The 1920s Anschluss (which didn't happen)Based on a display given by Dr John Pitts.
"L’Autriche, c’est ce qui reste" - "Austria consists of what is left over." Georges Clemenceau, 1918.
When Emperor Charles I withdrew on November 11 1918, the Austro-Hungarian Empire was in the process of disintegration. The disruption resulted in (1) attempts by rump Austria (the new "Deutschösterreich") in Salzburg and the Tirol to unite with Germany ; (2) a foreign occupation and plebiscite in Carnthia; (3) the formation of local revolutionary committees in many localities; and (4) the assignation of the Burgenland to Austria. Attempts to become part of a new German republic were forbidden by the Allies (mainly France, who were apprehensive of a stronger Germany). Such abnormal political and economic conditions created the necessity for emergency measures and stamp issues, as well as the opportunity for unnecessary and fraudulent issues.
This appendix presents many of the significant emergency and local stamp issues produced in Austria during a particularly turbulent period of its history - the 2 or 3 years immediately after the end of the Great War. If it is accepted that the people responsible for them were at that time the local people in power, and that the stamps were actually used through the posts, then technical considerations of administrative and political procedures should not be allowed to detract from their legitimacy as a collectible for the postal historian. These emergency and local issues, although mostly printed contrary to regulations, were actually and undoubtedly used in the mails. Some were ordered by the provincial governments (Tirol and Salzburg), others owed their existence to political or private intervention. Forgeries have been identified by Friedl and Pollak, and on the basis of their expertise the items displayed are considered to be genuine unless otherwise indicated.
The 1920s Anschluss (which didn't happen)As the war staggered to its end, many politicians believed that, shorn of its sources of goods and food, the only salvation for "today's Austria" lay with a union with Germany.
The photograph shows the German-Austrian National Assembly meeting in October 1918; the painting depicts crowds outside the Parliament Building on 12 November 1918 acclaiming the proclamation of the Deutsch-Österreich Republic, as enshrined in Article 2 of the Constitution unanimously decided by the German-Austrian National Assembly on that day
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| Card with scenes from Germany and Austria issued by the Austria-German People's Union asserting that "German Austria is a part of the German Republic". | Not everybody shared this opinion! An Anti-Anschluss march in the snow at the front of the Vienna Town Hall, with the Bürgtheatre in the background. The slogan on the banner reads "Heraus mit dem Anschluss!" (Down with the Anschluss!). |
In 1919, the victorious Allies imposed treaties to determine the fate of their former enemies. The Treaty of Saint Germain on 10 September 1919 saw the dismembership of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and recognised the independence of Czechoslovakia, Poland, Hungary, and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The aspirations of the newly-created land-locked Republic of Austria received little attention.
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| "German-Austria is a Republic. / Do you want happiness for the fatherland, / Unite the country instead of party dispute, / Freedom, Equality, Fraternity." | Pro-Anschluss Postcard from the first months of 1920. "They wanted to keep us apart, / we have come to the point, / we want to complete the bridge, / because there is strength in unity." (But the keystone is unstable…) |
Auxiliary Post of Meran, 1918.As the Austrian Empire disintegrated at the end of WWI, the Italians occupied the Süd-Tirol town of Meran/Merano in November 1918; the postal service was suspended. The Chamber of Commerce in Meran was authorised to establish a local post in Vinschgau, the main valley running westwards from Meran. Normally-franked mail arriving in Meran received an additional stamp to cover the cost of the local delivery. Correctly-used specimens are rare.
This example is the black-on-red 2h local newspaper postage stamp, issued on 25 November 1918 and replaced by a different design soon afterwards. The 2h 1916-issue Austrian newspaper stamp covered the carriage to Meran. The newspaper is addressed to Naturns, about 15 km west of Meran; both stamps are cancelled with a straight-line NATURNS cancel on arrival, following normal Austrian practice.
Second issue, November 30, 1918 (?). The 2h, 5h and 10h values were, nominally, for newspapers, postcards and letters respectively.
Known used examples of the second issue are cancelled by the Algund cds, as in the example above which appears to pre-date the published (but uncertain) issue date by 2 days. The 10 Heller adhesive is tied by the faint oval hand-stamp of the Meran Chamber of Commerce "Gremium der Kaufmannschaft des Kurbezirkes Meran".
