip. In order to relieve the packing chamber, a storage fee was levied. It became due if, after delivery of the address or note, the shipment was not picked up immediately or was not picked up the next morning. After seven days, double the fee was charged.

The postage for money (cash sendings) also for gold or silver bars was formed from the letter postage and differentiates between silver and gold mailings. In the case of several packages with different types of coins packed separately, the postage had to be calculated individually. The total postage was not allowed to reach the silver estimate. The same rules applied to the cover letter for sending money as to the package cover letters.

Country postmen were hired for places where there was no post office and where no through-mail came through. The courier wages to these places had to be determined by the post office depending on the circumstances and distance.

1835

In the Law and Ordinance Collection of December 23, 1834, a new coin constitution was published. The monetary rates of the authorities and public coffers, previously determined according to the convention coin, had to be converted from convention money to courant money at a ratio of 36 to 37.

The new basic coin was the thaler to 24 Gutegroschen and the Ggr. had 12 pfennigs. 175 5 / 6  Taler weighed a mark and had therefore to contain 258 Grän fine gold.

One mark (cöllnisch) was divided into 233,856 g of 16 lots, 64 quants, 256 pfennigs or 4864 aces. Fourteen thalers contained one mark of fine silver. The new Courant currency after the fourteen-half feet replaced the convention coin. The old coins retained their full external value, but 14 dollars (Courant) calculated 12 dollars after Achtzehnguldenfuß or Leipzigerfuß embossed money and 13 1 / 3   dollars in Convertionsgulden or Speziestahler. Or: one thaler convention money was now one thaler and 8 pfennigs in courant money. Or: Convention money was converted into Courant money at a ratio of 36 to 37. Amounts in convention coins up to one Ggr. and 11 Pf. were equated with the courant coin.

The coin reform only had an impact on the post-tax system when it came to sending money. The actual tariff was not affected. This confirmed the change in the postal order of April 28, 1835. In addition to the coin reform, an agreement with the Kgl. Hanover government stated as the reason for this measure. Section 1 expressly states that the valid rates were calculated and charged according to the fourteenth-half foot without adding a surcharge. This provision was not used for the extrapost, courier and estaffetten tax. The postage on letters, notes and parcels was of course to be noted in Courant. Advances in foreign currency had to be reduced to courant. The same applied to the sums of money for sending money. In the same law, the division of “good” and “minor” things was abolished in the parcel tax. The fee for files and parcels has been redefined.

The Kgl. Hannoversche Postverwaltung took over the exercise of the postal rights according to the contract of April 5, 1835 (from 1835 to 1842) in return for compensation of 25,000 thalers a year. The taxis were put on an equal footing in Hanover. This did not apply to extra items. The law took effect immediately.

Postage from 1849

1849

The conclusion of the contract with the Kgl. Prussian government of April 30, 1849 on the application of the Prussian postage tax to reciprocal letters and driving mails as well as those with the Kgl. The Hanover government's existing agreement made it necessary to revise the existing postal regulations. For Prussia and Hanover, according to this law, the taxes applicable there were applied, so that the Prussian tax was decisive for shipments to Prussia and the Hanoverian tax for shipments to Hanover, while a third, Brunswick tax was valid for shipments within the Duchy. The law of June 24, 1849 came into force immediately.

1851

On December 24th, 1851 a law was published which regulates the postal traffic of the duchy with the states of the German-Austrian postal union. The duchy was a member of the German-Austrian postal association.

“ The provisions of this law apply to all mail from the Duchy to the other states of the Postal Union and, insofar as they go through these states to other countries, and vice versa. For weight determinations in the bills of exchange between the postal union states, the unit of weight is: the customs pound (30 Loth) = (500 French grams) = (32 Loth. Cologne). The postage rates stated in this law in foreign currency are to be reduced to the national coins according to the table attached to this law and paid in this. “The post office tax follows in the legal text. The inland taxes of the duchy remained unaffected.

Postage from 1855
Letter to the Ministry of State in Darmstadt, franked with three 3-silver groschen stamps and canceled with a postmark from Braunschweig

1855

A law of July 25, 1855 changed the taxes within the Duchy of Braunschweig. It came into force on October 1, 1855.

1858

With effect from January 1, 1858, a new coin constitution came into force. This was published by law on June 15, 1857.

The taler was 30 groschen, a groschen was 10 pfennigs.

