The postal stationery in Serbia during the German Occupation in WW2
Autor: Stephan Jürgens, AIJP
Autor: Stephan Jürgens, AIJP
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.
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).
Following an article by Axel Polak and Uwe Kleymann. I only give the rates for post cards, since no other postal stationery are issued.
Jugoslavia changed the Tarifs at 1st April 1941. These Tarifs are relevant for this article since they in the first period these tarifs are still valif under German occupation. The fights start at 6th April 1941, which halts all postal service.
| Domestic | 1.00 Din |
| Foreign (in General) | 2.00 Din |
| to Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey | 2.00 Din |
Starting on 11.5.1941 the postal services were reopend. The decree from the PTT ministry gives these rates:
| Domestic | 1.00 Din |
| Foreign (only possible with Germany and the Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia) | 2.00 Din |
From 1st April 1942 the postage for post cards was 1.50 Din.
From 1st September 1942 the postage rate are:
| Domestic | 1.50 Din |
| Foreign | 2.00 Din |
28th February 1943 ended the validity of the four overprinted cards. They were used as forms.
From 1st June 1944 the postage for post cards increased to 2.00 Din.
Michel Nr: VP85
1941: 1,00 Din green postal stationery card, posted in Kragujevac, 6. VI (19)41, censored. Addressed for Beograd. I think the charity poster stamp was applied later to this card.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Michel Nr: P 2
1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, red overprint, from USIZE to Beograd with violet censor mark.
Michel Nr: P 2
1941: 1 Din green postal stationery card, red overprint, posted in NIS, censored.
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.
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.
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".
Michel Nr: P 3
1943: 1 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, posted in VARVARIN 1.2.(19)43 addressed for Beograd, censored.
Michel Nr: P 3
1942: 1 Din green postal stationery card, violet overprint, posted in Pancevo, 28. 7. (19)42, censored.
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)
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.
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 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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Michel Nr: P 5
1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" censored. Signed Krischke BPP
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.
Michel Nr: P 5
1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" Posted in KRUSEVAC 4.11.1942. censored.
Michel Michel Nr: P 5
1943: 1,50 Din green postal stationery card "Vuk Karadzic" posted in VARVARIN, 9. V (19)44 addressed for Beograd, censored.
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.
