Province of Silesia & Upper Silesia (Śląsk)

With its provinces of Lower and Upper Silesia, Silesia represents one of the most industrially and historically significant border regions of the former German Empire.

Due to rapid industrialization, abundant natural resources (especially in Upper Silesia), and a dense population, Silesia had one of the most dynamic and heaviest-used postal networks in continental Europe.

The post-historical landscape is correspondingly complex and rich. After World War I, the politically contested referendum area in Upper Silesia, among others, was subjected to profound post-historical changes.

Periods and Regions in Postal History

• Development of the stamp dies: From the Prussian number stamp to the horseshoe stamp and on to the standard stamps of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Special Feature: Upper Silesia (voting district): Its own stamp issues under the "Commission Interalliée de Gouvernement et de Plébiscite de Haute-Silésie" (C.G.H.S.) from 1920 to 1922.
• Industrial Regions & Rail Mail: As a result of the coal and steel industries, a vast network of railway postal routes developed, whose postmarks today constitute a distinct, broad field of research.
• Rural Mail & Branch Offices: A detailed study of post offices in the rural and mountainous counties of Silesia.

Our Research Group's Main Areas of Focus

The "Silesia" specialist group focuses on the systematic cataloging of all known post offices, auxiliary postal stations, and railway postal routes in the region. Particular attention is paid to reconstructing historical administrative boundaries and their impact on postal operations.

The research group is also stepping up its efforts to collect and document postal items from the period of inflation and the referendum period in Upper Silesia, as these eras are extremely multifaceted from a philatelic perspective.