Post route Wolfenbüttel – Harzburg

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The Wolfenbüttel-Harzburg postal route was a postal route introduced as early as the 17th century . It connected the places Braunschweig and Bad Harzburg via Wolfenbüttel by post. This article describes the development of the postal system in the places Wolfenbüttel, Immendorf, Lesse, Salder, Börßum, Oker and Bad Harzburg in the Duchy of Braunschweig .

1828 Detail from the post card of the Prussian states

The country roads

Karl Wilhelm Ferdinand (Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel) (1773–1806) Duke of Braunschweig-Lüneburg , like his predecessor Karl I , was very committed to road construction. The construction and maintenance of country roads, their width, drivability and safety were prescribed in special regulations.

Since January 1, 1754, a moving post has been running once a week between Helmstedt, Schöningen, Schöppenstedt and Wolfenbüttel. It started in the morning in Schöningen, arrived in Schöppenstedt at noon and was in Wolfenbüttel in the evening. Which drove back to Schöningen the next morning to drive there and back to Helmstedt the next day. In Helmstedt and Wolfenbüttel there were princely post houses, in Schöningen the relative Herr Himmel and in Schöppenstedt the merchant Günther was responsible for the post. Not quite as fast as we are today.

The following streets were finished in the Duchy of Braunschweig from 1802:

  1. the Leipziger, from Braunschweig via Wolfenbüttel to behind Hessen (4 miles)
  2. the Magdeburg, from Braunschweig to Helmstedt (5 miles)
  3. the Hannoversche, from Braunschweig to behind Betmar (2½ miles).
  4. the Schöninger, from Braunschweig (still unfinished) to Evesen (4 miles)
  5. the Seesener, from Braunschweig to Seesen (6 miles)
  6. the Frankfurter, from Seesen (3 miles)
  7. the Osteroder, from Seesen to behind Badenhausen (3 miles) and
  8. the Holzmindener, from Delligsen to the hoofs (2 miles).

Until 1796, no mileage was charged for using the roads. Then, in order to cover the costs, so-called collector houses were built in order to be able to collect “a moderate amount of road money (2 to 8 pfennigs, depending on the size and weight of the load) per horse” . The guards were exempt from road tolls.

The other roads in the principality had not yet been turned into dam roads. The road from Wolfenbüttel to Goslar and Horenburg (in Hanover) was paved with stones. The road to Hamburg is partly set up as a sand dam.

The "Neue Straße" from Wolfenbüttel into the Harz Mountains should also be mentioned. It led via Harzburg to Brockenkrug, via Oderbrück and Königskrug to Braunlage, one to Saxony, the other to Nordhausen. Since 1748 the driver Seidensticker from Northeim made his way to avoid the Prussian customs of 2 Reichstalers per hundredweight of freight. After the road was built, the Prussian customs duty fell to 8 Gutegroschen . This road, which was repaired as good as possible between 1755 and 1758, has only been open to traffic in summer since then. In winter only when the load of goods that could not be transported through Prussia, e.g. B. Saxon porcelain or silk stockings. (see postal route Braunschweig – Helmstedt – Magdeburg )

Wolfenbüttel

Post office Wolfenbüttel 1910

Duke Heinrich the Younger set up his own Princely Braunschweigische Landespost . He regulates the messenger system in a chancellery regulation from 1735. Thurn and Taxis posts had to be approved, which of course led to constant friction.

Wolfenbüttel had been the royal seat since 1432 . Karl I moved his residence to Braunschweig in 1753. During these times there will have been a lot of messenger traffic.

Between Helmstedt, Schöningen, Schöppenstedt and Wolfenbüttel, since January 1, 1753, a moving post has been running once a week. It started in the morning in Helmstedt, arrived in Schöningen at noon and was in Wolfenbüttel in the evening. Which drove back to Schöningen the next morning to drive there and back to Helmstedt the next day. In Helmstedt and Wolfenbüttel there were princely post houses, in Schöningen the relative Herr Himmel and in Schöppenstedt the merchant Günther was responsible for the post.

In the "Braunschweiger Advertisements" from 1754 one can read of a mail from Braunschweig via Wolfenbüttel and Seesen to Northeim, from there there was a connection to the Hanover-Göttingen-Münden-Cassel mail. Letters from this period can be recognized as such by a handwritten place note. These handwritten notes can be found until 1867, probably on messenger letters.

