SBZ philately
SBZ philately refers to the philately relating to stamps and receipts of the Soviet occupation zone (SBZ) after the Second World War .
history
Large parts of the Soviet occupation zone were occupied by the British (the northern part of the RPD Magdeburg west of the Elbe and the western part of Mecklenburg from the Schwerin , Ludwigslust , Dömitz line) and the Americans (the entire rest of the area west of the Elbe, Zwickauer Mulde and until mid-June also an area up to Chemnitz ).
The areas east of the Oder and Neisse rivers also belonged to the Soviet occupation zone until July 1945 , when Poland took over administration. The parts of today's Poland located west of the Oder (area around Stettin including Swinoujscie on the island of Usedom and the island of Wollin ) belonged to the Soviet occupation zone until autumn 1945.
philately
The so-called OPD editions were valid until October 31, 1946 and were replaced by the Control Council editions 1 and 2 or, after the currency reform, from July 3, 1948, replaced by the central general editions of the SBZ, which were then seamlessly integrated into the issues of the GDR passed over.
As always after the war, the editions (especially the early ones) are characterized by an almost unmistakable jumble of irregularities and variations due to material shortages and distribution difficulties. For letter collectors it should be noted that mixed postage between the OPD issues and the 1st control council issue from February 1946 are relatively rare.
(Berlin-Brandenburg) with OPD Potsdam
Often wrongly assigned to the Soviet occupation zone , in reality a separate area of responsibility, since initially from August 2, 1945 the bear stamps within the Soviet sector of Greater Berlin and on August 6 , 1945 based on a resolution of the Allied Command (joint body of the four occupying powers) of July 11, 1945. August 1945 for all sectors of Greater Berlin and in the Soviet Zone for postcards and open letters up to 20 g were valid. From October 15, 1945 (SBZ) and from October 24, 1945 (western zones), other mail items were also allowed.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania ( OPD Schwerin )
The first postage stamp issue ( Michel catalog no. 8-19) is characterized by a multitude of different colors and types of paper and by an even larger number of plate defects, so that the stamps without plate defects would be valued higher. These editions are supplemented by three values “ Victims of Fascism ”, land reform and child aid, before the so-called “ farewell edition” came out at the beginning of 46 , which for the letter collector is characterized by the fact that the values with y-paper only on February 25th came out, but from March 1, 1946 the new postage levels were already in effect, i. H. There are frankings that were only possible for a few days and are therefore particularly rare (e.g. 32y 5 Pfg local postcard!)
OPD Dresden
In use from May 12 to August 8, 1945
East Saxony ( OPD Dresden )
The best-known brand is undoubtedly the “POSCHTA” in 12 Pfg red, published on June 23, 1945, which was withdrawn by the Russian administration on the day of issue after the original approval. To anticipate the speculations about the number of copies and the remaining copies: the original circulation was 1,030,000 copies, 14,500 copies were sold within a few hours at the counter of Post Office 16 in Dresden-Strehlen before the approval was withdrawn. The remaining stamps were immediately withdrawn and burned, the impression cylinder sanded off on the same day. It is estimated that around 500 letters were postmarked during this period, the postmark with the letter "e" and the time "12" were in use at that time, and further postmarks were made "by mistake" later because the 12 Pfg red of the later OPD - The output looked similar (without Cyrillic letters). One sheet (probably the only one) was auctioned at the Köhler auction house for DM 40,000 (plus surcharges).
It is worth mentioning the many postmaster separations of the following (imperforated) series of digits, which, when needed, often come only from "the pen" of the wholesaler Kempe.
The last two values issued on February 5, 1946 served - as currently - the reconstruction of the city of Dresden (motifs "Zwinger" and "New Town Hall").
Province of Saxony ( PD Halle / Saale including RPD Magdeburg )
From October 10, 1945 various editions with the provincial coat of arms. Afterwards land reform imperforate or perforated as postmaster partitions. These editions were printed in early 1946 on thin so-called cigarette paper intended for Greek tax stamps.
The perforated and imperforated three issues for reconstruction (housing, bridge and mechanical engineering) contain the rare plate flaw “Hole in the arch of the bridge” at the 12 Pf value, which was retouched very soon, so that only a few copies are known.
Thuringia ( OPD Erfurt )
First postage stamp series on October 1, 1945 with 8 values from 3 to 30 Pf, but in full and savings gum versions with a large number of color and paper variants as well as partially perforated and imperforated variants.
The four blocks (two Christmas blocks, the theater block and “We build bridges”), of which there are also different editions of varying rarity, are outstanding.
West Saxony ( OPD Leipzig )
On August 3, 1945, the so-called “Holzhausen Edition” was published without permission. The first official postage stamps ("number edition") appeared on September 28, 1945. Almost all issues with watermarks (falling and rising) in varying rarity. Four items from the “ People's Solidarity ” series were withdrawn on the date of issue (January 7, 1946) and only released with the remaining items on January 28, so that letters from the period between January 7 and 28 are sought after by collectors.
The forerunner of the Leipziger Messe editions was the “Sample Show Leipzig Products” (October 18, 1945). The first edition for the Leipzig fair in spring 1946 with 4 surcharge editions perforated and imperforated with different watermarks and two official and one consecutively numbered special printing block.
Currency reform ( district hand stamp issues )
The currency reform in the western zones of June 21, 1948 was not completed in the Soviet Zone until June 24. From this date onwards, stamps in Reichsmark currency could no longer be sold, although the use up in the form of 10-fold franking was permitted until July 31, 1948.
Since no stamps were available in the new currency, it was ordered that the penny values of the 2nd control council issue had to be provided with the imprint of the respective available hand stamp and had to be sold for new currency. In spite of this, values from the 1st control council issue, market values and special stamps were partially provided with overprints.
The individual OPDs (ten in total) are differentiated as well as a multitude of locations, some of which worked with different colors and imprints.
Since the hand stamps were valid until July 10, 1948, there are mixed frankings with tenfold frankings and the machine overprint marks.
Soviet Zone (General Editions)
On July 3, 1948, the first "official" issues appeared in the new currency, with a "Soviet Occupation Zone" printed on the machine on the 2nd Control Council issue.
Other stamps were the bear stamps and five values from the 1st control council issue. The Goethe notepad, the 1st edition of “famous Germans” and various editions on the Leipzig trade fair are also worth highlighting in these editions.