The Sub-Carpathian Messenger

Transcription

The Sub-Carpathian Messenger
Newsletter of the Study Circle
for the Postal History of the Carpatho-Ukraine
Number 26 – June 2013
The Great Synagogue in Užhorod / Ungvár
The Sub-Carpathian Messenger – Number 26 (June 2013)
Page: 1
About us and the Newsletter
The Study Circle is a loose group of persons who are interested in the postal (and general) history
of the area known as Kárpátalja in Hungarian, as Podkarpatská Rus during the First Czechoslovak
Republic, which had a short day of independence as Carpatho Ukraine, and later was integrated
into the Ukrainian SSR in the Soviet Union as the ‘Zakarpatskaja Oblast’. Since 1991 it is ЗАКАРПАТТЯ, the westernmost administrative district in the now independent Ukraine.
The Newsletter came out of a meeting of a few collectors during the PRAHA 2008, its first number
appeared in November 2008. In the last four years we have always produced five issues per year
but cannot keep this high level and cannot promise regular publication intervals as they depend
on the contributions we are receiving. As we can see from the numbers at the public web site,
this Newsletter is read by more than hundred people.
We congratulate our member Ing. Martin Jurkovič who has become official
Slovak philatelic expert for the Carpatho Ukraine (and also Ing. Peter Csicsay
who now is expert for Austro-Hungarian philately).
We send our best wishes and kind regards to the members of the Study
Circle.
Distribution method
All issues of the »Sub-Carpathian Messenger« can be browsed at and downloaded from the Internet address
http://www.slideshare.net/subcarpathian
For those who have no Internet access and/or no e-mail, the distribution method is still the same:
you will receive a colour print-out by air/surface mail as you did in the past.
Everybody can freely access the uploaded numbers of the Newsletter but the notification service
for new numbers (including an easy download web datalink) will be limited to the members of the
Study Circle. So joining us still has some advantage.
Rules and Regulations
All articles in the Newsletter carrying the name of an author are the sole responsibility of this
author and should not be taken to represent the common opinion of the Study Circle. Such
articles are, if not marked otherwise, copyrighted by the respective author. Free use within the
Study Circle is granted. We thank our authors for their much appreciated work and contribution.
Participation in the Study Circle is not bound to a formal membership and does not include the
duty to pay a membership fee. There is a moral obligation to support the Newsletter from time
to time by sending some article, some interesting piece of information, some question, some
answer or whatever.
We will “print” everything even only loosely connected with our subject of interest so any contribution is certainly welcome. Please send it (as Word 2003 or 2007 document, graphical elements
in JPEG, 300 dpi) to our editor’s e-mail address ([email protected]). His postal address, if you would
need it, is:
Dr. Helmut Kobelbauer, Untergrossau 81, A-8261 Sinabelkirchen, Austria / Europe
Page: 2
Helmut Kobelbauer
Auction News
The major event was, of course, the sale of Tønnes Ore’s Carpatho Ukraine collection as special
part II of the 39th Burda auction (April 21st, 2013) in Praha. There was also a beautiful, carefully
prepared auction catalogue:
With the exception of a few “top pieces”, the calls were rather moderate. One can clearly see
that even an exhibit that was rewarded with an International Gold Medal – Jakarta (Indonesia) in
2012 – usually holds some material that fits into a small burse.
This special auction was also interesting for the particular reason that one could gather actual
market prices for single items of postal history in the European theatre (whereas, e. g., the sale
of Jan Verleg’s spectacular collection was wholesale). It is for this reason that your editor has
decided to reproduce all achieved results in the following table. The lot numbers, of course, refer
to the special auction catalogue as pictured above. You can also try www.burda-auction.com.
Page: 3
The calls and results quoted are in CZK where approx. 1000 CZK ≈ 39 EUR. The results are without
buyer’s premium (of 17 per cent) and without handling and shipping fees.
