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Entry and transit postmarks of Germany

See also related page:Postmarks of the Russian Empire (pre-adhesive period).

1866 postmark: Russian mail on transit through the German Empire via the Prussian Eastern Railway.

Railway maps of Germany

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1849-1899 railway maps of Germany and neighboring countries.

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    1849 Railway map of Germany
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    1861 Railway map of Germany
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    1899 Railway map of Germany

Postal markings on mail originating from Russia

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Mail was often carried by a type of mail train, a Travelling Post Office. TPOs were equipped with letter boxes so that mail could be posted whilst the train stood at a station.

The Prussian Eastern Railway was the railway in the eastern Kingdom of Prussia until 1918. Its main route, approximately 740 kilometers (460 mi) long, connected the capital, Berlin with the cities of Danzig (Gdańsk) and Königsberg (Kaliningrad). At Eydtkuhnen (Chernyshevskoye) it reached the German Empire's border with the Russian Empire. The first part of the line opened in 1851, reaching Eydtkuhnen in 1860. By March 1880 the total route length reached 2,210 kilometers (1,370 mi), with a main parallel route in the south via Bromberg (Bydgoszcz) and Thorn (Toruń) to Insterburg (Chernyakhovsk). The lines were the first part of the later Prussian State Railways.

Mail was marked when passing a certain station or town. These transit markings often indicate from where the postage fee had to be calculated. Classification of markings below is done according the work of Denis Vandervelde and James Van der Linden (JvdL)[1].

Berlin markings

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1835 - B1

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Type B1 / JvdL № 2384

Large 'R' generally conceded as one of the first '(Aus) Russland' markings.

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    1838, St. Petersburg-Berlin

1843 - B3

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Type B3, JvdL № 322

'AUS RUSSLAND FRANCO' Berlin marking.

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    1848, St. Petersburg-Berlin
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    1849, St. Petersburg-Bordeaux

1843 - B4

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Type B4, JvdL № 305

'AUS RUSSLAND' found from 1843-January 1846 (mail coach period) and from early 1848 to October 1849 (railroad period).

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    1848, Riga-Bordeaux
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    1849, Riga-Bordeaux

T.P.O. markings

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1843 - Aachen 'C.R.p.P.'

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C.R.p.P. JvdL № 841

'C.R.p.P.' (Correspondence Russe par Prusse - Russian correspondence by way of Prussia), placed at Aachen railway center.

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    1846, St. Petersburg-Bordeaux
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    1846, Odessa-Grenoble

1853 - Coeln-Verviers CV5

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Type CV5

'Aus Russland' 39x10mm, placed aboard the Coeln-Verviers T.P.O.

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    1853, Moscow-Bordeaux
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    1855, St. Petersburg-Paris
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    1856, St. Petersburg-Bordeaux
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    1856, St. Petersburg-Reims
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    1856, Riga-Bordeaux
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    1858, St. Petersburg-Bordeaux

1851 - Berlin-Breslau RY1

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Type RY1, JvdL № 315
 
1846, Berlin-Breslau

'AUS RUSSLAND' in a serrated box measuring 34x9mm, seldom seen marking placed aboard the Berlin-Breslau (now Wrocław) T.P.O.

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    1851, Odessa-Bordeaux

1856 - Minden-Deutz RY3

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Type RY3, JvdL № 306

'Aus Russland' plain lower case, scarcer marking placed aboard the Minden-Deutz T.P.O.

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    1858, St. Petersburg-Montpellier

1856 - Königsberg-Bromberg RY3

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Type RY3, JvdL № 308

'Aus Russland' plain lower case, scarcer marking placed aboard the Königsberg-Bromberg T.P.O. (now Kaliningrad-Bydgoszcz).

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    1861, St. Petersburg-Arnhem
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    1863, St. Petersburg-Arnhem
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    1864, St. Petersburg-Bordeaux

1858 - Königsberg-Bromberg / Eydtkuhnen-Bromberg Ry4

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Type Ry4, JvdL № 311

'Aus Russland' mark used as a German entry/transit mark from 1858 used aboard Königsberg-Bromberg and from June 1862 on the Eydtkuhnen-Bromberg T.P.O. Boxed 34x10mm, normally struck in red on unpaid mail. This marking is accompanied by the Prussian 'P.33.' accountancy mark.

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    1864, St. Petersburg-Bordeaux (Königsberg-Bromberg)
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    1864, St. Petersburg-Bordeaux (Eydtkuhnen-Bromberg)
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    1864, St. Petersburg-Paris (Königsberg-Bromberg)

1852 - Breslau-Berlin RY5

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Type RY5, JvdL № 314

Boxed 'AUS RUSSLAND' marking placed aboard the Breslau-Berlin T.P.O.

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    1851, Odessa-Marseille
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    1873, Odessa-Marseille

1852 - Breslau-Berlin / Bromberg-Berlin RY6

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Type RY6, JvdL № 317
 
Type RY6, JvdL № 319

Boxed 'Aus Russland' marking placed on the Breslau-Berlin and Bromberg-Berlin T.P.O. between 1852-1872.

