The Postal History of Kleinwalsertal

In March 1938 the post offices were taken over by the German postal administration, and as in the rest of Austria introduced German stamps on 4 April 1938. As elsewhere, some Austrian stamps remained valid up to 31 October 1938, so mixed frankings exist. The Gemeinde Mittelberg changed its country allegiance, being detached from Vorarlberg and connected to Bavaria; and the post offices likewise switched from the PTD at Innsbruck to the Reichspostdirektion at Augsburg. Thus the offices acquired also the German post code 13b (Postleitgebiet South Bavaria), not 12a and 12b as in the rest of Austria. The German postal administration introduced new cancellers, with the previous designation of Vorarlberg replaced by Kleinwalsertal. Also, for the first time, advertising cancellations (Werbestempel) were introduced for all three post offices.

3. German post offices - 1938 to 1950. (b) Austrian territory 1945 to 1950.

In 1945 Kleinwalsertal became reunited with Vorarlberg, and so with Austria. The post offices remained however under German postal administration up to the 31st December 1950 (American zone, then German Federal Republic). The superior offices were Oberstdorf and Kempten (Allgäu) 2. As well as the Austrian stamps, a range of German stamps were valid in Kleinwalsertal: American and British zone and Federal Germany [Mi 1-122]; Occupied Germany [Mi 911-970]; from 3rd October 1949 the stamps of the French zones: Baden [Mi 14-41 & 46-57], Rhineland-Palatinate [Mi 16-29], 32-41, & 46- 52, Württemberg-Hohenzollern [Mi 14-37 & 44-52]; and from 20 January 1950 the stamps of West Berlin [Mi 21-73]!

Austrian stamps were used for Austrian inland mail (including local mail in Kleinwalsertal). Up to mid-1947 the Austrian domestic mail (Kleinwalsertal to Austria) had to be submitted to BPA1, the US Censor in Munich. Thus one finds on Austrian domestic mail up to this time the red machine cancel of the US Censor in Munich, although in the western zones of Austria the censorship had been discontinued. German stamps were valid for mail to all zones of Germany, later FRG, GDR, Saarland and West Berlin; in the local Kleinwalsertal; and to all foreign countries. For mail to Germany the German domestic rates applied, for foreign countries the rates of the US zone of Germany.

Thus within Kleinwalsertal both the Austrian as well as the German stamps were valid. So one could use for one and the same shipment Austrian or German stamps, which one bought at one and the same post office counter! Mixed frankings were possible, since up to the currency reforms (Austria 3:1 in December 1947; West Germany 10:1 in July 1948) the exchange rate was ÖS1= RM1. Indeed the use of Austrian stamps was discouraged, since Bregenz had to pay for them in exchange for the services of the German post in the Kleinwalsertal. After the German 10:1 currency reform, one could use on 21 and 22 July 1948 in Kleinwalsertal 10-times-franking, or mixed franking between the old and the new stamps.

Since Kleinwalsertal is Austrian territory, but the post offices Mittelberg, Hirschegg and Riezlern were under German postal administration, mail stamped with German stamps should be considered as German Post in Austria (1945 up to the currency reform of July 1948) or West German post in Austria (from currency reform July 1948 to 31 December 1950).

Walserschanz around 1950

©Andy Taylor. Last updated 13 April 2000