Lot
1653
1654
1655
1656
1657
1658
1659
1660
1661
1662
1663
1664
1665
1666
1667
1668
1669
1670
1671
1672
1673
1674
1675
1676
1677
1678
1679
1680
1681
1682
1683
1684
1685
1686
1687
1688
1689
1690
1691
1692
1693
1694
1695
1696
1697
1698
1699
1700
1701
1702
Call
1000
1600
1000
1000
1000
700
600
1500
700
1600
700
900
2000
2000
1500
1000
1000
1000
600
1600
700
1000
1200
1000
1200
1000
1600
600
1000
1800
500
700
700
800
1500
1000
900
3000
5000
2000
5000
13.000
13.000
10.000
30.000
2000
12.000
10.000
1300
1000
Result
--2600
1300
--1500
1400
--5000
--5500
1100
900
2000
--3000
1000
1000
--800
2000
700
1100
--1300
--1500
--600
1100
--650
750
750
1300
1500
1000
900
3200
13.500
4600
5000
16.000
14.000
58.000
33.000
34.000
--12.000
5500
1400
Lot
1742
1743
1744
1745
1746
1747
1748
1749
1750
1751
1752
1753
1754
1755
1756
1757
1758
1759
1760
1761
1762
1763
1764
1765
1766
1767
1768
1769
1770
1771
1772
1773
1774
1775
1776
1777
1778
1779
1780
1781
1782
1783
1784
1785
1786
1787
1788
1789
1790
1791
Call
1000
4000
3000
3000
1000
1000
900
1000
500
20.000
1000
2000
1000
3000
9000
5000
1000
1500
4000
800
7000
1000
3000
600
2000
1300
1000
800
2000
400
1000
1200
500
500
500
1000
500
300
1500
500
400
500
1000
900
600
1200
500
500
1800
700
Result
1100
5500
--4000
7500
5500
1600
--550
36.000
1200
--3400
------1400
1500
7500
850
--1100
--850
----1000
800
------1300
850
2400
500
4400
950
500
----600
850
1000
1100
650
----1000
--700
Lot
1831
1832
1833
1834
1835
1836
1837
1838
1839
1840
1841
1842
1843
1844
1845
1846
1847
1848
1849
1850
1851
1852
1853
1854
1855
1856
1857
1858
1859
1860
1861
1862
1863
1864
1865
1866
1867
1868
1869
1870
1871
1872
1873
1874
1875
1876
1877
1878
1879
1880
Call
700
2000
1000
1000
1000
1500
1500
900
1000
1000
2000
1000
2000
1000
1400
1800
2000
1500
1300
600
1500
2000
2000
800
1000
1000
1300
6000
2000
1000
1000
10.000
10.000
6000
4000
20.000
8000
3000
1000
500
500
900
1000
2000
2000
15.000
10.000
600
9000
3000
Result
1200
3400
--2200
1300
----900
1400
1100
4200
1600
4600
1100
--------2200
600
--3600
4200
950
1000
7500
3800
8500
2000
1600
5000
15.500
10.500
6000
4600
20.000
15.000
8500
1200
550
550
1000
1900
4600
2000
29.000
15.500
700
33.000
10.500
Page: 4
1703
1704
1705
1706
1707
1708
1709
1710
1711
1712
1713
1714
1715
1716
1717
1718
1719
1720
1721
1722
1723
1724
1725
1726
1727
1728
1729
1730
1731
1732
1733
1734
1735
1736
1737
1738
1739
1740
1741
800
7000
800
6000
1800
2000
5000
1000
2000
4000
1000
1000
3000
800
1700
1000
15.000
2000
4000
2000
3000
7000
1500
1500
4000
4000
1500
1000
1600
1000
1000
1000
900
4000
1600
600
1500
1000
2000
1700
16.000
3000
31.000
--2000
42.000
6500
2800
4200
1700
1100
4200
900
2600
11.500
18.000
2400
4000
16.000
16.000
13.500
1500
1500
6000
23.000
7000
2200
10.000
2200
11.500
--3000
12.000
2800
950
4000
6500
11.000
1792
1793
1794
1795
1796
1797
1798
1799
1800
1801
1802
1803
1804
1805
1806
1807
1808
1809
1810
1811
1812
1813
1814
1815
1816
1817
1818
1819
1820
1821
1822
1823
1824
1825
1826
1827
1828
1829
1830
800
400
400
1000
300
1500
2000
900
500
2000
600
400
600
1000
1000
2000
3000
3000
900
600
2000
1000
7000
700
500
1000
1000
1300
10.000
1500
400
2000
1300
400
600
1000
2000
500
500
850
------1700
3400
------2600
--450
----------4200
950
--2000
1600
7500
1000
1100
1300
1200
1300
--32.000
500
--2600
450
----3600
-----
1881
1882
1883
1884
1885
1886
1887
1888
1889
1890
1891
1892
1893
1894
1895
1896
1897
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
1903
1904
1905
1906
1907
1908
1909
1910
1911
1912
1913
1914
1915
1916
1917
15.000
1000
1000
6000
2000
10.000
30.000
900
1000
3000
7000
500
10.000
7000
5000
2000
1000
5000
5000
4000
1000
3000
1600
2000
2000
3000
3000
500
900
5000
2000
16.000
1000
1000
1000
900
400
38.000
1000
1000
33.000
11.500
22.000
30.000
1500
----7000
--10.000
12.500
8500
2000
4200
8500
6000
6500
1000
5500
4400
4400
--9000
4200
5500
2600
8500
--25.000
1700
1900
2200
5000
2400
Sum
644.100
1,248.200
One can see from the achieved prices that covers (and even cut-outs) from the classical Austrian
and then Hungarian periods sold very well, and the same is true for non-philatelic material from
the 1944/1945 period. Not so well sold the items from the First Czechoslovak Republic and then
from the Day of Independence (March 15th, 1939).
The “rocket” of this auction was the one card from Chust during the so-called Romanian occupation (1920): it went from CZK 1500 to CZK 32.000, so – including all asides – nearly EUR 1.500. The
buyers have learnt their lesson quite well – maybe too well, because my own bid for this lot was
too conservative. My sincere congratulations to the new owner.
My personal favourite is lot 1733: A registered letter from the postal agency Őrhegyalja (near
Munkács) in 1916 to Lieboch (in Styria). It went from CZK 1000 to CZK 11.500, so nearly EUR 450. I
had given it to my friend Tønnes two years ago for about EUR 150, my own buying price (it came
from an Austrian auction). Nice business – for Tønnes’ family and for the auction house.
Page: 5
Helmut Kobelbauer
Otto Hornung (1920 to 2013) – A Life Passion for Philately
Otto with his second wife Chichi.
From the obituary in the »Philatelic Exporter«:
Otto Hornung passed away in hospital on January 8, 2013, aged 92. He had been admitted with pneumonia but,
due to complications, succumbed to heart failure.