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    1852, Riga-Cette (France)
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    1865 Odessa - Amsterdam
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    1865 Odessa - Amsterdam reverse

1859 - Breslau-Berlin RY7

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Type RY7, JvdL № 325
 
'BRESLAU 25 2 BERLIN' T.P.O., JvdL № 325

Boxed 'Aus Russland Franco' marking in black placed aboard the Breslau-Berlin T.P.O. In blue from 1867. This marking was always accompanied by the 'BRESLAU - BERLIN' railway marking.

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    1865, Odessa-Marseille
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    1865, Odessa-Marseille reverse

1859 - Königsberg-Bromberg / Eydtkuhnen-Bromberg RY8

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Type RY8, JvdL № 323
 
Eydkuhnen-Bromberg T.P.O. JvdL № 323

Boxed 'Aus Russland Franco' marking placed aboard the Königsberg-Bromberg T.P.O. from 1859 and Eydtkuhnen-Bromberg T.P.O. between 1862-1864. This marking was always accompanied by one of the latter two railway markings.

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    1864, St. Petersburg-Paris
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    1864, St. Petersburg-Paris reverse, Eydkuhnen-Bromberg T.P.O.

1861 - Breslau Ry10

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Type Ry10a, JvdL № 320

'AUS RUSSLAND / EIS.POST BUREAU V / 5 7' boxed 32x14mm marking on Russian mail. Bureau V was the German T.P.O. division centered on Breslau. This marking was used on bagged mail from South Russia which was sorted in transit to Berlin. Used on franco (paid) and porto (unpaid) letters.

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    1861, Odessa-Bordeaux

1865 - Prussian Eastern Railway Ry11

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Main routes of the Prussian Eastern Railway (map dated 1905)
 
Type Ry11 - FRANCO, JvdL № 333
 
Type Ry11 - PORTO, JvdL № 334

Russian mail on transit through the German Empire via the Prussian Eastern Railway (Eisenbahnpost Bureau XI) south route, 'AUS RUSSLAND über BUR. XI EDK.BRG / FRANCO day month II year' red double circle 'FRANCO' (paid) postmark applied, type Ry11. EDK.BRG meaning Eydtkuhnen-Bromberg, at Eydtkuhnen it reached the German Empire's border with the Russian Empire. Used for all mail from St. Petersburg and the Baltic States from 1865-1873. Ry11 had the whole center in moveable type so it could be used either on paid (franco) or unpaid (porto) mail.

There were three omnibus marks applied to Russian mail:

  • Ry11 : 'AUS RUSSLAND über BUR.XI EDK.BRG', JvdL № 333-334
  • Ry12 : 'AUS POLEN über BUR. XI EDK.BRG', JvdL № 303-304
  • Ry13 : 'AUS RUSSLAND über EISENB.POST.BUR.XI', JvdL № 335-336
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    1866, St. Petersburg - Amsterdam (PORTO)
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    1866, Moscow - Bordeaux (PORTO)
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    1868, Riga - Remscheid Germany (FRANCO)
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    1868, Riga - Bordeaux (PORTO)
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    1869, St. Petersburg - Lausanne (FRANCO)
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    1871, St. Petersburg - Altenburg Germany (FRANCO)

Accountancy Markings

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By the postal convention of 1858-07-01 between Prussia and France the usage of accountancy markings was agreed. Mail was taxed by France that paid for Prussian transit. The treaty allowed Prussia 77.5 centimes per 15 grams of mail. Single rate was 11 decimes (1.1 francs) due.

Period 1: 1 July 1858 - 31 December 1861

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P.35. JvdL № 2091 - Aachen

Prussian accountancy mark 'P.35.'(PRUSSIA), used on Prussian transit mail from Poland and Russia, with destination to or through France. The marking originates from the first account period and signified the the article of account.

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    1861, P.35., Odessa-Bordeaux

Period 2: 1 January 1862 - 31 December 1865

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P.33. JvdL № 2087 - Aachen

Prussian accountancy mark 'P.33.'(PRUSSIA), used on Prussian transit mail from Poland and Russia, with destination France. This marking originates from the second account period. Two different types are known from Aachen and Saarbrucken.

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    1864, P.33., St. Petersburg-Bordeaux. Double rate 22 decimes.
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    1864, P.33., St. Petersburg-Bordeaux (Königsberg-Bromberg)
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    1864, P.33., St. Petersburg-Bordeaux (Eydtkuhnen-Bromberg)
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    1864, P.33., St. Petersburg-Paris (Königsberg-Bromberg)

Period 3: from 1 January 1866

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P.38. JvdL № 2097 - Aachen

Prussian accountancy mark 'P.38.'(PRUSSIA), used on Prussian transit mail from Poland and Russia, with destination France. This marking originates from the third account period.

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    1866, P.38., Moscow-Bordeaux (Eydtkuhnen-Bromberg)
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    1868, P.38., Riga-Bordeaux (Eydtkuhnen-Bromberg)

References

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  1. ↑ van der Linden, James (1993) Marques de Passage. Postvertragsstempel. Origine, transit, comptable, 1661-1875, herkunft, leitweg, verrechnung., Paris; Luxembourg: Soluphil
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