FORERUNNERS

Austrian Post Offices

The Austrian Empire established a mail system in the Mediterranean  through the shipping company Österreichischer Lloyd. Lloyd postal agencies operated in Jaffa (1854), Haifa (1854), and Jerusalem (1852). These three offices later became the Austrian Imperial and Royal Post Offices: Jerusalem (March 1859), Jaffa and Haifa (1 February 1858). Collecting or forwarding agencies existed in Mea Shearim Jerusalem), Safed, and Tiberias. Safed and Tiberias were  only served by a private courrier arranged via the local Austrian consular agent. Nazareth and  Bethlehem  were never  served by the Austrians, such cachets found on postal material and their transport to Jerusalem was arranged purely privately.

In a number of Jewish settlements, local traders or officials served as auxiliary collection and deposit agents: Gedera, Hadera , Kastinie  (Ber Tuviya ), Petah Tiqva  , Rehovot , Rishon Le Zion, Yavne’el , and  Zichron Yaacov. By  special arrangement, as an inducement to use the Austrian service for foreign mail as well, the Austrian post transported letters and cards between these Jewish settlements free of charge. The use of local or JNF labels on such postal matter was totally without any need and is known on philatelic items only.

Postage stamps and postal history of Palestine  From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This page was last modified on 25 March 2017, at 14:49.


Shown in Figure 1 is the  Jewish  Weekly  Newspaper “HABAZELETH,” dated  27th  February  1874,  published  by Israel  Dov Frumkin. The newspaper is franked by the 2 soldi Austrian Levant stamp, paying the low newspaper rate.  The   stamp  is  canceled  by  the  Austrian circular “GERUSALEMME” postmark of the same date. Only two such items from the Austrian Post in The Holy Land  are recorded.

The Rare Newspaper Mail Stamp, The Israel Philatelist, April 2013, p. 50.

Postal Cards & Envelopes, Turkish Period Mail From The Holy Land, The Israel Philatelist, February 2011, p. 40.

Postal Cards & Envelopes, Turkish Period Mail From The Holy Land,  The Israel Philatelist, February 2011, p. 40.

Parcel Post & Parcel Card Usage Holy Land 1882 – 1954 – Part 2, The Israel Philatelist, Winter 2016, p. 16.

Parcel Post & Parcel Card Usage in the Holy Land 1882 – 1954 – Part 1, The Israel Philatelist, Spring 2015, p 31.