Slesvig Plebiscit 1920: C.I.S. stamps and postmarks

Since I started collecting philately from the 1920 Reunion period (Genforeningen), I have been surprised how much variation there is in this small area, consisting of only 3 x 14 stamps and only a six-month validity period for the Plebiscit stamps.

The Slesvig Plebiscit-issues come in four series:

- Plebiscites with German values

- Plebiscites with Danish values and "1. Zone" overprint

- Official stamps (Dienstmarken) used by the commission, with "C.I.S." overprint

- Unperforated plebiscites with MAK overprint. Only a few unused sheets were marked MAK for destruction (makulering), while most unused sheets stayed in the market without the MAK overprint. Also, a large part of the unused sheets were burned in a garden, after the commission had finally concluded their task and transferred power to Denmark in Zone 1.

Set of unused C.I.S. overprints

One of the reasons for the large variety is, that the CIS-commission, to a large extent sold stamps and also used stamps to document payment for various charges - it is estimated, that around 50% of the commission's income was related to stamps. In this connection, it should be noted, that a large part of the income, originated from stamp sales to philatelists - which means, that today there exist an abundance of philatelisticly provoked usages of the plebiscites (especially many from the two voting days 10.2.20 and 14.3.20).

Philatelisticly provoked usage of the 40pf C.I.S-overprinted issue. I am reluctant to include philatelistic cancellations in my collection. However, below cover (and a very few similar), is the only access I know to the “Secretaire General” strike on the left.

As a result of the Versailles treaty, it was decided that two referendums (Plebiscites) were to be held in the northern part of Slesvig to determine the nationality of the region. The referendums were in held in Zone 1 (Sønderjylland) and Zone 2 which was an area in a belt immediately south of the current border including Flensburg. A planned referendum, further south in Zone 3 was cancelled.

In order to govern the referendums, an international commission was seated in hotel Flensburger Hof, Flensburg. The Commission Internationale de Surveillance du Plebiscite Slesvig (CIS) also governed the mail service in the referendum period.

The members of the commission were:

Oscar von Sydow (Sweden)

Thomas Heftye (Norway)

Paul Claudel (France)

Sir Charles Marling (UK), commission president.

Charles Brudenell-Bruce (UK) was the General Secretary of the commission.

It was planned that USA should also be represented with a member in the commission, but that seat was never taken, as USA never ratified the Versailles treaty.

Cover sent to commission member Oscar von Sydow (Sweden, Swedish Primeminister 1921).Except Brudenell-Bruce, the commission left Flensburg in April 1920, when the elections were completed. The General Secretary stayed until summer 1920, along with all the administrative staff in the C.I.S. HQ in Flensburger Hof.

Only 17 of the red 10 Mark-issue was ever used. I assume most, if not all, were used on similar foreign REC letters to commission members. It is notable, that the CIS-issues were only available for use by the entire C.I.S.staff until beginning of February, thus below letter is sent from the General Secreatary’s office,

The C.I.S. commission’s constitution was to Danish advantage, as the Norweigian member was considered Danish friendly and the French member was outspokenly hostile towards Germany.

The consequence was, that one of the commission’s first actions, was to replace the German top officials in Flensburg, Tønder, Haderslev, Aabenraa and Sønderborg with Danish “Landråd” (later “Amtmænd”).

Covers from C.I.S. to Danish Landråd. Covers like these, sent to Landråd, police, army and other people from the administration, is the largest source of genuinely used C.I.S.-stamps.

As the C.I.S. administration was seated in Hotel Flensburger Hof, almost all C.I.S. stamps are cancelled in Flensburg. However around 50 stamps are known to be cancelled in Bov. I have confirmed, that at least 10 of these 50 are philatelisticly provoked usages, and this number is likely higher.

The known genuine uses originates from May 26^th, where a batch of documents had to be signed by Secretary General Brudenell-Bruce, who was out of office in Flensburg and resided in Kollund on the Danish side of the border. The documents were posted with postmark from Bov in violet ink color.

C.I.S.-stamps cancelled with violet ink in Bov on May 26^t,h, 1920.

Apart from managing the two referendums, the C.I.S. commission was also the governing body in Slesvig in the first half of 1920, and was in charge of administrative tasks such as issuing passports and driver’s licenses. This was all handled by the staff on Flensburger Hof.

Stamps used to document payment for issuing a driver’s license (3 kroner.). As the fee is paid in Danish Kroner, the payment has taken place in Denmark, likely at the police station in Haderslev. Then the document was sent to the commission in Flensburg, who approved and issued the license. Notice also the neatly written “Flensburg”.

Payment for issuing two passports. The normal fee was 4 kr, which was first written, but corrected to 8 kr. The Plebiscit stamps with Danish currency were not released until May, so until then, there were situations, where the staff had to make handwritten provisional stamps, by changing the value from Mark to Kroner.

Visa document, issued at Slesvig’s northen border, Frøup, allowing for stay in Slesvig for one week. The fee for a visa was 1 kr or 5 Mark. The stamp is notably cancelled with the signature of the border official.