Hluboka Provisionals, November 1918.For over 300 years before 1918, the areas that were to become Czechos1ovakia, namely Slovakia and Bohemia and Moravia, had been ruled over by the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The beginnings of the new state came from an agreement between Masaryk, a Czech, and Stefanilk, a Slovak who inaugurated a movement for independence. A provisional government in exile was formed in September 1918 and Czech independence was declared in October. The Revolutionary Committee in Prague immediately authorised the overprinting of the then current postage issues of Austria as well as the printing of the first stamps of the new Republic. The overprinted stamps included the Hluboka provisionals; they were not recognised by the Central Post Authority in Prague, and their importance was probably political rather than postal.
Local Issue of Knittelfeld, December 7-8, 1918.The postage stamps of the old Monarchy were still in use after the overthrow of 1918, and so the District Committee of Public Welfare of Knittelfeld in Styria decided, on the initiative of the local soldiers council, to overprint these stamps "Republik / Deutsch / Oesterreich", thus drawing attention to the new Republic. The size of the overprint was 11 x 16.5mm and this helps to identify forgeries. The overprinted stamps were issued on December 7 and 8, 1918, at the office of the Public Welfare and also by the soldiers’ District Council for the POW camp of Knittelfeld. The latter used its own Kriegsgefangenenlager / Knittelfeld cancel. The two types of cancel are shown, dated 7.XII.18. Below them is a registered letter from Knittelfeld to Graz dated 8.XII.18.
Venezia Giulia (Trieste) Provisionals.Under the terms of the Treaty of London (26 April 1915) Italy joined the war on the side of the Allies in return for the promise of Trentino (Trento) and the Istrian peninsula, including Trieste. Italian forces entered Trento and Trieste on November 3rd 1918 and the following day the Austrians signed an armistice. The first stamp issues for the newly acquired territory were of a provisional nature. In Venezia Giulia the overprint on the then current Austrian stamps read "Regno d’Italia / Venezia Giulia / 3. XI. 18". The inclusion of Venezia Giulia into Italy was not confirmed until June 1921 at the Paris Peace Conference. Italy had included the port of Fiume in her demands but this was not acceptable to the allies.
Registered local letter, 19.XII.18.
Express local letter, 8.XII.18.
Land Tirol, December 12, 1918 - January 20, 1919.Efforts of nationalists to secede from Austria and join Germany led to the overprinting of the then current postage stamps with a Tirolean eagle in support of demands for a National Assembly. Stamps were overprinted in violet-black using a rubber hand-stamp. The issue was sold at face value. Postal use was forbidden after January 20, 1919.
Top part of a local-rate postal-stationery card, with the colours tweaked to show the overprint.
Stamps postally-used on a correctly franked registered letter to Vienna in December 1918
Registered letter from Innsbruck to Vienna, correctly franked. Stamps postally-used on a registered letter to Vienna in December 1918.
Tirol Parcel Control Stamps, 1919 - 1921.To control parcels containing goods destined for foreign countries, the export of which was forbidden, the Tyrolean Government ordered on April 17 1919 their control in both postal and rail transportation. Originally it was intended to use small stamps for postal parcels and large stamps for railway parcels but this arrangement was short-lived.
Local Liberation Issue, Radkersburg, July 26, 1920.To mark the evacuation of Yugoslav troops from Radkersburg in Styria, the State Printing Works in Vienna had planned an overprint of Austrian stamps. They were unable to carry out the job and, at the last moment, the local Liberation Committee stepped in. There are two printings of the 3-line overprint approved by the Ministry of Communications; the first (black, dull and blurred) was made locally at the print shop at Semlitsch, and the second, sharp and shiny, was made at the Deutsche Vereinsdruckerei, Graz. Both read "Radkersburgs / Befreinugstag / 26. Juli 1920", with the letters ‘n’ and ‘u’ in the second word being deliberately switched by both printers to deter falsifications.
First printing.
Second printing.
Local Liberation Issue, Spielfeld, August 20, 1920.As with Radkersburg, Spielfeld in Tyrol introduced an overprint on the regular postage stamps to celebrate the evacuation of the Yugoslav troops on August 7, 1920. This was also authorised by the Ministry of Communications, and the overprinting was effected by hand-stamp by the Liberation Committee on any postage stamps submitted to it against a payment of 2 and 5 Kronen for low and high denominations respectively. The overprint read "Befreiung / Spielfelds / 29. Juli 1920".
