Gallery

 

But how was the daily practice of railroading in 1852? A brochure from those days (ref. 11) shows that on every day, four departures were scheduled to Dirschau and to Berlin, as well as four arrivals daily from Berlin and Dirschau. Trains left at 05.45,06.33, 16.16 hours to Dirschau-Berhn, and at 20.16 for Dirschau only. Generally, travelers could choose from three classes (I thru Ill) in price as follows: for the Danzig-Dirschau section: 28 Silbergroschen (Sgr), 19 and 15 Sgr. For Danzig-Berlin, the prices for the three classes were: 16 Thaler, 11 Thaler! 16 Sgr, and 19 Sgr respectively. The train that left at 05:45 arrived in Dirschau at 06:33 and in Berlin at 21:15.

The second railway station, 1-lohetorbahnhot” opened on 1-10-1867, as part of the new railway to Danzig-Neufahrwasser. It was situated inside the town’s fortifications. However, the travel- lets’ entrance building was of wood and situated outside the fortifications, near the present Hauptbahnhot. As soon as the connection of the line Danzig-Stolp to the Stettin-Berlin line was realized, the station was called pommerschen Bahnhof (Pommerania Station). After discussions in 1891 to extend connections with the suburbs Langtuhr, Oliva and Zoppot, it was realized that the Hohetorbahnhol was too small to accomodate all this traffic. But the fortificat ions also were an obstacle in the extension of the railroads. For the construction of a new Hauptbahnhof, 5 million marks were released by a law firm on 20-6-1891, and construction began in 1894. Delays in removing the old fortifications slowed down the overall progress.

The Bahnhofpostamt and Bahnpostamt [ Railway station post office and Railway Post Office]

The new Hauptbahnhof opened finally on 30-10-1900. The name Bahnhotpostamt is based on its vicinity to the Bahnhot, or its location in the Bahnhof building itself. These offices have nothing to do with Bahnpost.

The “Post-Speditions-Amt Nr.11” (‘), responsible for all postal transport by train in West Prussia, came into service on 6-8-1852 in Bromberg. In May, 1853, it was transferred to Dirschau and from 6-185410 12-10-1 857, it resided in Danzig but returned in October, 1858 to Bromberg. Under its responsibility fell all the Speditior1sBureausw, among them them the “Sped.Bur.11” in Danzig. This last office was responsible for all postal railway transportation via Danzig. On 29-1-1856, the Bureau was renamed “Eisenbahn-Post-Amt 11”.

In August, 1852, two Postamter(post offices), accomodated in the so-called Ostbahnhof, were opened. One was a local post office designated Danzig Bahnhof and the other the Bahnpost office named Danzig Speditionsbureau Nr. 11. Both offices functioned completely separate from each other and had their own mailboxes and cancels.

This ‘Speditionsbureau” was a branch office from the ?ost-Speditions-Amt Nr. 11 (at that time) in Bromberg and used the cancel DANZIG I SPED. BUR. 11. (Wolff 70a). The 4-circle cancel with number 1768 belonged to the Post-Speditions-Amt Ni 11 and was used in Danzig as well as Bromberg, Dirschau and Konigsberg. Only in the presence of other Danzig post- marks on covets was its provenance from the “Danzig Speditionbureau” certain.

The Ortspostamt (local postoff ice) Vanzig Bahnhot” used a cancel of the type DANZIG BAHNH. (Wolff 71). The post office also had a 4-circle postmark, the one with the thin circles, and the town number 304 of Danzig. (Wolff 59).

 

Danzig Report Vol. 1 - Nr. 108 - July - August - September - 2000, Page 5.