Austria in transition: 1918 - 1921

Local lssue of Knittelfeld, December 7-8, 1918.

The postage stamps of the old Monarchy were still in use after the overthrow of 1918, and so the District Committee of Public Welfare of Knittelfeld in Styria decided, on the initiative of the local soldiers council, to overprint these stamps "Republik / Deutsch / Oesterreich", thus drawing attention to the new Republic. The size of the overprint was 11 x 16.5mm and this helps to identify forgeries. The overprinted stamps were issued on December 7 and 8, 1918, at the office of the Public Welfare and also by the soldiers’ District Council for the POW camp of Knittelfeld. The latter used its own Kriegsgefangenenlager / Knittelfeld cancel. The two types of cancel are shown, dated 7.XII.18. Below them is a registered letter from Knittelfeld to Graz dated 8.XII.18.