SECOND WORLD WAR
ALPENVORLAND

This page was last updated
23-May-2024 07:48

ALPENVORLAND

With the capitulation of Italy on 5th Sep 1943 the soft underbelly of Hitler's Reich was exposed and rife for exploitation by the Allies. In order to protect the southern border of Germnany Hitler orders troops of Army Group B into Northern Italy under the command of Field Marshal Erwin Rommel on 9th Sep. Hitler then has a change of mind, removes Rommel and instead appoints Field Marshal Albert Kesselring overall commander of Italy on 16th Oct 1943.

A Gauleiter was appointed in the lower Tyrol (designated Alpenvorland) and also in the Adriatic region, including Ljubljana (designated Adriatisches Küstenland).



To serve the postal needs of both the troops and the local German speaking population (Italians were not permitted) in the Alpenvorland, a series of 10 Dienstpost offices was set up. This later increased to 16 main post offices, 7 branch offices and 40 sub post offices. Mail from civilians was rated the same as it was throughout the rest of the Reich and official mail was sent free of charge provided it was stamped "Frei Durch Ablösung Reich", 'Free by Government Decree'.

Within the region only Hitler head definitive stamps were available but examples of mail with commemorative stamps can still be found. Sonderstempel or commemorative handstamps were also never used in the Alpenvorland. Only regular 29mm double-ring / date bridge handstamps were used, the only exception being the machine cancel "BOZEN 1" with a letter 'd'.



Sub post office cancellations consisted of rectangular hand stamps which included the town name and the forwarding post office.

Civilian mail can be easily identified by a large 'X' with an additional "Durch deutsche Dienstpost Alpenvorland", 'Through German official post Alpine foothills' enclosed in a red rectangle. This can be either handwritten or in the form of a hand stamp.



Labels used on registered mail in the Alpenvorland were produced in coils and are blank except for the serial number (a two line hand stamp with the name of the town was frequently added to the blank label. The labels measure 44 x 18mm and are perforated along the vertical sides.



Military post had to be marked "Feldpost aus dem Alpenvorland", 'Field post from the Alpine foothills'. For non-combat units such as depots or administrative units standard Dienstpost hand stmaps were used. For active combat units with field post numbers a mute or 'Stumme' hand stamp was used.

As was a common practise in Germany stamp dealers with good Nazi Party connections would send bulk mail to be cancelled with the various hand stamps. Karl Hennig of Hamburg is one such dealer who produced a large amount of this dubious philately.

The main post offices were located in:

Branch post offices were located in:

Sub post offices were located in:

1. BELLUNO

2. BOZEN (BOLZANO)

3. BRENNER (BRENNERO)

The post office at BRENNER was a branch office of STERZING

4. BRIXEN (BRESSANONE)

5. BRUNECK (BRUNICO)

6. CORTINA D'AMPEZZO

7. FRANZENFESTE (FORTEZZA)

The post office at FRANZENFESTE was a branch office of BRIXEN

8. FREIENFELD (CAMPO di TRENS)

9. GROSSENSASS (COLLE ISARCO)

The post office at GROSSENSASS was a branch office of STERZING

10. INNICHEN (S. CANDIDO)

The post office at INNICHEN was a branch office of TOBLACH

11. KLAUSEN (CHIUSA)

The post office at KLAUSEN was a branch office of BRIXEN

12. LANA (LANA di ADIGE)

The post office at LANA was a branch office of MERAN

13. MALS (MALLES)

14. MERAN (MERANO)

15. NEUMARKT (EGNA)

16. RIVA (RIVA in VALLE)

17. ROVERETO

18. SCHLANDERS (SILANDRO)

19. STERZING (VIPITENO)

20. St. ULRICH (ORTISEI)

21. TOBLACH (DOBBIACO)

22. TRIENT (TRENTO)

23. WOLKENSTEIN in GRÖDEN (SELVA in GARDENO)

The post office at WOLKENSTEIN in GRÖDEN was a branch office of St. ULRICH

REFERENCES

1. DEUYTSCHE DIENSTPOST ALPENVORLAND by Jim Lewis for the American Third Reich Study Group
2. Deutsche Dienstpost 1939-1945. Handbuch und Stempelkatalog" by Dr. Hermann Schultz.