Stamp and seal from the Westphalian era

In the Westphalian era , Wolfenbüttel belonged to the Oker department in the Braunschweig district . The Westphalian postal administration introduced different stamps for some places for the first time . Post director 3rd class was Mr. Salzenberg (1810–13). From this time one-liners until 1832 are known. Typical for the Westphalian era is the two-line line with a date without a year in the second line. Together with the secondary postmarks “DÈBOURSÈS”, “FRANCO”, they are very sought after by collectors.

A rectangular stamp is known on letters between 1823 and 1831, which is similar to the Westphalian two-liner, with "WOLFENBÜTTEL" and in the second line the date and all in a rectangle. This stamp was replaced by a stamp with a combination of a text sheet and a date line, a sheet .

Early postmark from Wolfenbüttel

By law on June 22, 1832, the establishment of a post office to change horses was reported in Wolfenbüttel. The locations and distances as well as the prices to be paid for using the extra post were given. The General Circular No. XIX of September 18, 1835 reports on the creation of a messenger post between Wolfenbüttel and Hornburg.

Two-circle stamps (28.5 mm) are known from 1846, a stamp was not required, so it is found in red until 1851 and then in black until 1852. After that, a somewhat smaller two-circle stamp (25 mm) was in use.

The Herzoglich Braunschweigische Staatseisenbahn was the first German state railway. Its first section (Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel) was opened on December 1, 1838. It was in 1841 over Schladen and Vienenburg in today's Bad Harzburg (then "New Town") extended .

For mail items "between Wolfenbüttel and the Prussian post offices, which are to the right and left of the Elbe and north of the road Magdeburg via Erxleben to Morsleben, including these places, the moderated rate of 1 Ggr. per simple letter (progression no. 3) calculated resp. levied " , the General Circular No. XLVI of 26 December 1842 announced.

In 1844 the Post had to dismiss some permanent postillions, also from Wolfenbüttel. They received a waiting allowance of 12 Thalers.

The landowner W. Löbbecke in Dorstadt wants "the postal items intended for his family and household not to be sent to Börssum, but to Wolfenbüttel". The post met the request in 1846.

In 1855, by law no. 3 of February 26th, the administrations at the stations in Wolfenbüttel, Schöppenstedt and Jerxheim were given the designation "Railway and Post Office".

With the introduction of the postage stamps in the Duchy of Braunschweig, a rust-diamond stamp with the number "47" came to the counter to cancel the stamps.

Email sign on the mailbox of the Prussian stagecoach

On January 1, 1863, the inland postage tax for the Duchy of Braunschweig was reorganized. For letters within Wolfenbüttel (and Braunschweig) the local rate applied and for the delivery of more than 10 letters from the same sender a graduated discount was granted. For city postage in Braunschweig and Wolfenbüttel, the city gates were the limit of the order district.

The delivery districts have been defined in the post offices. The Braunschweig advertisements reported on October 14, 1864 about the journey of a country mail carrier. From November 1st he went from Wolfenbüttel via Fümmelse, Drütte, Immendorf, Barum, Lobmachtersen, Cramme, Leinde and Adersheim.

Another two-circle stamp (27.5 mm) came into use as a new postmark in 1866 .

And again the Brunswick advertisements: “From September 1, 1865 on, the mailboxes can also be sent to the Royal Prussian railroad mail car passing through the Duke of Brunswick at the local stations Jerxheim, Schöppenstedt, Wolfenbüttel, Brunswick and Vechelde, for mailing undeclared letters, without Destination difference. The condition is that these letters, which are to be conveyed in this way, were unfranked or had been prepaid by stamps or envelopes. "

Immendorf

Early postmark from Salzgitter-Immendorf

The Barum post office was moved to Immendorf in 1791 , writes Henri Bade. The post from Gotha via Göttingen to Braunschweig led to Göttingen (11 miles) via Northeim (2), Seesen (3), Lutter (2), Immendorf (2) and another 2 miles to Braunschweig.

Immendorf is 3 hours from Braunschweig, 1¼ hours from Wolfenbüttel, on Frankfurter Heerstraße. The first post station in Braunschweig and a well-arranged road and inn, which belongs to the Niehoffen.

During the Westphalian period , the General Circular of June 1, 1809 announced that Immendorf was to be added to the directory of postal services. The post director was the expeditor Niehoff (1809-13). He used the Westphalian one-liner stamp "IMMENDORF".

