Gallery

POSTAL STATIONERY

POSTAL STATIONERY: Two plain postcards of Danzig with the 5 Pfg orange and the 6 Pfg. green imprinted stamps of Danzig had their imprinted stamps overprinted in black “Rpf/Deutsches Reich/Rpf”. These cards were valid only in Danzig from 1st. to 30th Sept., 1939, and then valid throughout the rest of Germany until 31.12.40.

PHILATELIC HISTORY: As far as postal and telegraphic communications were concerned, practically no damage or interruptions occurred during the occupation of Poland. The whole Polish postal system was taken over by the German postal authorities and functioned without a break. There was no need for the “Postschutz” to see action. Officials of the Reichspost replaced their Polish counterparts, and there was no need to establish a “Dienstpost” as in other occupied countries. Regarding Danzig’, even their former postmarks were still used, only the words “Freie Stadt” (Free City) were removed, as in Figure 2.

Danzig itself became “OPD Danzig” (Head Postal Directorate) of the newly created district of Danzig-West Prussia. This district comprised the former Free City of Danzig and the former German regions surrounding it. For the remaining part of Poland which had formerly been German, and parts of “Old Poland”, the “OPD Posen” was created, administering the “Reichsgau Posen”, later to be renamed “Wartheland”. The remainder of Poland was annexed to several different OPD’s such as Gumbinnen, Königsberg, Breslau, Oppeln, etc.

For the occupation of Poland, the Supreme Commander East appointed a “General Postmaster” who was responsible for the establishment and maintenance of a “Dienstpost”. His seat was at Lodz. Responsible to him were all postal personnel of the armed forces, and the appointed officials of the new OPD’s.

In the northerly part of West Prussia, with Thorn, Dirschau and Bromberg, the Danzig OPD established a new directorate on the same lines as its own, the new district being known as “Reichsgau Danzig  Westpreussen”.

These five postal administrations lasted only until the 26th October 1939, and they were taken over by the new administration of the Reich.

FELDPOST: From the occupation of Danzig, we have a unique Feldpost mark (Figure 5). It was used in the autumn of 1939 in Danzig only. Danzig was actually incorporated into the postmark by the abbreviation “dzg”, thus indicating the theatre of war from which it originated. This is the only time this occurred on a German feldpost mark of WW II. Five of these postmarks were used with the Roman numerals from I to V. At some later date the letters “dzg” were removed and these postmarks were used for the remainder of the war.

 

Danzig Report  Nr. 3 - May - 1975, Page 5.