He was an internationally known philatelist and philatelic journalist, and was secretary of the Philatelic Traders’ Society for 20 years. Twice he had to escape from his home country before settling in London in 1967.
Otto was born in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) on September 10, 1920, where he lived with his
family until March 1939, when the German army was approaching. He eluded the Germans and made his way to
Poland, hiding amongst mail bags on a train and with the help of a Polish postal worker. His father was rounded up
with other Jewish adult males in Ostrava and deported to Nisko near the Russian border. Although he escaped to
Lvov in Russia he disappeared after the Germans occupied Russia. Otto’s mother and sister escaped to Hungary
and survived the war.
In Poland, Otto volunteered for the Czechoslovak Legion after being turned down for the British navy by the British
consulate. When the Germans invaded Poland, once again he eluded them but he and his fellow legionnaires were
interned by the Russians. In March 1941 they were sent to join the Czech army in the Middle East and Tobruk. Two
years later he was sent on an officer training course and then, with his unit, boarded the Mauretania for Liverpool,
from where they were transferred to Colchester barracks.
In 1944, when the Czech army attacked the Germans at Dunkirk, Otto was severly wounded when a bullet passed
through his body narrowly missing his heart, which necessitated a long period of convalescence in England. It
wasn’t until the spring of 1945 when Second Lieutenant Hornung returned to active service with the Czech army in
Northern France, and then through Germany back to their homeland.
Second escape
Otto left the army in 1946 as a captain and eventually found a job with a press agency in Prague. He was later
sacked when the Russians discovered he had served alongside the British in the war, had family and a friend in the
West, and was Jewish. As intrepid and resourceful as ever, he soon found another job on a daily newspaper. His
command of eight languages, including English, German and Russian, enabled him to travel extensively in the
course of his profession, and to establish valuable contacts in England and North America.
Page: 6
He met and married Barbara in Palestine and they had two sons Thomas and Steven who were born in Prague. In
1967, when the situation in Prague was deteriorating, the family fled Prague abandoning nearly all their possessions and with just £100, and eventually settled in London.
In December 1967, the Hornung family was tried and sentenced in absentia by a Prague court for leaving the
country illegally. They were sentenced to several months’ imprisonment which, of course, they couldn’t serve, but in
May 1968 there was an amnesty and the sentences were quashed.
He was also stripped of his army rank, but in 1995 the Czech Republic not only reinstated his army rank but also
promoted him to Lieutenant-Colonel (retired), a title he was proud to display on his letterheads and business cards.
PTS
One of his many contacts was Hermann ‘Pat’ Herst who informed him that the position of secretary of the PTS was
vacant. He duly applied and was taken on as assistant to the chairman Ian Glassborow in 1967, pending his full
appointment as secretary of the PTS and Stampex in 1968.
In this role he flourished, combining his language and journalistic skills, philatelic knowledge, diplomacy, and affability, to represent the PTS, both in the UK and abroad, until his retirement in December 1988. One of his greatest
achievements was facilitating the participation of its members at overseas international exhibitions, especially
liaising with customs officials. His first mission was in 1967 to Mexiko with a group of dealers, but only after he had
been granted an emergency passport.
The PTS was not the first philatelic organisation he was involved with; in 1962 he had been a founder-member of
the International Association of Philatelic Journalists (AIJP) at the Praga ’62 exhibition and was its president from
1990 to 2003.
In December 1968, Otto became a monthly contributor to The Philatelic Exporter. His column ‘In My View’ appeared in every number until August 2007 when, because he was unable to get out and about as much as he liked, he
was finding it increasingly difficult to get enough copy to fill it. So, reluctantly, he decided to give up writing the
column.
The PE was by no means the only philatelic magazine he wrote for as many European and American publications
also carried his articles. In the mid-1960s he had written The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Stamp Collecting which
was published by the Czechoslovak state publishing house, Artia. This was later published by Hamlyn’s in four
languages – English, Danish, German, and Japanese, selling over 60,000 copies.
Roll and Rowland Hill
Otto started collecting stamps as a schoolboy, but often had to sell his collections in times of hardship. When he left
Prague in 1967 he found ways and means of ‘liberating’ his collection back to England. His philatelic interests
included Turkey, the Ottoman Empire, City Post of Istanbul, and postal history of Carpatho-Ukraine. He won several awards for his displays at international exhibitions and became a signatory to the Roll of Distinguished Philatelists in 1993. At the 2002 Rowland Hill Awards he was honoured for his Outstanding Contribution to stamps and
the world of philately.
Barbara died in February 1984. The following year he married Chiye, popularly known as Chichi, Otto’s pet name
for her, who accompanied him on almost all his travels. On her 50th birthday she says she was astounded when he
presented her with 50 red roses.
In July 2009, Otto appeared in an episode of the BBC television series Heir Hunters, which traces unclaimed legacies. As Otto’s case concerned the loss of his father’s life assurance policy during the war much time was devoted
to his and his family’s experiences during the 1930s and 1940s. The policy was traced and Otto duly received the
proceeds. Although the amount he received was not much, he said at the time that it was not about the money but
was the opportunity to tell his parents’ and sister’s stories.
The funeral took place on January 11 at the Jewish Cementary in Edgware. He is survived by Chichi, his two sons,
and four grandchildren.
