A POSTAL HISTORY OF ZWOLLE

UNIVERSAL POSTAL UNION

The General Postal Union (GPU), called the Universal Postal Union (Union Postale Universelle, UPU) from 1878, regulated standard rates for mail between the member states (Treaty of Bern, 9 October 1874). These came into effect in the Netherlands on 1 July 1875. For mail to France, however, not until 1 January 1876.

For overseas destinations carried over 300 miles by sea, member states were given the right (not the obligation) to charge a surcharge of up to 100% on the base rates, called the sea surcharge (Treaty of Paris, 1 June 1878). The Netherlands applied this surcharge between 1 April 1879 and 1 July 1892, but not to all countries. Mail to the United States and to various overseas territories of European member states was excluded.

The rates in the Netherlands were:

For letters:

*) rate for sent prepaid / received unfranked.

**) for letters to post offices in Belgium and Germany that were no further than 30 km from the Dutch (sub) post office in a straight line.

For postcards:

5 cent postcard from Zwolle to Bremen, Germany, 30-6-1876. Rate for postcards to UPU member states 1-7-1875 to 27-3-1921: 5 cents.
This postcard is cancelled against the regulations with dot handstamp 135.

For printed matter:

The registration fee was 10 cents.

The first established GPU postal rates for letters from the 21 other first member states to the Netherlands and to other member states listed below were on 1 July 1875 (France on 1 January 1876) for a letter up to 15 grams (or ½ ounce for Great Britain and the United States), postcards, printed matter up to 50 grams (or 2 ounces for Great Britain and the United States) and registration fee:

*) Registration fee reduced for postcards and printed matter.

2 Kreuzer postcard from Trieste to Zwolle, 1-7-1893. Rate for postcards to UPU member states, 1-7-1875 to 31-12-1899: 5 Kreuzer. Additionally franked with 3 Kreuzer 1890 issue.

Lower rates often applied to neighbouring countries and colonies:

Letter from Brussels, Belgium to Zwolle, 5-3-1888. Reduced rate for letters from Belgium to the neighbouring country the Netherlands 1-7-1875 to 30-9-1907, 0 - 15 grams: 20 centimes. Franked with 2x 10 centimes 1884 issue.

The Lisbon Treaty of March 21, 1885 establishes the possibility of sending postcards with a paid reply from 1 April 1886. However, sending these to various countries of the Universal Postal Union was possible earlier. This was already possible from the Netherlands to Belgium from 1 July 1875.

5 + 5 cent reply-paid postcard from Zwolle to Antwerp, Belgium, 4-4-1890. Cds ZWOLLE-STATION. Rate for reply-paid postcards to Belgium 1-7-1875 t/m 27-3-1921: 5 + 5 cents.

Many other countries and overseas territories subsequently became members of the Universal Postal Union.

Printed matter from the German Postal Agency in Tientsin 天津市, China to Zwolle, 1896. Cds TIENTSIN / KAISERL. DEUTSCHE / POSTAGENTUR. This office was opened as a Sub Office in October 1889, became a Postal Agency on 1 April 1893 and closed again on 16 March 1917. Until March 1898, German stamps were used without overprint. Rate for printed matter up to 50 grams: 5 Pfennig. Franked with German Reich 5 Pfennig 1889 issue.

Last update 10.09.2024 6:03 PM

Copyright © 2019 - G.L. van Welie FRPSL
Secretary of the Nederlandse Academie voor Filatelie
Representative of the Royal Philatelic Society London for the Netherlands

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