Page 5 - Handout

Summary of the development of postal communications for Swedish militaries and volunteers 16 cent.- Royal, military or civilian couriers were 1708 It raised a need to fast determine where th the only options for mail conveyance. from a letter was sent, especially during Swedish militaries at war used Royal and the war against Russia 1700-1721, military couriers which were trustworthy therefore introduced the Royal Mail the militaries. first town-cancellation in Stockholm 1708 and later that year in the three most 1610s- Royal Swedish Navy’s warships was used important cities in the Baltic provinces, to transport mail to and from Sweden, e.g. Reval. Swedish possessions and occupied areas. They did so when no other conveyance 1700s- There was a need for secure value could be used, e.g. safety and speed deliverances by the Sw. Royal Mail, so the reasons. Still did so in 20 century. registered service was developed and th expanded. Instructions from 1707 tells that 1620 In Hamburg is a Swedish postal agency letter with money had to be marked established with possibility to send mail to “Recommenderas” and the registered fees Stockholm. (no specific amount) were to be paid directly to the respective postmasters by 1631 A Swedish field post system in Germany both sender and receiver. were organized with a few Field Post Offices (FPO) e.g. in Frankfurt am Main 1747 Sweden changed 1747 the system for (-1634) and Leipzig (-1635) to speed up calculating the postal rate to actual and lower the cost for the important mail conveyance distance with intervals step conveyance of military orders and war and weight steps. information. 1758 Fixed Swedish registered fess were now in 1636 The Royal Swedish Mail started with a force. few post offices in the most important towns in Sweden and regular service 1786 The Swedish postal rate currency changed between them. Postal rate was based on to skilling specie silver coins and weight steps in lod and the nearest runstycken. distance between the sender's and the th receiver's Post Offices. The postal rate Late 18 The established Sw. Government Crown currency was öre silver coins. Mail was century- Mail, a parallel mail system for only conveyed as relay by appointed farmers. official mail, was expanded and the military was allowed to use it in a broad 1645 Outgoing letters by Royal Swedish Mail extension during wartimes and also had to be prepaid in advance, also to request express deliverance by e.g. abroad, in force to 1835. attaching a feather. 1650s- The Royal Swedish Mail opened post 1804 The Swedish postal rate currency changed offices in every major and important city to skilling banco. (often military purposes), including in the newly gained Danish territory, Baltic and 1806- By Royal decree of 1806 the Swedish German provinces. As Royal Swedish mail Royal Mail was ordered to have Field Post system expanded the expensive civil service at each front with large Sw. forces couriers are less used but military couriers to handle the forces mail easier. At some is still used. conflicts it was opened a FPO, e.g. The Pomeranian War 1805-1807, The Finnish Late 17 The Swedish Government established a War 1808-1809, War against Denmark & th century- parallel mail system for only official mail, Norway 1808-1809, War against Napoleon the Crown Mail. This mail service was also and France 1813-1814, War against Nor- used for military matters. way 1814 and The Slesvig-Holstein War 1848, and special postal rates were used. 1686 To easier supervise the income of postage, the first cancellations, “F” and “B” cancels, were introduced in Stockholm and used to 1708.