Page: 7
Helmut Kobelbauer
A Letter from 1748 to St. Basil’s Monastery near Munkács
In one of the last Darabanth auctions I bought the following pre-stamp letter:
As can be deduced from the letter’s content (see next page), it was written October 22nd, 1748,
in Vienna, with a forwarding notice to be sent “Per Cassoviam” and “Munkacsini”, i. e., through
Kaschau/Kassa/Košice and then Munkács to St. Basil’s Monastery near Munkács.
As every experienced collector of Carpatho Ukrainian postal history knows, there is a gap between the “Schnörkelbriefe” and the pre-stamp letters of the late 18th century. Private letters
from that period are extremely rare – the only correspondance that one may occasionally find is
in administrative or church matters.
The above letter passed through Kaschau in 1748, so one year before a post office was established
there. It carries a hand-written fee remark of “4” (in red crayon) which means that the sender
had to pay 4 Kreuzer and the receiver paid the same (so-called half-porto system).
Page: 8
If you can decipher and translate this Latin text, you would be very welcome. (It is beyond my
capabilities.)
Since Tønnes’ passing away I fear that Jan Rompes and me are the only ones left who understand
what a wonderful find this letter is. If you have anything of that kind between – let’s say – 1711
(Peace of Szatmár) and 1786 (first post offices opened in Kárpátalja), please come forward.
Page: 9
Franz Hochleutner
Curious Letter from Saloniki to Ungvár
The following letter carries the (mysterious) handwritten remark “Shortly after the violent attack
on the post office”. We assume that the post office in Saloniki was attacked – but would somebody know more ?
Page: 10
Friedrich Laux
Zur Feldpost der Ukrainischen Legion im Verband der k.u.k. Armee
1914 – 1918
Reprint from the Circular of the „Arbeitsgemeinschaft österr. Feld- und Zensurpost 1914-1918”, nr. 28 (April
1992), pages 23 - 28, with kind permission. My additions always in [brackets].
The editor.
„Anfang August 1914 rief in Lemberg der “Bund zur Befreiung der Ukraine” dazu auf, ein ukrainisches Freiwilligenkorps zu bilden. Bis zum 1. September befand sich die Sammelstelle für die Freiwilligen in Lemberg, wurde
dann aber beim Vorrücken der Russen nach Stryj zurückverlegt. Hier legten am 3. September [1914] etwa 2500
ukrainische Legionäre den österreichischen Landwehr(Landsturm)-Eid ab. Von Stryj wurden sie nach Goronda
und Stabycziw (Nordungarn) abkommandiert, um hier den ersten Kader des ukrainischen Freiwilligenkorps zu
stellen.
Der „Bund zur Befreiung der Ukraine“ übersiedelte nach dem Fall von Lemberg nach Wien, um dort seine
politische Tätigkeit fortzusetzen. Hier wurde auch das „Ukrainische Damenhilfskomitee für verwundete Soldaten“
angesiedelt, dessen Post mit dem Eingangsstempel der Zentralen Leitung der Ukrainischen Legion versehen
wurde (Abb. 1).
Abb. 1 : Österr.-ung. Feldpostkarte aus der „K.u.k. Kriegsinvalidenschule / in Gross-Ullersdorf (Nordmähren)“
mit dem Langstempel „Militärpflege“, aufgegeben am 3. II. 17 (Ortsstempel) an das Ukrainische
Damenhilfskomitee für verwundete Soldaten in Wien. Eingangsstempel:
„Zentr.-Ltg. d. Ukr. Leg. / Eingang ….“ und weiterer Bearbeitungsstempel.
Im Laufe des Krieges bestand die Ukrainische Legion außer dem Kader und der Ausbildungstruppe aus zwei
Kampfbataillonen Infanterie und einer Schwadron Kavallerie. Mit der Organisation der Ukrainischen Legion, deren
beide Infanterie-Bataillons am 27. 3. 1915 zum 1. Ukrainischen Sitsch(ower)-Schützen-Regiment erweitert wurden,
betraute man den k.u.k. Oberst Ignaz Edler von Mollik. Die Truppe unterstand dem Militärkommando in Munkács,
wo anfangs auch die Ersatzabteilung des Regimentes lag.
Anfang Oktober 1914 rückten die ersten beiden Kompagnien des ukrainischen Freiwilligen-Korps aus Munkács
aus, um bei der Verteidigung der Karpathenpässe in den Winterschlachten 1914/15 eingesetzt zu werden. Das
1. Ukrainische Schützenregiment gehörte zur 130. Infanteriebrigade der k.u.k 55. Infanterie-Truppendivision (Generalmajor Fleischmann) des Korps Feldmarschalleutnant Hofmann. Dieses Korps war seit Anfang 1915 der
Deutschen Südarmee zugeteilt worden und verblieb dort bis 1917. Das Korps Hofmann und damit die Ukrainer
waren ebenso in die Abwehrkämpfe in den Karpathen und bei der Eroberung des Ostry (April 1915) beteiligt, wie in
Page: 11
die sich nach dem Durchbruch bei Tarnow-Gorlice entwickelnden Schlachten in den Südkarpathen bei Stryj, Halicz,
Dunajow, Burkanow an der Strypa und am Sereth (Mai – September 1915). Nach erfolgreichem Abschluß des
Feldzuges lag die Deutsche Südarmee und mit ihr das k.u.k. Korps Hofmann im Raum um Tarnopol.
