Tsingtau
In November 1897, two German missionaries were murdered by a mob in Shantung Province, China. In response, German naval forces occupied the port city of Tsingtau, and the German government used the occupation to press the Chinese government for a long-term lease of the port and the surrounding area. In March 1898, Germany and China entered into a 99-year lease under which Germany would control both sides of the entrance to Kiautschou Bay, as well as the islands within. Around this leased territory would be a small neutral zone which would, in effect, also be under German control.
Tsingtau was the principle town of Kiautschou. The first postal station in Tsingtau was a Naval Feldpost Office which opened 26 January 1898 during the initial German invasion. The canceller for this station contained a misspelling — Tsintanfor instead of Tsintaufort — due to a printing error in the official records of the telegraph office.
The name used was corrected to Tsintau in March 1898, and then changed to Tsingtau in June 1900 to conform to the local pronunciation. A total of 13 official cancels were usind in Tsingtau between 1898 and 1914.Â
The Tsingtau Post Office closed on 6 November 1914, the day before the final German capitulation to Japanese forces.
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 12
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTANFORT MARINE-FELDPOST â—†1
Dates of Use:
-
26 January 1898 to 12 March 1898
Notes:
- Modified [Fr. 13 / ArGe TSINTANFORT â—†2] following the signing of the formal lease agreement, at which time the Marine-Feldpoststation was converted into a postal agency
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 13
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTANFORT â—†2
Dates of Use:
-
12 March 1898 to 15 May 1898
Notes:
-
Modified from Fr. 12 / ArGe TSINTANFORT MARINE-FELDPOST â—†1 following the signing of the formal lease agreement, at which time the Marine-Feldpoststation was converted into a postal agency
-
Replaced in May 1898 to correct spelling to Tsintau from misspelled Tsintan(fort)
Tsingtau Post Office, c. 1899
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 14
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTAU CHINA â—†3
Dates of Use:
-
16 May 1898 to 6 May 1899
Notes:
-
Introduced in May 1898 to correct spelling to Tsintau from misspelled Tsintan(fort)
-
Replaced in May 1899 when the territory became a protectorate, necessitating a change from CHINA to KIAUTSCHOU
?? September 1898
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 15
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTAU a CHINA â—†4
Dates of Use:
-
1 July 1898 to early May 1899
Notes:
-
Replaced in May 1899 when the territory became a protectorate, necessitating a change from CHINA to KIAUTSCHOU
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 16
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTAU KIAUTSCHOU â—†5
Dates of Use:
-
5 May 1899 to 23 December 1899
Notes:
-
Introduced in May 1899 when the territory became a protectorate, necessitating a change from CHINA to KIAUTSCHOU
-
Retired in December 1899 upon a change in spelling from Tsintau to Tsingtau
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 17
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTAU a KIAUTSCHOU â—†6
Dates of Use:
-
4 May 1899 to 5 January 1900
Notes:
-
Introduced in May 1899 when the territory became a protectorate, necessitating a change from CHINA to KIAUTSCHOU
-
Retired in January 1900 upon a change in spelling from Tsintau to Tsingtau
Tsingtau Post Office, c. 1904
29 March 1903
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 18
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU KIAUTSCHOU â—†7
Dates of Use:
-
19 December 1899 to 13 November 1905
Notes:
-
Introduced in December 1899 to reflect a change in spelling from Tsintau to Tsingtau
-