" The coin pieces of the 30 thaler foot should have completely the same validity as the coins of the same name as previously pronounced in the 14 thaler foot, in such a way that for all payments and liabilities, unless the special agreement mentioned in § 9 about payment in club coins is made, a distinction between the old coins of the 14 thaler and the new coins of the 30 thaler foot may not be made. "

Together with the governments in Hanover, Oldenburg, Schaumburg-Lippe, Bremen and Hamburg, it was decided to introduce the duty pound as a general unit of weight on July 1, 1858. The pound thus agreed with the Prussian pound established by the Prussian law of May 17, 1856, " and is equal to 1,069,036 pounds (1 pound 2,209,158 lot) of the previous Braunschweig national weight ".

Postage from 1863

1863

In order to align with the tariff of the German-Austrian postal association, the inland postage tax for the Duchy of Braunschweig was reorganized on January 1, 1863. The regulations of December 13, 1862 provided an explanation of the law on internal postal taxes of December 4, 1862.

It is interesting that the desire to send letters over 4 lots by post could also be expressed by using appropriate stamps. For letters with insufficient postage, only the missing amount was collected from the recipient. The fee for registered mail and acknowledgment of receipt was payable together with the postage. The registration of printed matter and product samples was permitted. For insured items - also in foreign currencies - the value had to be stated in the local silver currency. Authorities did not have to pay anything for the posting slip even if they posted postage-free items to foreign post areas. Post advances were only permitted on ordinary letters and parcels. Post was only obliged to pay the advance payment when the shipment was redeemed. The post office clerk was personally responsible if he paid out the amount when posting. “Baare payments” were also only permitted on ordinary letters and parcels. There was no compulsory franking, but the payment could not be made before the postage and the fee were paid, this happened at the same time. If the money could not be paid out, postage and fees also had to be paid. For city postage in Braunschweig and Wolfenbüttel, the city gates were the limit of the order district. In the other post offices the districts had been specially determined. Shipments “by express delivery” were to be carried out immediately, including at night, unless something else was noted on the shipment. These letters had to be re-ordered. Values ​​were not allowed. There was no obligation to postage. The courier could, but did not have to, be paid by the sender. If re-ordered letters were lost, a replacement of 15 thalers was paid out. For shipments abroad, Swiss Post has undertaken to assert these claims on behalf of the recipient.

Postage from 1865

On July 1, 1864, a new postal law was published. An "Extract" was printed in the attachment. The compensation for lost recruited letters was 14 thalers. Swiss Post did not provide any compensation for delayed delivery or for ordering an express letter. The sender was free to state the value of a shipment in whole, in part or not at all. Of course, the claim in the event of loss of the shipment was also regulated accordingly. If the post office was able to prove that the stated amount was set too high, it only had to replace the actual value. For undeclared items, the Post paid 10 groschen per pound or parts thereof in the event of a loss. If damaged, less, but no more than 10 groschen per pound. In any case, however, only if it can be proven that the Post was at fault.

1865

The Duchy of Braunschweig experienced the last change to the inland tax on April 4, 1865. From July 1, 1865 until the entry into the northern German postal district, changed prices were in effect.

As of January 1, 1868, by law, the groschen was no longer divided into 10, but into 12 pfennigs. At the same time, the tariff of the North German postal administration applied without restriction in the Duchy of Braunschweig.

  • The last 1 groschen stamps from 1865

  • The last 2 groschen stamps from 1865

Forgeries of Brunswick postage stamps

Forgers have dealt very little with Brunswick postage stamps and the few known ones are easy to recognize by the deviating drawing. The watermark is also missing. In the case of the stamps in the coat of arms that came out without a watermark, forgeries can often be recognized by the false stamps. The puncture of the stamps from 1861 is always poor; if it is first class, caution is advised: in the case of valuable stamps or letters, consult an expert or an examiner.

literature

  • Werner Steven: The development of domestic postage in the Duchy of Braunschweig from 1813 to 1868 . In: Postal history sheets Hanover / Braunschweig. Volume 8, 1985, pp. 47-82.
  • BE Crole: History of the German Post . Leipzig 1900
  • expertise Publisher: Deutsche Post AG, issue 1/2012, pp. 4–7.

See also

Web links

Commons : Postal history and postage stamps of Braunschweig  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Entries for the period from 1840 to 1859. In: Stadtchronik Braunschweig. City of Braunschweig, p. 4 , accessed on February 5, 2010 : “1. January 1852: Issue of the first Brunswick postage stamps. "