Im Verlauf der Brussilow-Offensive (Juni/August 1916) mußte auch die Deutsche Südarmee in eine neue, feste
Stellung zurückgenommen werden. Das Korps Feldmarschalleutnant Hofmann (54. und 55. k.u.k. Infanterie-Division) war dann in die monatelangen schweren Abwehrkämpfe zwischen Halicz und Brzezany am Nordflügel der
Deutschen Südarmee eingesetzt. Das im März 1917 in österreichisch-ungarisches XXV. Korps umbenannte Korps
Feldmarschalleutnant Hofmann war in der Schlacht von Brzezany (Juni/Juli 1917) [engagiert] und trat nach geglücktem Durchbruch (19. Juli [1917]) zusammen mit der Deutschen Südarmee den Vormarsch zum Sereth und
zum Zbrucz an. Danach ging die 55. Infanterie-Division an die italienische Front ab (12. Isonzo-Schlacht), während
die ukrainische Legion an der Front in Ostgalizien verblieb.
Am 28. Februar 1918 rückten österr.-ung. Truppen in die Ukraine ein und längs der Eisenbahnlinie Podwoloczyska
– Zmerinka – Odessa vor, das am 12. März genommen wurde. Das k.u.k. XXV. Korps gehörte zur 2. Armee
(Feldmarschall Böhm-Ermolli), die ukrainische Legion zum Detachment Erzherzog Wilhelm von Habsburg. Nach
Abschluß der Kämpfe war dieses Detachment zusammen mit dem k.u.k. XVII. Korps als Besetzung im
Gouvernement Cherson (südliche Ukraine) eingesetzt.
Am 24. August 1918 erfolgte die Übergabe der 1. Ukrainischen Schützen-Division an die ukrainische Regierung.
*****************************
Die Postversorgung der Ukrainischen Legion erfolgte über die übergeordnete Infanterie-Division, meist der 55.
k.u.k. Infanterie-Division, die bis etwa Juni 1915 den Stempel des „K.u.K. FELDPOSTAMT 350“, danach den des
ungarischen Feldpostamtes „TABORI POSTAHIVATAL 649“ (Abb. 3) führte. Der bislang früheste Formationsstempel „K.K. ukrainisches Regiment No. 1“ stammt vom 9. VI. 1915 beim „K.u.K. FELDPOSTAMT 350“. Seit Ende
1915 tritt auch der Stempel des „K.u.K. FELDPOSTAMT 423“ auf, welcher der 54. k.u.k. Landsturm-InfanterieDivision zugeteilt war (Abb. 4), die ebenfalls zum Korps Feldmarschalleutnant Hofmann gehörte. 1917, nach dem
Abgang der 55. k.u.k. Infanterie-Division an die italienische Front war der ungarische Feldpoststempel „TABORI
POSTAHIVATAL 649“ der 155. Honved-Infanterie-Division zugeteilt, in deren Reihen nun offensichtlich die ukrainische Legion kämpfte, die, der nachfolgenden Aufstellung der Formationsstempel (Abb. 5) nach zu schließen,
inzwischen durch die Huzulen-Legion verstärkt worden war.
Abb. 3: Bildpostkarte vom 22. IV. 1917 nach Lemberg. Feldpoststempel „TABORI POSTAHIVATAL,
917 APR. 23, 649“ und Formationsstempel: „Ukrainische Legion“.
Page: 12
Abb. 4: Österr. Feldpostkarte vom 24. IV. 1917 nach Wien, aufgegeben beim
„K.u.K. FELDPOSTAMT 423, 24. IV. 17“. Die Karte trägt zwei Formationsstempel:
„K.u.k. Ukrainischer Kader“ und „K.u.k. 54. Inf. Divisionskommando“.
Die Ausbildungstruppen lagen im Hinterland, was die Stempel der verschiedenen Etappenpostämter (Abb. 2)
belegen.
Abb. 2: Bildpostkarte vom Standort des Etappenpostamtes „K.u.K. FELDPOSTAMT 182“ vom 12. 1. 1917
nach Lemberg. Rundstempel mit zentralem österreichischen Wappen und Umschrift:
„Ausbildungskader / des k.u.k. Ukr. Schützenregimentes Nr. 1“.
Der „Bund zur Befreiung der Ukraine“ verausgabte für die ukrainische Legion nicht nur vorgedruckte Feldpostkarten, sondern auch Soldatenmarken zu 2 Heller Nennwert.
Lit[eratur]
Arthur A. Arz, Zur Geschichte des großen Krieges 1914 – 1918 (Wien 1924) 244.
M. Schwarte (Hrsg.), Der große Krieg 1914 – 1918, Bd. V, Der österreichisch-ungarische Krieg (Leipzig-Berlin
1922).
Page: 13
Alfred Clement, Handbuch der Feld- und Militärpost in Österreich, Bd. II, die k.u.k. Feldpost während des ersten
Weltkrieges (Graz 1964).
