Austria – Hungary (1916) International Parcel / Wieselburg to Smyrna (Ottoman Empire)

Description

Austria-Hungary – 1916 – International Parcel Dispatch Bulletin – Wieselburg to Smyrna

Official Austro-Hungarian parcel dispatch bulletin for a 5 kg parcel sent from Wieselburg to Smyrna during the First World War, retaining Austrian and Ottoman postal markings together with the recipient’s acknowledgement of receipt.

Overview

Official Austro-Hungarian Parcel Dispatch Bulletin (Bulletin d’expedition) issued at Wieselburg an der Erlauf on 13 May 1916 for an international parcel addressed to Athanassoula Freres, Smyrna, Ottoman Empire. The document preserves the complete postal procedure from dispatch in Austria-Hungary to receipt in the Ottoman Empire, including Austrian franking, transit and destination markings, an Ottoman postal adhesive and a manuscript acknowledgement written in Ottoman Turkish (Arabic script).

Technical Details

• Country of Origin: Austria-Hungary
• Date of Dispatch: 13 May 1916
• Origin: Wieselburg an der Erlauf
• Destination: Smyrna, Ottoman Empire (present-day Izmir, Turkiye)
• Document Type: International Parcel Dispatch Bulletin
• Parcel Weight: 5 kg
• Consignee: Athanassoula Freres
• Sender: Bruder Mahler, Wieselburg
• Postal Administration: Imperial Royal Austrian Post
• Postal Route: International Parcel Post

Philatelic Description

Official multilingual parcel dispatch bulletin used by the Imperial Royal Austrian Post for the transmission of international parcels. The form bears the printed 10 Heller indicium together with additional Austrian adhesives paying the applicable parcel postage. The document was cancelled at Wieselburg an der Erlauf on 13 May 1916 and addressed to Athanassoula Freres at Smyrna, Ottoman Empire. The reverse retains an Ottoman 1 Piaster postal adhesive cancelled upon receipt, together with Ottoman postal markings and a contemporary manuscript acknowledgement written in Ottoman Turkish using Arabic script and Eastern Arabic numerals.

Postal History

This document records the complete postal handling of an international parcel dispatched from Austria-Hungary to the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. Following acceptance at Wieselburg, the parcel entered the international postal network linking the allied Central Powers before reaching Smyrna, where receipt was formally acknowledged. Unlike most surviving parcel dispatch bulletins, this example preserves both the Austrian dispatch documentation and the Ottoman receipt section, recording the successful completion of the postal transaction.

Historical Background

International parcel dispatch bulletins accompanied parcels throughout their postal journey and served as official administrative records of acceptance, transport and delivery. Commercial correspondence between Central Europe and the eastern Mediterranean remained an important component of international trade, and these forms document the procedures applied to overseas parcel traffic during the early twentieth century.

Wartime Context

This parcel dispatch bulletin was issued on 13 May 1916, during the First World War, when Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire were allied members of the Central Powers. Despite wartime conditions, postal communication between the two allied states continued through established international routes. Documents preserving both dispatch and acknowledged receipt provide valuable evidence of the operation of international parcel post under wartime administration.

Condition

• Well preserved complete parcel dispatch bulletin.
• Original printed form retained in full.
• Austrian franking complete.
• Dispatch and transit postal markings present.
• Ottoman 1 Piaster adhesive retained on the receipt section.
• Contemporary manuscript acknowledgement in Ottoman Turkish preserved.
• Minor handling and filing wear consistent with postal and administrative use.

Collecting Areas

• Austria-Hungary
• Ottoman Empire
• First World War Postal History
• International Parcel Post
• Parcel Dispatch Bulletins
• Postal Forms
• Ottoman Postal History
• Smyrna (Izmir)
• Austrian Postal History
• Commercial Mail

Philatelic Significance

This document preserves the complete administrative record of an international parcel transmitted between Austria-Hungary and the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. Its significance lies not only in the Austrian parcel dispatch bulletin itself but also in the survival of the Ottoman receipt section, incorporating an Ottoman postal adhesive, destination postal markings and a manuscript acknowledgement in Ottoman Turkish. The combination of dispatch, international transmission and documented receipt provides a comprehensive record of the operation of the international parcel post service between two allied postal administrations during wartime, making the document particularly suitable for specialised collections of Austrian, Ottoman and First World War postal history.