Letter to Graz dated 8.8.20, with overprint showing the variety ‘missing s’.
On about half the issues the final s in Spielfelds of the 3-line overprint is missing because of a failure of the primitive hand-stamp. The private commemorative cancellation was done with a circular rubberstamp supplied by the Liberation Committee with "Spielfeld / Befreiung" around the circumference and the dates "8.8.20" and "29.7.1920" across the centre.
The cancellation of current postage stamps with the small circular hand-stamp was not authorised and after August 8 1920 the overprinted stamps were invalid. On October 12th 1920, the Ministry of Communications declared that the overprint was done without the approval of the postal authorities, and it therefore had no official standing. The official postal cancellation for the regular mail was the Yugoslav "SPILJE" obliterator, seen on the cover below sent to Wien, dated 10.VIII.20.
Private commemorative cancellation. double circle, diameter 23˝mm, "8.8.20".
Yugoslavian official postal cancellation, circular, diameter 27Ľmm, "SPILJE /10. VIII.20 / * b *"
The Carinthian plebiscite issue of 1920
The border between Austria and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia) was dictated by the Treaty of St Germain under which the major part of the territory of the former Austrian Crownland of Carinthia was allocated to Austria. The border was the Karawanken mountain range, with many Slovenes remaining in Austria. Serbian troops promptly invaded, seeking to force a change in this decision.
Three parts of Carinthia (Kanaltal, Seeland, and Mießtal) were handed over to other countries. So far as the Postal Historian is concerned, this included the post offices at Gutenstein, Köttelbach, Leifling, Mießß in Kärnten, Ober Seeland, Prävali, Schwarzenbach, Unter Drauburg, Pontafel, Tarvis, Malborgeth, Raibl, Uggowitz, Saifnitz, and Lussnitz; and their associated Postablagen.
Grey = Kanaltal, transferred to Italy; green = Seeland and yellow = Mießtal, both transferred to the future Yugoslavia; red = plebiscite zone A; dark blue = plebiscite zone B.
As part of the provisions of the Treaty, a plebiscite was held on 10 October 1920 to decide whether Carinthia should remain as a province of Austria or should be joined with the new Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. Legalistically, during the period of the plebiscite the province was not attached to either state, but both Austria and Jugoslavia overprinted stamps for use (and for propaganda).
For the purpose of the plebiscite, the disputed territory was divided into the south, Zone A (comprising the districts of Bleiburg, Rosegg, Ferlach, and Völkermarkt), and the north, Zone B (Klagenfurt area). The plebiscite was to be held first in Zone A, then Zone B three weeks later but only if Zone A had voted to join Yugoslavia. During the plebiscite itself, British and Italian officers kept order and the Yugoslavian troops were ordered by the Supreme Council to place themselves under the orders of the Plebiscite Commission. Everyone over the age of 20 with residential qualifications was entitled to vote. The plebiscite was overseen by an Inter-Allied Plebiscite Commission. The result for zone A was 22,025 votes in favour of Austria which is 59.04% of the votes. "The people had spoken", so in conformity with the Treaty of St. Germain the Austrian victory in this zone rendered a plebiscite in the northern zone unnecessary and the whole region went to Austria. Interestingly, if one presumes that the whole German-speaking minority had voted for Austria, so also did about half the Carinthian Slovenes.
An organisation called the Kärntner Heimatdienst was founded in 1920 to further the interests of Austria in general and of German-speakers in Carinthia in particular, especially in the imminent plebiscite. It sought the issue of fund-raising propaganda stamps, which was approved on 9 September 1920. A set of 19 stamps (catalogued as ANK 321-339) overprinted "Kärnten Abstimmung" (Carinthia Plebiscite) for the vote on 10th October 1920 were put on sale on 16th September. These stamps were sold throughout Austria at three times their face value to raise money for the plebiscite and to assist people who held residential qualifications in Kärnten (Heimatrecht) to return and vote in the plebiscite. There was a total of 300,000 complete sets plus various quantities of all values except the 30h and 60h.
The Austrian Post Office produced a special printing of two existing designs: the Parliament Building of 1919/21 and the Republican Arms of 1920/21. There was no time for a new design, so 19 previous stamps were printed in new colours, some on coloured papers (probably all that was available), and with a black typographed overprint "Kärnten Abstimmung". The narrower low-value stamps were printed on coloured papers, and the low values were comb perforated 12½. The values from 2½ Kronen upwards (ie the Parliament Building design) were imperf on granite paper; as before, the two-colour stamps were printed in two operations.