Theophil Hornykiewicz, Ereignisse in der Ukraine 1914 – 1922, deren Bedeutung und historische Hintergründe
(Philadelphia 1967).“
Formationsstempel
1914
K.K. ukrainisches Regiment No. 1
K.k. Ukrainisches Schützen-Regiment Nr. 1
K.k. Ukrainisches Schützenregiment No. 1 / ERSATZKOMPAGNIE
ERSATZKOMPAGNIE / des k.k. Ukrainischen Schützenregiments
No. 1 / AUSBILDUNGSKADER
Ukrainische Legion k.k. ukrain. Schützenrgmt No. 1 Baon
Wappen / K.K. UKRAINISCHE LEGION / Regiment No. 1
Ukrainische Legion Regiment I. Baon … Komp …
Ukrainische Legion … Baon … Komp …
K.u.k. Ukrainischer Kader
Ukrainische Legion / I. Baons Kommando
Ukrainische Legion
Ausbildungskader / des k.k. Ukr. Schützenregiments Nr 1
Wappen / K.u.k. Huzulen Kompagnie / Ukrainische Legion
Ukrainische Legion / Legions Kommando
1915
1916
1917
1918
350
350
166
116
350
350
182
350
444/III
423
423
649
649
423
182
423
649
Abb. 5: Versuch einer Aufstellung der [dem] Verfasser bekannt gewordenen Formationsstempel der
ukrainischen Legion mit den Stempeln der zugehörenden k.u.k. Feldpostämter.
I hope and think it is not necessary to translate the complete text into English. The points concerning the Carpatho Ukraine are: In early September 1914 the Ukrainian Volunteers Corps (about
2500 persons) was moved from Stryj to Goronda (near Munkács). This Volunteer Corps consisted of
two bataillons of infantry and one squadron of cavallary. These forces on March 27th, 1915, were
expanded to build the “1st Ukrainian Sitch Riflemen Regiment” and were subordinated to the
Military Command in Munkács where also the Replacement Section was located. This regiment
was engaged in the winter battles of 1914/1915 on the Carpathian crest. Later, i. e., after the
breakthrough battles of Tarnow-Gorlice, it was located in the Tarnopol area as part of the “Korps
FML Hofmann” and was then involved into the occupation of the Ukraine, where the Ukrainian
Legion was part of the Detachment Archduke Wilhelm von Habsburg. On August 24th, 1918, the
Ukrainian Legion was handed over to the Ukrainian Government.
Archduke Wilhelm von Habsburg.
Page: 14
Helmut Kobelbauer
Heimkehr(er)lager – Repatriation Camps in 1918
It began with an „innocent“ find amongst field post cards from WWI some years ago:
Hungarian field post card, Rahó, October 23rd, 1918, to Judenburg.
With cachet “K. u. k. Heimkehrlager Nr. 704 | Rahó“ in violet.
As Rahó lies in the valley of the Upper Tisza, this is certainly a piece belonging to the postal
history of the Kárpátalja. Checking in Jan Verleg’s »Carpatho Ukraine« monograph, I did not find
anything providing me with more information. Jan eventually told me that the “Heimkehrlager”
illustration was the only thing he had not taken over from Béla Simády’s book »Kárpátalja Postatörténete« because he felt he did not know enough about and had no such piece himself.
From Béla Simády’s book »Kárpátalja Postatörténete«, page 48.
Page: 15
The basics can be told quite easily: In the Treaty of Brest-Litowsk (March 8th, 1918) between the
Central Powers, i. e., Germany, Austro-Hungary, Bulgaria and Turkey, and the Soviet Government, the Treaty that ended the Great War in the East, both parties agreed on an unconditional
exchange of their respective Prisoners of War. The same clause had also been included in the
similar Treaty between the Central Powers and the Ukrainian Rada (of February 1918).
For various causes this exchange began to take place in an organized way only some months later.
One reason was that the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was reluctant to release the many Czarist
prisoners of war that were working in the Hinterland and were obviously indispensible to bring in
the crops. Another reason was probably that France and Great Britain put some pressure on the
Soviet leaders because each Austrian, German or Hungarian Prisoner of War sent back would
quickly become a fighting soldier on the Western or South Western Front again.
Oberst Max(imilian) Ronge in 1918 was the commander of the Evidenz-Bureau, the military secret
service of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In one of his books (»Kriegs- und Industrie-Spionage«,
Amalthea-Verlag, Zürich Leipzig Wien, 1930), written and published after the end of WWI, I found
some information on the Heimkehrlager organization:
„Eine gewisse Gefahr bedeuteten auch die auf dem Austauschwege [ab 1915] aus Rußland zurückkehrenden Kriegsgefangenen. Die in den russischen Gefangenenlagern betriebene staatsfeindliche Propaganda,
die so manchen Slawen zum Kriegsdienst gegen seine früheren Kameraden verleitete, mochte auch manchen Heimkehrer in ungünstigem Sinne beeinflußt haben. Außerdem war es für die Zukunft nötig, die sich in
Rußland hervortuenden Rädelsführer und Hochverräter kennenzulernen. Aus diesen Gründen war es notwendig, eine Art politischer Quarantäne einzuführen, wobei staatstreues vom staatsfeindlichen Element
gesondert und durch protokollarische Einvernahme Material zur Feststellung verräterischen Treibens in der
Gefangenschaft gewonnen werden sollte. Überdies wurde in Saßnitz, dem Eintrittsorte der über Schweden
rückgelangenden Heimkehrer in Deutschland, eine k. u. k. Kontrollstelle unter Leitung des Generalstabshauptmanns Franz Brandstetter und des Polizeikommissärs Georg Rotschek, der früher in der Nachrichtenabteilung des Armeeoberkommandos Dienst machte, errichtet.“
op. cit., p. 244
„Noch [i. e., Anfang 1918] war die Front vollkommen verläßlich, so daß die Flut aufwiegelnder Flugschriften,
vor denen uns bereits die russischen Offiziere bei den Verhandlungen [in Brest-Litowsk] gewarnt hatten,
eine geringe, leicht abzuwehrende Gefahr bedeutete. Anders war es mit den heimkehrenden Kriegsgefangenen und von Russen verschleppten Zivilpersonen. Die Propaganda unter den Kriegsgefangenen, um sie
zum Treubruch und gegen die Monarchie aufzuhetzen, hatte bereits, wie wir immer wieder erfuhren, ihre
Früchte getragen.