After the post had become Brunswick again, the Niehoffs (from 1802) worked as head of the post. From 1833 the address book lists the postmaster Ferdinand Niehoff (1833–54), and until 1860 he was also responsible as a postman for the provision of the post horses. He also used the above-mentioned one - liner until he received the rectangular stamp with the date in digits in 1853 . Successors as postmaster were Julius Lambrecht (1854–56) and Friedrich Hammer (1856–60). They were supported by country mail carriers such as Christoph Klingenberg (1842–60).

In 1842 Heinrich Bengehal's postilion from Immendorf received the simple decoration. In 1844 the same postilion received the double medal and a gift of 10 thalers . In 1849 he received the triple badge of honor with a monthly allowance of one thaler. Friedrich Lüer was given an annual pension of 24 Rthlr. retired ”. Christoph Klingenberg was appointed country postman. The postilion Franz Lüer from Immendorf received the simple decoration in 1847.

Between 1860 and 1887 there were no postal workers in the address book. The post was supplied from Wolfenbüttel by country mail carriers. "From November 1, 1864, the third tour of the Wolfenbüttel land letter order was committed in the following order: Wolfenbüttel - Fümmelse - Drütte - Immendorf - Barum - Lobmachtersen- Cramme - Leinde and Adersheim" , report the Braunschweigische advertisements.

It was not until 1887 that Immendorf received a postal agency . Wilhelm Wetzel (1887–90) and Karl Hahnecke (1891–1916) were employed as postal agents. From here, the country mail carriers also took care of the surrounding towns without a post office.

On February 1, 1928 Immendorf (Braunschweig) belonged to the accounting post office Thiede, postal agents were Friedrich Struckmann (1928–1934) and, on his behalf, Emma Struckmann (wife).

On November 16, 1933, Immendorf came to the Wolfenbüttel central post office. Master saddler Albert Kick (1934–50) and, on his behalf, Hermine Kick (wife) took over the job.

The post office was closed on December 31, 1933 and reopened on July 1, 1938 with the same staff and placed under the control of the Braunschweig post office.

In 1944, the post in Immendorf became a first class post office, and from June 1, 1948 it was subordinated to the Salzgitter-Lebenstedt accounting post office.

Since October 1, 1950, Salzgitter-Immendorf was a branch post office of the accounting post office Salzgitter-Lebenstedt. Six years later, on October 1, 1956, the post office was again first class post office. Now the master saddler Ernst Hamann and, as a substitute, his wife Minna Hamann (1956 - July 1, 1960) took office. Since July 1, 1960 Käthe Heller, b. Hamann, in office, the representative was Ernst Hamann.

With the introduction of the postcode , Post Office I received the postcode “3321 Salzgitter-Immendorf” on November 3, 1961, subordinated to the post office and administration in Salzgitter-Lebenstedt.

A new division of the mail brought the stamp "Salzgitter 43" for the acceptance post office I on November 1st (last information April 24th 1973)

Balance

Formerly postmarked by Salder

Salder received his own postal expedition on April 1, 1851 . The first postal expedition was Friedrich Schulze (1851–60), he used the two-circle chord stamp with handwritten date information until 1854. Followed by a rectangular stamp . From 1856, with the introduction of the Brunswick stamps , the rust-diamond cancel with the number "36" was added to cancel the stamps.

With the establishment of a postal expedition in Lesse on October 1, 1867, the Salder postal expedition was connected to the postal network via the Salder-Lesse driving post.

In the Braunschweig address books from 1871 the postal agents Bernhard Heyer (1872–75) and Carl Wagener (1876–89) are named as heads of a postal agency . For 1890 the postal assistant August Thiele appears as administrator of the postal administration . After 1912 the address books are silent about the postal workers.

Lesse

Early postmark from Lesse

On October 1, 1867 in Lesse a post expedition opened, which has a driving post with Salder was associated. The country mail carriers went to Berel, Hohenassel, Nordassel, Oelber aw W. and Westerlinde.

Due to the short period of use, the two-circle tendon stamp is very rare, Lesse no longer received a rust-diamond stamp .

Exchange rate

Early postmark from Börssum

On May 1, 1846, Börßum received a mail expedition due to the extension of the railway line from Braunschweig to Bad Harzburg (1841). In 1857 it was given the name Rail and Post Expedition. The post expedition was the customs collector Lambrecht (1848).

Since 1846 a two-circle chord stamp was introduced in Börssum in which the date had to be entered by hand. It was replaced 10 years later by a rectangular stamp , with a star in the middle and the date in numbers. A two-circle stamp with date, year and time was introduced in 1865. For the cancellation of the Brunswick postage stamps (1856) there was the rust diamond stamp with the number "6".

