Austro-German Postal Union
On 18 October 1847 the representatives convened to the German Postal Conference in Dresden on a suggestion of Prussia and Austria.
Not until 6 April 1850, Prussia and Austria, slowed by political circumstances, closed a contract establishing a German–Austrian Postal Association in Berlin.
Due to these traffic-obstructing conditions the thought of establishing a uniform German postal system arose early.
The Bavarian suggestion appealed most, but it was believed that it could not cover the costs for the postal service, nor by the cheap use of the railroad.
Its unit should have been one Posttaler (postal thaler), equivalent to the 12th part of a Cologne mark fine silver[1] and divided into 100 Kreuzer.
After the political conditions initially had constrained the further accomplishment of this thought, Prussia and Austria resumed negotiations and closed a contract establishing a German–Austrian Postal Association on 6 April 1850 in Berlin.
The contract aimed at "die Feststellung gleichmäßiger Bestimmungen für die Taxierung und postalische Behandlung der Brief- und Fahrpost-Sendungen, sowie für die Regulierung der Transit-Verhältnisse nicht nur für die beiderseitigen Landesgebiete, sondern womöglich für das gesamte Deutsche Bundesgebiet" (the declaration of uniform regulations of the rating and postal treatment of letter and driven consignments, as well as of the regulation of the transit-relations not only for the mutual countries, but if possible for the whole German federal territory).
For letters, printed matters (Kreuzbandsendungen), test samples and examples, as well as postally delivered newspapers collective postage fees were levied in the association's (mutual) traffic.
The acquisition of the remuneration of the passing letter-post, which was entitled to the individual postal administrations, was especially regulated by the contract.
In article 7 of the contract the expression "Wechselverkehr der Postvereinsstaaten" (mutual traffic of the postal association's states) appeared for the first time.
Heinrich von Stephan wrote: Especially regarding the faster delivery and the simplification of postage, both in the association's region and in the transit of letters delivered through Germany.
For the rating of the driving post consignments border points were arranged, to and from which the calculation and acquisition of the postage mutually was performed.
All consignments, for which a higher postage was calculated due to the application of the weight-tariff, it should be charged: for each pound per every 5 miles ½ Kreuzer or 2 Silberpfennig or the respective value in the country's currency.
The postage acquisition is especially calculated regarding the above-mentioned tariff regulations for the delivery route of each individual administration.
The first conference took place in 1851 in Berlin where, on 5 December 1851, the revised Postal Association's contract was signed by Austria, Prussia, Bavaria, Sachsen, Hannover, Württemberg, Baden, Holstein, Luxemburg, Braunschweig, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, Mecklenburg-Strelitz, Oldenburg, Lübeck, Hamburg, and the Thurn und Taxis postal administration.