Der ganze militärische defensive Kundschaftsdienst mußte der Abwehr dieser Gefahren gewidmet werden.
Im allmählichen Ausbau wurde eine große Organisation zur Übernahme der Heimkehrer geschaffen; in vorderster Linie von Riga bis Konstantinopel vierundzwanzig Übernahmsstationen, wo die Zurückkehrenden
etwa einen Tag verblieben, um Spreu vom Weizen sondern zu können, dahinter dreiundfünfzig Heimkehrerlager, wo sie etwa fünfundzwanzig Tage einer sanitären und moralischen Quarantäne unterworfen worden.
Daß diese Aufenthalte die Heimkehrer, die zu ihren Angehörigen drängten, nicht besonders begeisterten,
daß die Unterkunft Mängel aufwies und die Verpflegung bei allgemeiner Knappheit zu wünschen übrig ließ,
erschwerte selbstverständlich die Aufgabe, bolschewistische Keime auszurotten, Disziplin und Liebe zum
Vaterland wieder zu erwecken, unendlich. Zur Ausforschung der Gefangenen bezüglich ihrer Gesinnung
und zur Gewinnung von Nachrichten bedurfte es einer Zahl von etwa 400 Kundschaftsoffizieren, die nicht
dem bereits überlasteten bestehenden Apparat entnommen werden konnten, sondern frisch geschult
werden mußten. Die Nachrichtenabteilung des Armeeoberkommandos hätte noch mindestens 1000 Agenten gebraucht, so unendlich war das Bedürfnis durch die Heimkehrerbewegung gewachsen, die vom Beginn
1918 bis 21. Oktober rund 4500 Offiziere und 660 000 Mann in die Monarchie brachte, wovon ungefähr
zehntausend als verdächtig oder bedenklich bezeichnet worden sein dürften.“
op. cit., p. 320 and 321
Page: 16
The return of 4500 officers and 660.000 soldiers to the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (where about
10.000 were classified as politically suspect) was directed through 24 transfer stations (Übernahmsstationen), where they spent one day, and a line of 53 repatriation camps (Heimkehrerlager), where they were kept for about 25 days in a sanitary and moral quarantine.
From the collection of Béla Simády: Two cards with “Heimkehrlager” cachets.
A long article by Oskar Schilling in the “Rundbrief” number 38 (September 1994) of the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft Österr. Feld- und Zensurpost 1914 – 1918” brought many details, amongst them a
list of “Heimkehrlager” subordinated to the Military Commands in Kassa and in Lemberg:
Number
701
702
703
704
705
706
707
708
709
710
711
712
713
714
Historical Name
Hungarian Name and County
Today in
Leordina
Karacsonyfalva
Vissovölgy
Raho
Tiszaborkut
Havasalja
Kosna
Dolina
Kolomea
Kolomea
Zablotow
Horodenka
Nepolokouz
Kotzmann
Leordina, Máramaros vm.
Tiszakarácsonyfalva, Máramaros vm.
Visóvölgy, Máramaros vm.
Rahó, Máramaros vm.
Tiszaborkút, Máramaros vm.
Havasalja, Bereg vm.
Romania
Romania
Romania
Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine
Table: List of Repatriation Camps with numbers “7xx”.
Those with numbers 707 to 714 were located in Galicia or Bukovina and may be ignored by us.
Page: 17
Map of Máramaros vm. – with locations of repatriation camps marked in red.
Although – according to the criteria of Dr. Simády – not all these locations belong to the Carpatho
Ukraine, I am showing items as far as they are available (all are rare, anyway). You may be more
selective – it is your choice.
Card, written July 21st, 1918, Leordina to Brünn.
With cachet “K. u. k. Heimkehrlager Nr. 701 | Leordina” in violet.
Page: 18
Registered letter, Visóvölgy, September 9th, 1918, to Vienna.
With cachet “K. u. k. Heimkehrlager Nr. 703 | Vissovölgy” in violet.
Letter, Rahó, September 19th, 1918, to Vienna. With cachet
“Liquidierender Rechnungsführer | des k. u. k. Heimkehrlagers 704 – Raho“ in violet.
Numbers 705 (Tiszaborkút) and 706 (Havasalja) were shown from the Simády collection. An
example of number 702 (Karácsonyfalva) is still missing – offers are very welcome.
We have shown a (very rare) picture of repatriation camp number 706 (Havasalja, near Körösmező) on page 32 of SCM #020.
Comments and questions are welcome (although I doubt that I shall receive any.)
Page: 19
Helmut Kobelbauer
Censored Registered Express Letter from Berehovo in 1921
Express letters from the Carpatho Ukraine are in general scarce. One such letter from Berehovo /
Beregszász from the year 1921 was offered on eBay as #2004·2034·8835 some time ago. This town
was called Beregsas from 1920 on and only in 1929 was renamed to Berehovo.