Also used on Feldpost during the Boxer Rebellion, 4 September 1900 to 31 August 1901
22 November 1905
26 April 1904
18 April 1908
23 ??? 1908
31 October 1912
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 19
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU â—†8
Dates of Use:
-
5 January 1900 to 21 August 1914
Notes:
-
Introduced in January 1900 to reflect a change in spelling from Tsintau to Tsingtau
-
Without year slug, 1901
-
Distinguished from TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU ◆10a by stem of first ‘T’ pointed at ‘O’ (◆8) versus at ‘U’ (◆10a)
-
Dates after 21 August 1914 are philatelic
-
Also used on Feldpost during the Boxer Rebellion, 4 September 1900 to 31 August 1901
23 November 1906
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 20
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU b KIAUTSCHOU â—†9
Dates of Use:
-
1 April 1901 to July 1914
Notes:
-
Provisional year date, 1901
-
Used at Tsingtau-Großer Hafen, 15 January 1910 t0 20 February 1910
-
Also used on Feldpost during the Boxer Rebellion, to 31 August 1901
5 December 1905
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 21
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU â—†10
Dates of Use:
-
1 April 1901
-
1 December 1905 to 3 January 1906
Notes:
-
Distinguished from TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU â—†8 by stem of first ‘T’ pointed at ‘U’ (â—†10a) versus ‘O’ (â—†8)Â
-
‘a’ removed (◆10a) in 1906 to avoid confusion with ◆8
-
Used as reserve canceller
-
Full sheets cancelled 20 December 1904 produced at behest of the Reichspost
Tsingtau Post Office, c. 1912
6 September 1906
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 22
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU KIAUTSCHOU â—†10b
Dates of Use:
-
3 February 1906 to 12 August 1914
Notes:
-
TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU ◆10a with ‘a’ removed to avoid confusion with TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU ◆8
?2 October 1907
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 23
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU c KIAUTSCHOU â—†11a
Dates of Use:
-
1 July 1906 to 3 October 1907
Notes:
-
Without hour
11 August 1912 (front)
11 August 1912 (rear)
18 May 1908
18 May 1908
?? June 1909
?? June 1909
?? December 1909
12 August 0?
?? ??? 1913
Unknown Date
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 24
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU c KIAUTSCHOU â—†11b
Dates of Use:
-
October 1907 to 4 November 1914
Notes:
-
With hour
-
Mail cancelled 6 November 1914 didn’t go through mail
Tsingtau
PO Information
Opened:Â 26 January 1898
Closed:Â 6 November 1914
In November 1897, two German missionaries were murdered by a mob in Shantung Province, China. In response, German naval forces occupied the port city of Tsingtau, and the German government used the occupation to press the Chinese government for a long-term lease of the port and the surrounding area. In March 1898, Germany and China entered into a 99-year lease under which Germany would control both sides of the entrance to Kiautschou Bay, as well as the islands within. Around this leased territory would be a small neutral zone which would, in effect, also be under German control.
Tsingtau was the principle town of Kiautschou. The first postal station in Tsingtau was a Naval Feldpost Office which opened 26 January 1898 during the initial German invasion. The canceller for this station contained a misspelling — Tsintanfor instead of Tsintaufort — due to a printing error in the official records of the telegraph office.
The name used was corrected to Tsintau in March 1898, and then changed to Tsingtau in June 1900 to conform to the local pronunciation. A total of 13 official cancels were usind in Tsingtau between 1898 and 1914.Â
The Tsingtau Post Office closed on 6 November 1914, the day before the final German capitulation to Japanese forces.
