Philatelic history of the Saar

The philatelic history of the the Saar is dependant on the postal Histoire of the Germany, and on the 20th century, that of the France because of the consequences of both world wars.

From 1918 to 1935 and 1945 to 1957, this territory knows a French administration which results in the realization and the impression of the postage stamps by the artists and printing works of the French post offices, until this territory joins Germany by Plébiscite in 1935 and by bilateral agreement in 1957. From 1957 to 1959, the management of the topics of the stamps is taken again by the German postal authorities the time of a monetary transition.

Since 1959, the stamps of FR of Germany are employed in this Land .

Constitution of the territory and mandate of 1920

See also: general Amorce=Article, Territory of the Basin of the Saar

From 1920 to 1935, the Saar is placed under a Mandat of the Company of the Nations. France provides the administration necessary and in particular the postal system. The territory of the Saar is then distributed between the the Prussian Rhineland and the Rhenish Palatinat Bavarian (district of the Saar-Palatinat since 1974).

First stamps in mark

At the beginning of 1920, the first stamps being marked of the Saar are stamps of the Empire of Germany to the standard '' Germania '' and Post office building , and of overloaded Bavaria . The overload give the name “SARRE” and raye the name of the printed country of a black bar for the German stamps and of three parallel features for the Bavarian ones. These series are demonetized as of on September 15th, 1920.

The April 10th and October 21st, 1920, on new stamps of Germany to the same types, is printed overloads name “SAARGEBIET of it” (area of the Saar) on mention “DEUTSCHES REICH”. The last stamp Germania overloaded is emitted on February 4th, 1921 and lowers the value of one 75 pfennig to that of 20 pfennig.

The first stamps manufactured especially for the Saar are emitted between on February 19th and on April 21st, 1921. They are illustrated historic buildings and local industrial landscapes, within a decorated framework. Démonétisés on May 1st, a part is overloaded in Paris to be used again with a facial news, the remainder is incinerated.

The whole of the overloaded stamps and the series of 1921 are démonétisés on May 1st, 1921 because of the introduction of the Franc French in the form of the Franc of the Saar into the territory, even if the German mark is tolerated until December 1st, 1923.

Emissions in franc

The industrial or cultural landscapes of the Saar of 1921 continue for the period 1921-1934.

Initially in Typography with the richly decorated framework, the stamps represent for example the town hall of Saarbrucken, the tower of Mettlach, the valley the Saar, like for industry: a minor with work, a winding shaft of coal, means of transport of this ore. In 1922, these illustrations are re-emitted on stamps of larger size.

As from 1925, the stamps are printed in Héliogravure by Photogravure-Vaugirard, in Paris. The drawing is finer and the topics diversify. The landscapes remain with churches, fountains and villages of the Saar, as well as a sight and mine shaft of the blast furnaces of Burbach.

However, the first two series to be profited from the photogravure are nuns (the Pietà of the vault of Blieskastel) in April 1925 and an emission with surtax with the profit of Popular help ( Volkshilfe ) in October 1926. On the four stamps of the latter, are shown a blind man and its dog guides, a nurse looking after a patient, two young children drinking with a source, and a mother holding her newborn.

From 1928 to 1934, the series of benevolence are omnipresent of 1928 to 1934 in the new emissions, even if the series of 1922 to 1927 without surtax are not withdrawn from the sale. The series Volkshilfe are printed without surtax but are sold expensive than the postal facial value. They are omnipresent of 1928 to 1934: scenes of help (a child helping a beggar plugs, a man offering of the bread to needy, a family in misery. The scenes show the poverty and the acts of generosity and charity necessary. The holy pictures are used: the parabola of the Good Samaritan, Holy Martin dividing his coat in two. In 1932, tourist sights are marked “VOLKSHILFE”. In 1934, the last new series uses five statues of Luca Pozzi preserved in the Saint-Louis church of Saarbrucken to represent problems (the concern) and the feelings positive (love, peace, consolation, abundance and truth in the order of the facial values. The last stamp is of religious inspiration: the lying one of the Elisabeth countess, countess of Nassau-Saarbrucken, in position of prayer, preserved in the abbey of Saint-Arnual.

In 1933, three stamps are sold with the double of their facial value to come to assistance of the victims of the explosion of a gasometer of Neunkirchen: 68 died, 190 wounded and the people homeless person after the collapse of their houses.

The only stamps emitted without surtax after 1928 are thus those of Airmail ( Luftpost ) emitted in September 1928 (50 centimes and 1 franc) and April 1932 (60 C. and 5 F.), and a stamp of 90 centimes on the Barracks Vauban de Sarrelouis in April 1932. The stamps of 1928 show a Bréguet XIV above Saarbrucken and those of 1932 a Focke-Wulf A-17 taking off of the aerodrome of Saarbrucken.

