125 Years of Registration Labels

The period 1939-45

After the invasion of Austria by German troops, the Austrian Registration Labels, just like the stamps, continued on sale. The post offices had both white and yellow paper available, since both had been issued simultaneously.

This Mixed Franking from Judenberg is dated 7.5.1938 and has a medium yellow label

While this Mixed Franking from Graz is dated 25.9.1938 and has a pale lemon yellow label

Soon the Registration Labels of the German Reichspost were introduced, normally red with black inscription. Initially some places still had the designation Österreich, which was however very quickly replaced by Oberdonau. For the first time in Austria, they were printed in rolls of 1000 pieces. From 1940 the perforation was changed from L11 to L12½, and from 1942 the fonts were changed. In 1944 the Reichspost Postleitgebietszahlen (for Austria 12a and 12b) were introduced.

1941 Vienna local letter. German red label, crossed out in blue ink.

Towards the end of the war the quality of the paper worsened, and became more gray and porous. A large number of temporary arrangements were required, usually inserting the place-name either by means of cancellers or in writing on Blankozettel (these were preprinted blank labels, with a circle for the Postleitgebietszahl).

Beside the Registration Labels in rolls, the German Reichspost brought two other novelties: the 'counter letters' ie small letters in the lower corner, with which the different counters or functions of a post office can be identified (still used), and the V-labels for value letters on thin dark red paper (not used today).

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