Galerie

>> DANZIG: Postal History until 1920  -  J. L. Whiteside

The postal markings of the smaller offices in the area, that were to become part of the Free State in 1920, generally followed a similar pattern to those at the city of Danzig. The 24 offices open during the Prussian period used either boxed or double circle datestamps of standard Prussian pattern. It most of the offices these marks had very long lives, often being still in regular service through the 1880’s. By 1920 the number of offices had risen to over 80. At the new offices, and at the older ones too, new marks supplied were usually single circles, but from 1900 some bridge—type double—circle marks were introduced. 0f some interest are the changes that occurred as the city of Danzig expanded after 1900. Offices which had used marks with their own name only were incorporated into the city, and new marks were brought into use including Danzig plus the office name. Thus, for example, Langfuhr became Danzig - Langfuhr. Up to 1920 the following offices were so treated as they were absorbed into the metropolitan area:

Langfuhr and Neufahrwasser about 1906; Schidlitz about 1908, Sanct Albrecht about 1913; Brösen, Heubude, Schellmühl and Weichselmünde about 1915.

The establishment of the early Travelling Post Offices by the Prussians was dealt with earlier. fs the railway and TPO network expanded, the number of TPO’s that served Danzig or the other towns that were to become part of the Free State increased considerably. These used the various standard German types of TPO marking, at first the 3-line type of datestamp, and then from 1880 onwards the oval datestamps showing the route and train number. The following lines may be encountered, the names underlined being places within the Free State area:

Berlin — Danzig
Stolp — Danzig
Berlin — Stolp — Danzig
Danzig — Carthaus (Wpr.)
Danzig — Zoppot
Simonsdorf — Tiegenhof
Tiegenhof — Steegen
Marienburg — Grossmausdorf
Carthaus (Wpr.) — Praust
Konitz — Hohenstein
Berent — Hohenstein
Dirschau — Danzig.

To conclude this survey, the establishment of the Free State should be briefly dealt with. This came about as a result of the Treaty of Versailles at the end of World

 

Danzig Report  Nr. 30 - January - February - March - 1981, Page 10.