Overloaded plebiscite

November 1st, 1934, two months and half before the Plebiscite, all the stamps still in circulation are overloaded mention “VOLKSABSTIMMUNG 1935” (“plebiscite 1935”) and are only sold in the post offices. Twenty stamps landscapes, Volkshilfe or air are thus treated in November and the seven stamps of the series Volkshilfe of March 1934 are thus re-emitted on December 1st, 1934. The color and the position of the overload are adapted to their graphics.

January 13rd, 1935, 90,8% of the voices decide in favor of rehabilitation in Germany. The last soldiers under mandate of the Société of the Nations leave the Saar on February 26th, 1935.

March 1st, 1935, without transition, are put in circulation in the Saar the stamps of Germany.

Stamps of propaganda of Germany

August 26th, 1934 and on January 16th, 1935, in Germany under Nazi regime, are emitted two series of stamps militant in favor of the return of the Saar to Germany.

In August, one six pfennigs dark green shows two hands holding up a piece of coal of the Saar and one twelve red pfennig decorates name “Saar” the imperial eagle upright above the Croix-gammée.

The emission of January is emitted three days after the victory of “yes” with the plebiscite. The four stamps carry the same illustration of Emmy Glintzer: a woman allegory of Germany kisses a little girl (the Saar) in her arms.

1945-1957

After the German capitulation of May 7th, 1945, the zones of occupation are delimited in July. Each occupying State to the load of the postal service in its zone. In the American and British zones, stamps “Am Post Deutschland” are already ready; in the Soviet zone, the local initiative is of setting.

The Zone of French occupation

To again be able to profit from a regular postal service, Germans of the French zone (northern zone: current the Rhineland-Palatinat and the southern Saar, and zone: south of the current Bade-Wurtemberg) wait until September 1st, 1945. On this date, they have the right to send postcards in the French half-zone where it resides: northern zone or southern zone. September 17th, the use is extended to the letter and always printed in the half-zone. Gradually, in October, all the mail ends up circulating inside all the French zone, then allied zones. Of at the end of August in December 1945, the payment of the tax of stamping is certified by the mark “ Gebühr bezahlt ” (paid tariff) on the fold.

France refused the American stamps and emits some on December 17th, 1945 with the mention “FRENCH ZONE”. Three series of stamps are emitted with values in Pfennig and mark. The two first of small values (from 1 to 30 pfennigs) represent the five blazons of the areas concerned: Bade, Palatinat, the Rhineland, the Saar and Wurtemberg. Emitted on December 17th, 1945, they are taken again on January 11th, 1946 with new values. The third includes/understands stamps of large size on German writers: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in December 1945, Friedrich von Schiller and Heinrich Heine on April 1st, 1946.

They are withdrawn from the sale on June 21st, 1948 since they are replaced gradually during the year 1947 by stamps specific to each area, even if the illustration is often identical: Bade ( Baden ), the Rhineland-Palatinat ( Rheinland-Pfalz ) and Wurtemberg ( Württemberg ).

Sarre under special statute: 1947-1959

First emissions

On the other hand, in the Saar, of the different stamps are emitted starting from January 20th, 1947. This philatelic situation translates the new statute of the Saar as a State under Protectorat of France, in waiting of a Plébiscite. As between 1920 and 1935, they are the draftsmen, engravers and printing works of the French post offices which are used for the realization of the stamps of the Saar.

Between January and March 1947, an illustrated series of twenty stamps of seven types is put in circulation: a minor for the six small values (2 to 12 pfennigs), of the metallurgists for the four following ones (15 to 24 PF.), two country-women on bottom of industrial landscape (five values from 25 to 50 PF.), the old woman tower of Mettlach (60, 75 and 80 PF.), one 84 PF. vertical of large size to the effigy of the marshal native Ney of Sarrelouis and one 1 mark for a meander of the Saar river.

The Franc of the Saar related to the Franc French replaces the Mark of the Saar of use since 1945. The postage rates are converted on November 20th, 1947. Thirteen of the stamps of 1947 are overloaded, the not overloaded stamps are withdrawn from the sale the 27 or on November 28th. This overloaded emission is carried out in two pullings which created two types: each type for each stamp is characterized by sometimes tiny modifications in the drawing. For example, for the 10 centimes, 60 C. and 1 “Minor” franc, the bar of “SAAR” is higher on type 2. The second pulling being more important than the first, in fact the stamps of the latter profit from the strongest dimensions in the catalogs.