Registered express letter, Beregsas, December 21st, 1921, to Pusztaföldvár.
The fee for this letter consists of Kč 1.25 for the letter (abroad, not exceeding 20g), Kč 1.25 for
registration, and Kč 1.00 for urgent delivery, in sum Kč 3.50 as applied.
The political feelings between the First Czechoslovak Republic and the Horthy regime in Hungary
were not exactly cordial. Both sides kept up their censorship activities much longer than other
succession states of the Habsburg Monarchy. In this case the letter carries the “CENZUROVÁNO”
mark in red from the censorship office in Bratislava. Similar pieces with Hungarian censorship
marks can be found from 1922 and 1923, in singular instances even from 1924.
Since the postal history conference in Košice (May 3rd to 5th, 2013) has been cancelled due to
financial reasons, may this item stand for my now redundant presentation.
Page: 20
Helmut Kobelbauer
Justice for the People of Rákóczi
Many postcards exist which ask for political justice for Hungary between the two world wars. One
of them pictures Rákóczi Ferenc II, the leader of the second Hungarian uprising (1703 to 1711)
against the Catholic Habsburg dynasty.
His Kurucz soldier carries the flag with “Pro Libertate” (For Freedom), and in Hungarian, German,
Polish, and Russian the card asks for “Justice for the People of Rákóczi”. I find it ironical that the
Hungarians asked for a justice that they were obviously not ready to give to the minority peoples
in their own state.
Page: 21
Helmut Kobelbauer
Field Post of the Hungarian Forces in 1939
We have been informed that during the (re-)occupation of the so-called Zone 2 the Hungarian
forces active in this campaign did not have a field post service, but did have one during the very
short fight for Zone 3 against Slovakia.
This field post was active from March 25th, 1939, until end of April.
Picture postcard of Velký Berezný (Nagy Berezna), written March 26th, 1939,
to Baja, with provisional gum canceller “118” (assigned to Nagy Berezna).
The above card carries a hand-written remark “Tábori posta” (Field post) and seems to have been
from a soldier of the Hungarian forces. The card was not accepted as field post; the amount of
postage due was written down as “10 f[illé]r” – equal to the missing fee, not doubling it. On arrival in Baja a postage due stamp of 10f was applied and cancelled on March 30th, 1939.
Page: 22
Helmut Kobelbauer
USSR Stamp – 20 Years Union of Carpatho Ukraine and Soviet Ukraine
The following “stamp” was offered on eBay as a fake. It appears as an USSR stamp of 1965 with
face value of 4 kopeks, on thickish brown paper of cardboard type.
The Russian and Ukrainian (!) text evokes “20 years of the re-union of the Carpatho Ukraine with
the Soviet Ukraine”. (The famous “re-union” was nothing but a dirty propaganda trick – since the
Kievan Rus, which may have or may not have included the Subcarpathian area in its utmost Southwest, there never was a Ukrainian state that had administrative powers in the Carpatho Ukraine.
The NRZU – the National Council of the Carpatho Ukraine in 1944 and 1945 – was created on the
initiative of Soviet politicians then in the region and was supported and protected by the Soviet
troops. It was the main tool of Stalin to get rid of Czechoslovak sovereignity in this area, quite
important to him and his generals from a military perspective. If you don’t believe me, read the
account of Frantíšek Nemec who was sent as official envoy of president Beneš to Khust; only to
find out that he and his company was not wanted there. The Soviet general in power restricted
them to Khust and did not let them go to Berehovo or Užhorod or Mukachevo – only for their
personal safety, of course. At the same time, the NRZU had free travel and the financial means to
organize a “National Appeal” to the Greatest Leader of All Times to let them become part of his
wonderful Fatherland.)
Can any of our esteemed readers throw light on this stamp-like thing and its origin and aim?
Page: 23
Helmut Kobelbauer
Twenty Years Ago …
In 1993, Andrew Cronin in his role as editor of the »YAMSHCHIK – The Post-Rider«, the famous magazine of the CSRP (Canadian Society for Russian Philately), wrote about the passing away of two
prominent researcher-collectors of Carpatho Ukraine. We here reproduce his article and rekindle
our memory of them (and him).
»ЯМЩИК – The Post-Rider« No. 32 (July 1993), page 18.
It is not true that Miroslav Blaha’s collection was donated to the Postal Museum in Prague. Its
destiny was unclear for nearly 15 years (and a lot of more or less silly rumours went around); then
a substantial part of it came up in a Czech auction in 2008 and is now (as far as we know) part of
Jiří Majer’s collection, alongside with Jan Verleg’s spectacular material.
Dr. Simády’s excellent collection has been preserved (nearly) intact. In 1995 it was privately sold
to an Austrian collector; it still is in Austria, although now in other hands, that of your editor. Its
main strength is in the postal items from the Č. S. P. provisional and then NRZU period in 1944
and 1945. Also far more than half of what is documented from the so-called Romanian occupation
(April 1919 to August 1920) was always in this collection (and has even become more during the
last years ☺).
It was with the knowledge that I could always show and describe pieces from the Simády collection that I – amongst other reasons – decided to become editor of the »Sub-Carpathian Messenger«. Until now this was only occasionally necessary.
Page: 24

The Sub-Carpathian Messenger

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