The "Handbuch Kärntnen 1980" (p116) adds that as well as sponsoring the issue the Kärntner Heimatdienst bought 252,000 of the sets and 28,000 of various values, either at face value or at cost-of-printing; then sold them to the public in Klagenfurt. The remaining 48,000 sets and assorted values were sold at three times face value through the post offices of the northern zone of the plebiscite region in Carinthia. The excess over the face value was used to support a propaganda fund to organise the voting in favour of staying in Austria. The stamps, however, were valid for the whole of Austria up to 10 October 1920; the day of the plebiscite.
The set ANK 964-966 was issued by Austria Post for the 30th anniversary.
Privately printed Propaganda stamps, 2 printings in Innsbruck or (and ?) Klagenfurt.
Inscribed "Volksabstimmung 1920 Kärnten" and showing views of Carinthia.
'Taking the Oath' and the 'Carinthian Shield' - propaganda essays.
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| Numerous propaganda postcards were produced. On the left is one from the Kärntner Defence Fighting Fund; on the right three generations of a family have come to vote. | ||
Similarly, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (which became Yugoslavia in 1927) produced and sold overprinted stamps in the southern zone; but they didn't start the process until the day after the Austrian stamps were placed on sale - presumably they were caught out! - so theirs didn't go on sale till 29 September. Six imperf newspaper stamps overprinted in red-brown with KGCA (to signify "Karinthian Governmental Commission, Zone A") and a new value were issued in Ljubljana and sold for the Plebiscite at three times face value to aid the Propaganda Fund.
Because of the disputed border, some deemed Carinthia to be a part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (SHS). The card above carries the 'SHS' postmark and censor of "Borovije" (Yugoslavian name for the Austrian town of Ferlach, just 16km south of Klagenfurt) with the senders address clearly stating "Ferlach Kärnten / SHS". The card was sent on 31.VII.20 in the run-up to the plebiscite.
Local registered letter, Maribor 2, 5.X.20.
For the purpose of the plebiscite, the disputed territory was divided into the south, Zone 1, and the north, Zone II. The plebiscite was to be held first in the south, then in the north three weeks later but only if the south had voted to join Yugoslavia. A 95% turnout voted 59% for Austria and 41% for Yugoslavia, so the second vote did not take place.
By kind permission of the Editor of Jugoposta, Nick Coverdale, an article by Judith Hurst from Issue No 5 (1985) follows. It describes the Ljubljana issue from the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes point of view.
The aftermath of World War I produced many boundary disputes. One of great interest to Yugoslavia collectors is the dispute between Austria and the newly formed Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes concerning the area of Carinthia (Kärnten to the Austrians, Koruška to the Slovenes). This area had been settled by the Slovenes since about the sixth century but had been part of the Habsburg Empire until 1918. The new kingdom had been granted a small area of Carinthia by the Treaty of St Germain in 1919, but claimed the whole area in view of the number of Slovene inhabitants. It was decided that a plebiscite or referendum should be held. The area was divided into two zones, A and B: A the rural forest area of Upper Carinthia and B the area around the city of Celovec (Klagenfurt). In order to raise money to promote the plebiscite, both countries issued special stamps which were sold at a premium
As an economy measure it was decided not to issue a new design, but to overprint an existing issue. The stamps chosen were the Slovenia newspaper stamps of 1919. The Post Office rejected the overprint design suggested by Vavpotic, the designer of the original stamps, and chose instead the design of the Ljubljana artist Koželj. This consisted of the initials KGCA in a decorative border together with the new values. (K. G. C. A. = Koroška Glasovatelna Cona-A ie Carinthian Plebiscite Zone A.) The overprint was done by the Yugoslav Press, Ljubljana. The values and numbers printed are shown below. All stamps were sold at 3 times face value.
Face values and quantities sold: 5 para on 4 dinar: 478,400; 15 para on 4 dinar: 358,000; 25 para on 4 dinar: 358,000; 45 para on 2 dinar: 185,720; 50 para on 2 dinar: 356,640; 2 dinar on 2 dinar: 89,040.
