Neutral-Moresnet

Mail traffic in Neutral Moresnet

Although there never was a real post office in the neutral territory, the inhabitants were, obviously, not cut off from the mail. As in most cases the inhabitants of the neutral territory could have it both ways. During the neutral territory’s existence the Prussian as well as the Belgian postal service, simultaneously but separately, took care of the mail. If a letter went to Prussia, the letter was sent through the Prussian mail with a Prussian stamp and if it went to Belgium the Belgian mail was used and a Belgian stamp. In both cases the internal rates were applicable. For mail to all other countries the cheapest service was chosen.
The nearest post-office in Hendrik Kapelle took care of the mail in Belgian Moresnet and was also authorised to deliver mail in the neutral territory. The nearest Prussian office in Herbesthal delivered the mail in Prussian Moresnet and also took care of the neutral territory. Both offices had their own mailman who delivered mail in the neutral territory and who emptied the mailboxes. Later the Vieille Montagne arranged for a German office to be opened in Prussian Moresnet. As usual this office was accommodated in a building of the Vieille Montagne.

Kelmiser Verkehrs Anstalt

A remarkable detail in the postal history of Neutral Moresnet was the emission of a series of stamps for mail within the neutral territory by the Kelmiser Verkehrs Anstalt. This was an idea of Dr. Molly and Messrs. Beaufays and Crickboom. It is likely that this emission was an imitation of the various local postal services in Prussia. There were 8 stamps, i.e. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20 and 50 pfennig.
When hearing about the emission the mayor immediately contacted the two commissioners. French law was still in force and under that law the mail service was a state monopoly. Therefore the commissioners forbid the emission and the stamps were declared forbidden on 19^th October 1886. The Belgian nor the Prussian mail ever recognised the stamps issued by the Kelmiser Verkehrs Anstalt.

After 2 weeks the stamps were "Ausser Cours gesetzt".

Post office in the neutral territory

How to recognise postal items

How can it be seen if a postal item has ever been sent to or from Neutral Moresnet? Because Neutral Moresnet did not have its own post office it is difficult to recognise such old postal items. As mentioned before, the mail was delivered by a Prussian or Belgian postal service. So there is no stamp from a specific post office available as proof of this. Mail from and to Neutral Moresnet can only be recognised by the following 3 points:

a) the sender's address
b) the addressee's address
c) presence of an official municipal stamp

Mail from Hamburg to Neutral Moresnet

If a postal item has a municipal stamp (very rare) it is sure that it comes from the neutral area. For items a. and b. it can be said that the mention of Neutral Moresnet, N. Moresnet or Altenberg is enough proof. If the address only shows Moresnet or Prussian Moresnet, the name of the street can be decisive. For the sake of completeness all street names in Neutral Moresnet are mentioned hereafter.

April Fool's Joke

One story from the postal history must not go unrecorded. It is about the Belgian Jean Baptiste Moens, who may be called the first stamp dealer in the world. In his magazine J.P. Moens always scored points off his colleagues with the latest news facts about stamps. However, it irritated him that in particular his Parisian colleague Mahé always indiscriminately copied his articles without mentioning the source. In 1867 Moens decided to play a dirty trick on him. In the April edition of "Le Timbre-Poste" Moens had a letter printed, addressed to himself. In this letter Mr. Decrackt, director of the Postal Services in Moresnet - a republic situated between Prussia, Belgium and Holland - told him that a series of 4 stamps for letters will be issued, i.e. stamps of 10c. and 20c. for Belgium and 12½c. and 25c for Prussia. They would have been printed by Messrs. De Visch and Livra in Brussels. The letter was signed by J.S. Néom. As Moens expected, an article appeared in "Le Timbrophile", obviously without mentioning the source. Once again proof that everything was copied discriminately, because, when critically reading the letter, it could have been discovered that this was an April fool's joke. Because Decrackt should be read as "de Craque" (boaster, liar) and De Visch as the Flemish word for "poisson" (fish). Livra read backwards is "Avril" (April). Together they form the expression "poisson d'Avril" which is French for April fool's joke. From the signature one can easily read Moens.

Picture of the fantasy stamp devised by Moens to fool his colleagues.