The Postal History of Kleinwalsertal

On 31st December 1950 the German administration of the post offices of Kleinwalsertal ended, and they were taken over by the Austrian postal administration (PTD Innsbruck) on 1st January 1951. On the same date the sale and the validity on mail of German stamps ended, and mail to Germany had to carry Austrian stamps; likewise all foreign mail now required Austrian postage. At the same time the German cancellers were replaced with Austrian ones. It took some time to formally agree the arrangements, and a Memorandum of Understanding called the ÜZAG (Übereinkommen Zollausschußgebiet) was duly signed in October 1952!

The Austrian stamps were sold at the appropriate exchange rate in DM. From 1.1.1951-30.4.1961 this was 1:6; from 1.5.1961-31.10.1969 1:6½; and from 1.11.1961 1:7. A good example of the ensuing complications is that when the 1:6½ exchange rate started, there was no combination of Austrian stamps with which a postcard to Germany could be correctly franked! The post offices had also to sell Austrian stamps for Austrian shillings at face value, so that both currencies were valid side by side. For example, Austrian stamps with face value 1.40 and 0.70 (to make up a German rate of 30pf) could be bought for 2.10 Schillings as well as for 30 Pfennig. To ease some of the more common transactions, stamps with face values 4.20 and 5.60 (ANK 1644 & 1742) were issued on 22.6.1979 and 1.7.1982 respectively, being the direct equivalent for the then-current 60pf and 80 pf German inland letter rate.

The Sondertarif

The basic arrangement was that mail from Kleinwalsertal to Germany would carry Austrian stamps but pay the German inland rate. Mail to Austria paid the Austrian internal rate; to anywhere else it paid the Austrian foreign rate (or should have - see examples later!). To indicate to the German delivery offices that the mail was stamped fully and should not have postage due levied, specifically produced postmarks were used; they carried the additional word SONDERTARIF or POSTSONDERTARIF(sometimes in the wording of a slogan), or had the German post code number instead of the Austrian one. The rate was calculated by converting the German postal rates into Schillings at the official exchange rate.

A special rule stated that, if the Austrian foreign mail rate was cheaper than the German inland rate, it could be used instead. This happened quite frequently, especially with heavy, Registered and Express mail, and an interesting study of the comparative rates is possible. It seems that several commercial firms used this discrepancy to their advantage! The post office employees were probably not so pleased, as the mail in either case carried Austrian stamps and they were under strict instructions from the Innsbruck PTD to calculate which country's rates had been used and then apply the correct canceller before putting the item in the same postbag.

©Andy Taylor. Last updated 13 April 2000