Postage stamps and postal history of Mecklenburg

tate history

By the so called Hamburg Agreement on March 8, 1701 Mecklenburg was separated into two duchies with limited autonomy, which–since 1815 the Grand Duchies Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Mecklenburg-Strelitz–formed a collective state. Since 1755 they had the same constitution and were under the control of the same parliament. In 1815 both parts became Grand Duchies by the Congress of Vienna.

Post

From 1644 it is known that there was a regular post between Schwerin and Rostock. In 1860 Mecklenburg's federal posts were founded by the duchies Gustav Adolphe von Mecklenburg-Güstrow (1633-1695) and Christian von Mecklenburg Schwerin (1658-1692). After some disputes a postal-association-treaty between Prussia and Mecklenburg-Strelitz took place on June 22, 1717. Hannover, called as an intermediator, tried to seize the postal seigniorage out of the dispute. Hannover cancelled the Prussian posts in Boitzenburg and Escheburg and constituted its own posts. The result was a dispute with Prussia.

When the foreign troops had left the country, Prussia established a post via Grabow to Parchim with a connection to Mecklenburg's post in Plau. There was the connection to the line Berlin-Güstrow, which was established in 1713 via Ferbellin, Ruppin, and Wittstock.

In 1755 the postal constraint was introduced by an edict of Duke Christian Ludwig II (1683-1759). A new regulation was issued in 1759. It regulated the extra post and the courier system. A postage table for letters and records was issued in 1764. A postal regulation of 1770 prohibited the delivery of letters and parcels of less than 25 pounds. Until 1849 the postal system of Mecklenburg-Schwerin was administered by a chamber-council. Since November 1, 1849 a chief postal directorate subordinated to the minister of finance managed the post.

On July 1, 1850 both duchies joined the German-Austrian Postal Union.

Mecklenburg-Schwerin

tamps

On July 1, 1855 Mecklenburg-Schwerin introduced the stamps. In spite of the different size of the stamps, they all depicted the same theme. Only the value of ¼ "Schilling" depicts the crowned bull head, all other stamps depict the country's great coat of arms with a crown, above the inscription "FREIMARKE" (definitive stamp) and below "SCHILLINGE". At the vertical edges of the stamp "MECKLENB" is inscripted at the left and "SCHWERIN" at the right side. In the corners of the stamp the value of the stamps is indicated. The postal stationaries are provided with nearly round imprints of the values.

Mecklenburg-Strelitz

In Mecklenburg-Strelitz the postal system was under the control of the chamber and forest council until the changeover to the administration of the North German Confederation.

tamps

Mecklenburg-Strelitz introduced stamps not until 1864. The rectangular stamps were considered to be only for the national traffic. The value was inscripted above, the indication of currency (Silbergroschen resp. "Schilling") can be found at the bottom. At the vertical edges "MECKLENB" is inscripted at the left and "STRELITZ" at the right side. For the traffic with other countries the stamps were octagonal and in the colours of the postal union. In the octagon the inscription "MECKLENB.STRELITZ" is at the top, in the middle the value indication and below the value in words with the currency indication "SILB.GR.". The value imprints of the postal stationeries were the same as of the stamps.

Literature

"all references in German"
* B. E. Crole: "Geschichte der Deutschen Post". 2nd edition. Verlag W. Malende in Leipzig, Leipzig 1889. The author is Bruno Emil König from Berlin.
* K. Schwarz (Postrat): "Zeittafel zur deutschen Postgeschichte". R.V.Deckers Verlag, Berlin 1935, Vol. 22 "Post- und Telegraphie in Wissenschaft und Praxis".
* "Handwörterbuch des Postwesens". Frankfurt a. M. 1953, ASIN B0000BJ291

External links

* [http://www.poepperl.de/mecklenburg_philatelie/index1.htm Mecklenburg-Vorpommern "Zeitgeschichte, philatelistisch gesehen"] ("in German")