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>> HISTORY OF DANZIG’S MAIL AND POSTAL CANCELLATIONS

that the mail to Königsberg should not depart before the mail from Berlin arrived. Assurance was obtained that at night, when the city gates were closed, the mail pouches were to be pulled across the moat and over the city walls by means of ropes.

In 1713, by order of the King of Poland, the director of the Prussian post office was dismissed. The continued disputes caused King Frederik to sell his post office in Danzig for 10,000 guilders and to cease operations of the Brandenburg post office in Danzig.

Around 1715, the first mail carriers (mailmen) appeared, at first as private servants of the post masters.

For the purpose of levying the delivery fee, Danzig was divided into 3 districts:
1  Hundegasse to Langgasse .
2  the rest of the Rechtsstadt, Langarten , Niederstad

3 the suburbs

A money letter of low value was 1, 2, or 3 Groschen respectively letters of more than 500 ducats cost 6 and 9 Groschen.

On August 10, 1712, the General Postal Regulation appeared in Prussia which did away with the different weights and measures of the various territories and imperial cities and instituted a uniform rate schedule.

Saxony, Hesse and Münster attempted to compete with the Prussian mail by instituting a pony express from Amsterdam via Münster, Kassel, Leipzig, Sorau, Warsaw to Danzig and Petersburg. However, Prussia learned about this in time so that this goal was not achieved, in spite of the fact that letters arriving in Danzig by Prussian mail were opened. In 1732, the Polish War of Succession brought about a disruption of operations thry the seige of Danzig. A superior force of cossacks forced the mail coach to turn around at Langfuhr. At headquarters, all letter pouches, with the exception of the Danzig letters, were opened, and those addressed to Prussia were added to the pouches intact.

 

Danzig Report   Nr. 12 – November - December - 1976, Page 7.