The original stamps were printed in sheets of 100 (10x10). Apparently the three lower-value overprints were applied to the sheets of 100 of the 4 dinar, but the 2 dinar sheets were cut in half before the higher-value overprints were applied. Two printings of the higher values were done, possibly to give more of the 2 dinar value and hence increase the number of complete sets available (to sell to collectors?). It is obvious that many interesting combinations of values arise from this method of printing, and some of these are extremely scarce. The diagram shows how the overprint was applied. The exact date of issue seems uncertain but was probably at the end of September 1920. The stamps were not valid in Serbia or Montenegro. They were valid for postage until 31 October 1920. Unsold stamps were purchased by dealers. Essays and plate proofs of the overprint are known to exist.
Eastern Tirol Plebiscite, October 17, 1920.In Lienz the Plebiscite Committee for the Eastern Tirol ordered an overprinting of Renner Republic stamps with the words "Deutscher Gau Osttirol", and on October 16th 1920, these stamps were sold or distributed on the occasion of the proclamation of the German Gau (district) Osttirol in Lienz. These stamps were no more than private propaganda essays. Despite a selling price of 500 Kronen for the set (about 5 times face value) they were quickly bought up. They were overprinted in gold; such was the demand for the first issue that a reprint in dull gold, consisting of 1000 sets, was supplied. Mail bearing first issue and reprint stamps was treated as unfranked.
Tirol Plebiscite, April 24th 1921.In the Tirol, the plebiscite was called by the Land government for Sunday 24 April 1921, according to the "Salzburger Chronik für Stadt und Land" of 12 April 2021 (left column, half way down). The actual wording of the voting paper was given as "Wird der Anschluss an das Deutsche Reich gefordert?" which means "Is the connection to the German Reich demanded?"
The "Allgemeine Tiroler Anzieger" began its Saturday coverage with the actual wording of the voting paper, and on Monday reported at the bottom of the page the result as 107,234 'Ja' versus 1,454 'Nein' which is 98.66% in favour.
The "Innsbrucker Nachrichten" of Saturday 23 April carried numerous pages of exhortations-to-vote-YES from the great and the good. The Monday issue reported the result: 73,347 votes cast; 72,213 'Ja'; 1,134 'Nein'; percentage in favour 98.45%. The turnout was 80%.
The result was reported in the "Wiener Zeitung" for Monday 25 April (left hand column, at the bottom).
Other sources and textbooks give different numbers, but they all agree that the result was overwhelmingly in favour of an Anschluss with Germany.
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| Tirol Plebiscite 24 April 1921. Celebration of the removal of the frontier barrier in Scharnitz-Mittenwald (the road from Seefeld to Partenkirchen) by Tirolean students | A Propaganda Postcard produced in Innsbruck for the Plebiscite on 24th April 1921. It represents the final stage for the joining of the Austrian Tirol and German Bavaria. |
The plebiscite committee, with the consent of the Tirolean government, instructed the Innsbruck printing works to overprint in red 10 values from the then current postage stamps with a lithographed eagle and date. The number of each overprinted ranged from 500 to 3,800 according to value. There were two issues. In the first, Type I, the eagle's tail is blunt and on the high values there is no hyphen between 'April' and '1921'. In Type II the eagle has a tail feather and the hyphen on the high values is present.
Type 1 - First issue. No point to the tail of the Eagle and no hyphen after April.
Type 2. A point to the tail of the Eagle and a hyphen after April on the Parliament issue. The top right stamp has an inverted overprint.
Examples of short-tailed and long-tailed eagles.
Salzburg PlebisciteOn 29 May 1921, a Plebiscite was held in Salzburg (the Land, not just the city), the question of course being "should we seek Anschluss with Germany?".
Of the 126,482 electorate, over 98,000 (77.5%) voted in the Plebiscite, of which 877 were against.
The Salzburg plebiscite was supposed to have been held on 24 April 1921, according to a Kundmachung in the "Volksfreund" newspaper (right-hand column) and with the wording "Ich bin dafür, daß dem Völkerbund der Antrag vorgelegt wird: Der Anschluß Oesterreichs an Deutschland wolle ehestens vollzogen werden!". This translates as "I am in favour of submitting the motion to the League of Nations [that] Austria should be annexed to Germany as soon as possible!". This may have been rejected as far too complex; and may also have been blocked by the French who were anxious that Germany should not be allowed to grow in size.
The plebicite in Salzburg was actually held on 29 May 1921. According to the "Salzburger Chronik für Stadt und Land" for 29 April 1921 (middle column at the top), the question was "Wird der Anschluss an Deutschland gefordert?" which means "Is the connection to Germany demanded?", the same question as asked in Tirol.