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 12
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTANFORT MARINE-FELDPOST â—†1
Dates of Use:
-
26 January 1898 to 12 March 1898
Notes:
- Modified [Fr. 13 / ArGe TSINTANFORT â—†2] following the signing of the formal lease agreement, at which time the Marine-Feldpoststation was converted into a postal agency
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 13
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTANFORT â—†2
Dates of Use:
-
12 March 1898 to 15 May 1898
Notes:
-
Modified from Fr. 12 / ArGe TSINTANFORT MARINE-FELDPOST â—†1 following the signing of the formal lease agreement, at which time the Marine-Feldpoststation was converted into a postal agency
-
Replaced in May 1898 to correct spelling to Tsintau from misspelled Tsintan(fort)
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 14
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTAU CHINA â—†3
Dates of Use:
-
16 May 1898 to 6 May 1899
Notes:
-
Introduced in May 1898 to correct spelling to Tsintau from misspelled Tsintan(fort)
-
Replaced in May 1899 when the territory became a protectorate, necessitating a change from CHINA to KIAUTSCHOU
?? September 1898
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 15
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTAU a CHINA â—†4
Dates of Use:
-
1 July 1898 to early May 1899
Notes:
-
Replaced in May 1899 when the territory became a protectorate, necessitating a change from CHINA to KIAUTSCHOU
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 16
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTAU KIAUTSCHOU â—†5
Dates of Use:
-
5 May 1899 to 23 December 1899
Notes:
-
Introduced in May 1899 when the territory became a protectorate, necessitating a change from CHINA to KIAUTSCHOU
-
Retired in December 1899 upon a change in spelling from Tsintau to Tsingtau
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 17
- ArGe Kolonien TSINTAU a KIAUTSCHOU â—†6
Dates of Use:
-
4 May 1899 to 5 January 1900
Notes:
-
Introduced in May 1899 when the territory became a protectorate, necessitating a change from CHINA to KIAUTSCHOU
-
Retired in January 1900 upon a change in spelling from Tsintau to Tsingtau
29 March 1903
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 18
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU KIAUTSCHOU â—†7
Dates of Use:
-
19 December 1899 to 13 November 1905
Notes:
-
Introduced in December 1899 to reflect a change in spelling from Tsintau to Tsingtau
-
Also used on Feldpost during the Boxer Rebellion, 4 September 1900 to 31 August 1901
22 November 1905
26 April 1904
18 April 1908
23 ??? 1908
31 October 1912
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 19
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU â—†8
Dates of Use:
-
5 January 1900 to 21 August 1914
Notes:
-
Introduced in January 1900 to reflect a change in spelling from Tsintau to Tsingtau
-
Without year slug, 1901
-
Distinguished from TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU ◆10a by stem of first ‘T’ pointed at ‘O’ (◆8) versus at ‘U’ (◆10a)
-
Dates after 21 August 1914 are philatelic
-
Also used on Feldpost during the Boxer Rebellion, 4 September 1900 to 31 August 1901
23 November 1906
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 20
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU b KIAUTSCHOU â—†9
Dates of Use:
-
1 April 1901 to July 1914
Notes:
-
Provisional year date, 1901
-
Used at Tsingtau-Großer Hafen, 15 January 1910 t0 20 February 1910
-
Also used on Feldpost during the Boxer Rebellion, to 31 August 1901
5 December 1905
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 21
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU â—†10
Dates of Use:
-
1 April 1901
-
1 December 1905 to 3 January 1906
Notes:
-
Distinguished from TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU ◆8 by stem of first ‘T’ pointed at ‘U’ (◆10a) versus ‘O’ (◆8)
-
‘a’ removed (◆10a) in 1906 to avoid confusion with ◆8
-
Used as reserve canceller
-
Full sheets cancelled 20 December 1904 produced at behest of the Reichspost
6 September 1906
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 22
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU KIAUTSCHOU â—†10b
Dates of Use:
-
3 February 1906 to 12 August 1914
Notes:
-
TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU ◆10a with ‘a’ removed to avoid confusion with TSINGTAU a KIAUTSCHOU ◆8
?2 October 1907
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 23
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU c KIAUTSCHOU â—†11a
Dates of Use:
-
1 July 1906 to 3 October 1907
Notes:
-
Without hour
11 August 1912 (front)
11 August 1912 (rear)
18 May 1908
18 May 1908
?? June 1909
?? June 1909
?? December 1909
12 August 0?
?? ??? 1913
Unknown Date
Postmark Information
Catalog:
- Friedemann 24
- ArGe Kolonien TSINGTAU c KIAUTSCHOU â—†11b
Dates of Use:
-
October 1907 to 4 November 1914
Notes:
-
With hour
-
Mail cancelled 6 November 1914 didn’t go through mail
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