The post office in Börssum was in 1870 renamed as a post expedition II.Classe, 1872. In a postal administration and 1876 in a post office II class.

Oker

The postal history of Oker describes the historical development of the postal system in Oker (today Goslar) since the 18th century.

Early postmark from Oker

According to an announcement by the Princely Post Office on March 31, 1819, a post expedition was set up in Oker with effect from April 1, 1819 . The first agent was Mr. Schütte. For the period from 1833 to 1840, we can find Johann Heinrich Andreas Schütte as a postal agent in the address books.

The use of the one-liner is known for the years 1834 and 1842 . Since 1840 the date has been handwritten under the stamp. The postal expedition received the two-circle stamp in 1845, and the date had to be entered by hand. The rectangular stamp was purchased in 1855. From 1856 onwards, the rust-diamond stamp with the number "33" was used to cancel the postage stamps .

The “Braunschweigischen advertisements” of March 22nd, 1866 write: “With the opening of the railway line Braunschweig – Bad Harzburg between Goslar and Vienenburg (opened on March 23rd) the Ducal Post Expedition to Oker will be relocated to the train station there and up to further to be united with the local railway station ”.

Harzburg

Early postmark from Bad Harzburg

In Harzburg on 1 April 1819 is post expedition been established [1]. The first one-liner stamp was found on a letter from 1821.

In the address book of 1833 a postal expedition is given for Harzburg . The district administrator Mittendorf was the first travel agent.

A two-circle chord stamp has been used since 1844 , on which the date had to be entered by hand. In 1849 a similar stamp was introduced, this time with the date and hour inserted. The two-circle stamp with date, year and time, procured in 1862, was in use until the Brunswick Post was abolished in 1867.

The three-line depicted is not a postmark, after all, the railroad ticket stamp appears on letters with the number, day, month and time. The rust-diamond stamp with the number "19" was used to cancel the postage stamps (1856) .

In 1848 the post office was converted into a postal administration (?). Postal assistant August Tölke (1848–59) was named in the address books as a postal expedition until 1850, but from 1850 as postmaster, which suggests the transformation into a post office. The conversion to a railway and post office took place in 1855.

In the North German Post District (1868) the name changed to Post Office, i.e. a separation of rail and post. In 1875 the post is known as postal administration. A year later (1876) in a post office, 2nd class. Bad Harzburg had a first class post office since 1904.

In addition to the post office, there was a station for horse mail since 1843. Post owner was Christoph Wellner (1843) followed by August Wellner (1848–73), he was a wagon master. Then came the postholders Heinrich Wellner (1854–66) and W. Wellner (1869–90), A.Wellner (1891–97), then Eduard Schmitt (1898–1904) and then again Bertold Wellner (1905–09) Stagecoaches firmly in the hands of the Wellner family.

In Bündheim end was set up in 1840 an extra post-station.

There was also a postal agency in Schlewecke between 1893 and 1903.

Harlingerode received its postal agency in 1880.

literature

  • Henry Bade: 333 years Braunschweigische Post , 1535 - 1867. Karl Pfankuch & CO, Braunschweig, 1960. This is where the stamp images come from.
  • Hans-Joachim Anderson: The designation of the postmark forms . Düsseldorf 1970, postmark guild “Rhein-Donau e. V. "(The attempt of the Federation of German Philatelists to achieve uniformity in the stamp descriptions)
  • “Handbook about the Kingdom of Westphalia”, Halle, bey Hemmerde and Schwedtschke, 1808
  • “Court and State Handbook of the Kingdom of Westphalia”, Hanover, from the Hahn brothers, 1811
  • Werner Steven: overview of the postal relevant Braunschweigischen Ciculare, laws and ordinances from 1807 to 1867 . Circular letter No. 58, consortium Braunschweig and Hanover in the Briefmarken-Club Hanover, April 2004
  • Werner Steven: Directory of post offices and their staff in the area of ​​the Duchy of Braunschweig, 1811-1916. Society for German Postal History e. V. Braunschweig / Hanover district group. Issue 13 of the Postal History Pages, 1992.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Braunschweig advertisements, December 1753
  2. ^ A b G. Hassel and Karl Bege : Geographical-statistical description of the principalities of Wolfenbüttel and Blankenburg . Brunswick 1802.
  3. ^ Albert Klebe, Gotha and the surrounding area , 1796