The result also was reported in the "Wiener Zeitung" for Monday 25 April (left hand column, at the bottom). There were 90,587 'Ja', 797 'Nein', and 378 spoilt.
Official postcard with message written in Salzburg on 29/5/21 regarding the events of the day, but posted in Linz on 2.VI.21 to the USA. It says Dear Clinton, One of the ways of propaganda for the Union with Germany. I happened to strike Salzburg on the Abstimmung weekend, where the town was gay with bands from 5 a.m. on, where banners were flying, orators speaking, torch light processions, singing "Die Wacht am Rhein" etc. etc. The Salzburg Bull the emblem of the province has battered down the boundary posts and is now proclaiming the last frontier for former parts of Bavaria.
Three stamps overprinted for the Plebiscite on May 29 1921 with a four-line typo overprint hand-set in Innsbruck. Both the white-paper and the grey-paper printings were overprinted. These stamps were sold in Innsbruck and Salzburg at face value plus a donation. Used here on the official postcard picturing a bull, the Salzburg symbol, of which 5,000 were printed.
Propaganda labels abounded!
A set of three genuine stamps on a cover "posthumously decorated" with an express label.
First overprinting of stamps for the Plebiscite.
A complete set of the overprinted stamps, doubtless CTO.
BurgenlandBy the end of 1918, both German-Austria and Hungary had proclaimed themselves to be Republics, and both laid claim to German West Hungary. While many sections of the ethnic German population of western Hungary preferred the idea of a union with German-Austria, others recommended autonomy of the area within Hungary.
The Austrian delegation in Paris informed the Allies that it was in favour of a plebiscite being held in German West Hungary. However the Treaty of Saint Germain allocated the entire area (ie Sopron, Moson and Vas counties) to Austria without a plebiscite. Also, Austria desperately needed its agricultural produce - it had been called "Vienna's Garden". Hungary was a Soviet Republic from 21 March to 1 August 1919. When that was overthrown by Miklós Horthy, Hungary put up unremitting resistance at political and diplomatic levels to the altering of the frontiers according to the Treaties of St. Germain and Trianon. In the following two years Horthy insisted on keeping the area of German West Hungary under Hungarian administration.
The Austrian Army tried to occupy the territory on 28 August 1921 and were forcibly prevented from doing so by Hungarian guerrillas. On 4 October 1921 the Lajtabánság Republic was proclaimed in Oberwart and claimed the whole area for Hungary. It existed until 5 November 1921, supported by a militia recruited from peasants and students devoted to retaining the region rather than surrendering it to Austria.
Hungary would only hand over Burgenland to Austria if it gave up Ödenburg/Sopron. The Czechs and Italians offered to mediate. Chancellor Schober chose the Italians (and much ink has been spilled on why) and the Venice Protocols were signed in December 1921. The irregulars withdrew at the order of Horthy. The Italians had proposed a referendum in Ödenburg/Sopron (the regional capital) and surrounding villages. The city chose Hungary, but most of the villages chose Austria; the total vote was 66% for staying in Hungary. There is still debate over who did what and when and whether they were rewarded for their actions. German West Hungary, which since 1919 had referred to itself as Burgenland, was officially incorporated into Austria on 5th December 1921. The Ödenburg/Sopron plebiscite was held on 14-15 December, resulting in the Ödenburg/Sopron territory remaining Hungarian.
As a taster, two of the many issues will be mentioned here. On 4 October 1921 the Lajtabánság Republic was proclaimed in Oberwart and claimed the whole area for Hungary. It existed until 5 November 1921, and produced numerous stamps including definitives and dues; some are known used.
A souvenir edition was produced for "The Liberation of Burgenland" (probably unofficially, and in Vienna). Two sets of the current Austrian definitives were overprinted: the first a set of 18 values on 17 October 1921, overprinted with Burgenland Befreiung in two lines vertically; the second set of 5 stamps had the Burgen/land overprinted in two lines horizontally. The top row shown here has a cancellation "ZEMENDORF / 17.X.21" which is a town in the Burgenland district of Mattersburg.
Further reading on BurgenlandA presentation, with many more details of the stamps of this period.
A lengthy diatribe, setting forth the Magyar view of the events.
©APS. Last updated 12 April 2025