This time again an item from Vorarlberg – actually from a special enclave in Vorarlberg, the Kleinwalsertal. The cover went from Riezlern in Vorarlberg to Kempten and was postmarked with a ring-bridge postmark – which was in use from 1905-1938 at the post office there – on the 4th of July 1933.
Otherwise, this item puzzles me in two ways:
- Originally a stamp of the German Reich (3 Pfennig Hindenburg) was affixed to this printed matter card, but then a 12 Groschen stamp of Austria was affixed over it. Is this a mixed franking, or did the over sticking invalidate the Hindenburg stamp?
- On the cover there is also a handwritten note (probably by the collector or seller): “Denazified”. But my question now – denazification in 1933?
Maybe someone can help me – I like to learn more.
Note from HS: “the card from Kleinwalsertal is a prepaid reply card from the Biechteler company. Since the German stamp was not valid for postage in Austria in 1933, the 12-Groschenmarke had to be pasted over it; the post office would not have accepted anything else. And this card has nothing at all to do with denazification, it was a pure postal necessity.”
Note from EB: “Since Kleinwalsertal has been a customs exclusion zone since 1891, the franking with a 3 Pfennig for Germany makes sense. It is striking that the printed matter from the sender goes to the same company, so it is most likely philatelically influenced. But has nothing at all to do with denazification. Perhaps it is also a mistake at the post office. The 3 Pfennig was also the correct printed matter postage and for Austria it would have been 3 Groschen. The back would give information if the card was not recognized as a printed matter, then the 12 Groschen postcard postage is correct, which was then simply pasted over the German postage. I think a philatelist has fabricated a “special” cover here – after all, anything is possible!”
You can find out a few more details about the “postal” and “non-postal” Kleinwalsertal in the following quiz. Just answer the questions (or not). No matter how, if you click on “to the resolution”, the correct answer of the question is displayed, partly also with a small text for explanation / background.
