The postal stationery in Serbia during the German Occupation in WW2

Autor: Stephan Jürgens, AIJP

Stephan Jürgens

After the capitulation on April 18th, 1941, Yugoslavia was divided. Parts was annexed to Germany, Italy, Hungary, Bulgaria and (Italian) Albania. Croatia - which included mostly of todays/former Bosnia-Herzegovina and parts of todays/former Serbia - became an independed state ruled by the fascist Ustashe and thier leader Ante Pavelic. The leftovers were the Territory of the (German) Military Commander in Serbia, who ordered the reopening of postal services for May 11th, 1941. Until the emission of own (overprinted) stamps and postal stationery in early June 1941, Yugoslavian stamps and stationery were used. These precursors are higly appreciated by collectors.

Axis occupation of Yugoslavia 1941-43

During the period of the German occupation the postal administration issued six postal stationery cards, the first four of them overprint issues, overprinting Yugoslavian postal stationery cards, followed by two cards, where the stamp shows a picture of the Serbian philologist Vuk Karadzic (1787-1864).

Source and further reading

The stationery

P1 - Yugoslavian 1 Dinar Postal Stationery (P 85) with green overprint

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 1

1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, green overprint, from ILANDZA 19.X.41 addressed to a POW in Stalag VII B.

Michel Nr: P 1, 3

1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, green overprint, with additional 1 Din "Serbien" definitive, tied by continious Belgrad machine cancel, addressed to Germany, red machine censor mark (OKW) alongside.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia
Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 1

1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, green overprint, used within Serbia with local framed censor mark.

Michel Nr: P 1

1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, green overprint, used within Serbia with local framed censor mark.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

P2 - Yugoslavian 1 Dinar Postal Stationery (P 85) with red overprint

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 2, 2

1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, red overprint, with additional 0,50 Din "Serbien" definitives, from Belgrad, addressed to Cilli (Germany) = Celje Slovenia, red machine censor mark (OKW) alongside.

Michel Nr: P 2

1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, red overprint, additional franking missing, addressed to POW Camp Oflag Osnabrück-Ewersheide with "Oflag VI c geprüft" censor mark.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia
Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 2, 3

1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, red overprint, with additional 1 Din "Serbien" definitives, from Belgrad, addressed to Linz/Donau, red machine censor mark (OKW) alongside.

Michel Nr: P 2, 3

1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, red overprint, with additional 1 Din "Serbien" definitive, from Belgrad, addressed to Cilli (Germany) = Celje Slovenia, red machine censor mark (OKW) alongside.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia
Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 2, 3

1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, red overprint, with additional 1 Din "Serbien" definitive, from Belgrad, addressed to Cilli (Germany) = Celje Slovenia, red machine censor mark (OKW) alongside.

Michel Nr: P 2

1942: 1 Din green postal stationery card, red overprint, cancelled by KRALJEVO 11.III.42 cds, censored.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia
Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 2

1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, red overprint, from USIZE to Beograd with violet censor mark.

P3 - Yugoslavian 1 Dinar Postal Stationery (P 85) with violet overprint

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 3

1942: 1 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, posted in NIS, 30. I. (19)42, censored.

Michel Nr: P 3

1942: 1 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, posted in BEOGRAD, 2. X (19)42 addressed for VRSAC, censored.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia
Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 3

1942: 1 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, posted in Negotin, 25. 1 (19)43, censored.

Michel Nr: P 3

1942: 1 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, posted in PETROVGRAD (also Veliki Bečkerek, now Zrenjanin), 11. II (19)43 addressed for Beograd, censored.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia
Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 3

1942: 1 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, posted in Crepaja, 31. 3. (19)43, censored, with propaganda mark "Biraj / red-zivot / nered-smrt / Srbije" (Choose / order - life / disorder - death / Serbia). This card was posted after the validity, which ended at 28. February 1943, but I see no signs of an removed franking, so I assume it is "tolarated late use".

Form usage

After the validity ended at 28. February 1943 the post offices attached 1.50 Dinar stamps (mostly the MiNr 73) to the remainders and sell them.

Michel Nr: P 3, 71, 72b

1943: 1 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, outdated and used as form franked with 0,50 D deep purple-violet and 1 D bright red, posted in VALJEVSKA KAMENICA, 20. III (19)43 addressed for Belgrad, censored, with illegible propaganda mark "Biraj / red-zivot / nered-smrt / Srbije" (Choose / order - life / disorder - death / Serbia)

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 3, 73

1942: 1 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, outdated and used as form franked with 1,50 D brown, posted in VALJEVO 18. V (19)43, censored, "CACAK 22.V.43" arrival on front.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

P4 - Not issued Yugoslavian 1.50 Dinar Postal Stationery with violet overprint

Form usage

After the validity ended at 28. February 1943 the post offices attached 1.50 Dinar stamps (mostly the MiNr 73) to the remainders and sell them.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 4, 73

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, outdated and used as form franked with 1,50 D reddish brown, posted in LAROVO, 23. IV (19)43, censored, with propaganda mark "Biraj / red-zivot / nered-smrt / Srbije" (Choose / order - life / disorder - death / Serbia).

Michel Nr: P 4, 73

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, outdated and used as form franked with 1,50 D reddish brown, posted in BEOGRAD, 16. VI (19)43, censored, with propaganda mark "Biraj / red-zivot / nered-smrt / Srbije" (Choose / order - life / disorder - death / Serbia).

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia
Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 4, 73

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, outdated and used as form franked with 1,50 D reddish brown, posted in Kragujevac, 22. V (19)43, censored. Addressed for Beograd.

P5 - 1.50 Dinar Postal Stationery "Vuk Karadzic"

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 5

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" posted in KIKINDA, 16. VIII (19)43 addressed for Belgrad, censored.

Michel Michel Nr: P 5

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" posted in PALANKA SMED, 29. XII (19)43 addressed for UZICE, censored.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia
Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 5

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" posted in BEOGRAD 10, 14. II (19)44, censored.

Michel Michel Nr: P 5

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" posted in Loznica, 5. X (19)43, censored.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia
Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 5

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" posted in Loznica, 5. X (19)43, censored.

Michel Michel Nr: P 5

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" posted in Kladovo, 3. 5 (19)44, censored.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia
Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 5

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" posted in Beograd, 4. 9 (19)43, censored.

Michel Michel Nr: P 5

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" , censored, with additinal poster stamp.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Michel Nr: P 5

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" posted in PALANKA SMED, 28. XII (19)43 addressed for Beograd, censored.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

P6 - 2 Dinar Postal Stationery "Vuk Karadzic"

Anhang

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia

Michel Nr: P 5

1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" m/s dated 31-VIII-1943, censored, but postmarked PALANKA SMED 231.X.48.

Krischke BPP explains in his certificate, that this post card was found 1948 and cancelled and tried to distribute, most likely in vain.

Postal Stationery from the German Occupation of Serbia