April 1st, 1948, the first stamps drawn directly in franc arrive. They are the only ones to be marked “SAARPOST” (station of the Saar). They present the main themes of the emissions of 1920-1935 and which will follow until 1956: workers of the Saar (minor, workman, country-woman), industrial landscapes, patrimonial (abbey of Mettlach) and naturalness (the valley of the Saar and its forests). The small values of 10 C., 60 C. and 1 F. encourage with the co-operation by showing a handshake.

The same year, to assist from the victims from a flood ( Hochwasserhilfe 1947-1948 ), the first emission of benevolence representing landscapes during the rise of water. The surtaxes are from now on printed and readable on the stamps. This series is also emitted in the shape of two blocks.

Topics of the emissions of the protectorate of the Saar

The series of benevolence of popular help ( Volkshilfe ) takes again in December 1949 with from now on the mention of the surtax. In fact only the works painted are used as illustrations, sometimes with a Christian tonality. The last emission takes place on December 10th, 1956. As from April 1950, it is joined by an emission with the profit of the Croix-Rouge presenting on a plain bottom of the people in the need or a scene for hospital for child, and organization signs it.

The industrial and rural landscapes (with sometimes the fruit of their productions) and the monuments are always reproduced on the stamps of the period of protectorate.

New topics appear, in particular commemorative. On local subjects, the fair of Saarbrucken ( Saarmesse ) been the subject of an annual stamp which continues for the transitional period of 1957 to 1959. The sports allow emissions on the Olympic Games of summer of 1952] and those of 1956 Melbourne.

Some historical personalities (apart from the saints of the series Volkshilfe ) are honoured with 1950 to 1953 with the social priest Adolf Kolping and the philosopher Peter Wust in 1950, Martin Luther and Jean Calvin for the 375e birthday of the Réforme, and Henri Dunant for the stamp Croix-Rouge of 1953.

Appeared in Germany in 1936 and France on stamp in 1944, the Journée of the stamp ( Tag der Briefmarke ) is marked by an annual stamp of large size in 1950. It reproduces a scene of the work of routing of the mail at various times of the postal history.

The independence of the Saar is shown by two emissions: the birthday of the Constitution of 1947 (stamps of December 15th, 1948) and adhesion with the the Council of Europe in 1950.

Towards fastening

Only three stamps are overloaded in October 1955 to announce the consultation ( Volksbefragung ) on becoming it of the Saar. 67,7% of the voters refuse the Accords of Paris which would have placed their country under a special statute within the Western European Union. Finally, the Luxembourg agreement between France and the Federal Republic of Germany on October 27th, 1956 decide fastening of the Saar in Germany at January 1st, 1957.

The stamps emitted before January 1st, 1957 remain on sale until July 1st, 1957.

After fastening

January 1st, 1957, with the integration of the Land of the Saar in the West Germany, the Deutsche Bundespost takes over postal service, but the stamps remain different from those of the remainder of the Federal republic inside the district of the of Saarbrucken

Part of the emissions are the stamps of FR of Germany with the mention “ Deutsche Bundespost Saarland ” and a facial value in franc, time to withdraw the monetary franc on July 5th, 1959. Several German stamps exist thus in a version of the Saar, of which the first carrying the blazon of the Saar and the forty stamps of the series of everyday usage to the effigy of the first federal president Theodor Heuss, of which the re-emitted half in December 1957 with “F” of franc: certain stamps in pfennigs too being able to resemble specimens in francs.

Part of the illustrations exist only in the Saar, mainly on regional subjects: centenary of Merzig, 400e birthday of the town of Hombourg, the annual series for the fair ( Saarmesse ) which perdure until 1959, and the 10th birthday of the statute of large-city of Saarbrucken.

July 6th, 1959, are withdrawn all the stamps of the Saar and only, the stamps of FR of Germany are of use since in this Land .

Commemoration of the fastening of 1957

The January 2nd, 2007, the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of the Land of the Saar gives place to the emission of a stamp of 0,55 euro put on page by Fritz Lüdtke: above the blazon of the Saar, three photographs present a mining and industrial landscape, a view of the forests around the river the Saar and Ludwigkirsche of Saarbrucken.

Table-summary

This table summarizes the principal periods of the philatelic history of the Saar as from 1920, which are characterized in particular by the country of issue, the mention on the stamp and the currency.

See too

Sources: catalogs

Catalog of quotations of the stamps of the French offices, old colonies, and zones of occupation in Europe and Asia , ED. Dallay, 2006-2007:

period of 1920 to 1935, pages 21 to 62;
zone of French occupation in Germany (1945-1946), pages 83 to 85;
period of 1947 to 1956, pages 103 to 125 and 132;
fastening at Germany and transitional period, pages 125 to 131.

Deutschland-Spezial , catalogs specialized of the stamps of Germany, volume 1: 1849 in April 1945, ED. Michel, 2002; the period of 1920 to 1935 is treated in the pages 620-673.

References

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