Auslandsbriefprüfstelle
Censorship Offices
Auslandsbriefprüfstelle (ABP)
Censorship Offices
Index of ABPs with information on hand stamps, machine stamps, pass-through stamps, closures etc.
Germany
(4th Sept.1939 - Aug.1944, then to Exin in Wartheland, ending Jan.1945)
Estonia, Latvia & Lithuania 1939-1941 - 'durch deutsche Feldpost' Luftgaupostamtes Königsberg 05.1943+ - Postal areas 4, 5a, 5b, 5c, 6, 7b & 8 to German prisoners of war to July 1944+
'b' - Berlin
(Sept. 1939+)
BD1.5/47 - see 29.06.1943 - 23/28
Afghanistan to Sept.1941 - China to Jan.1942 - Denmark (from Berlin only) Feb.1940+ - Iceland and Faroe Islands to May 1940 - Finland - Iran to Sept.1941 - Japan to Jan.1942 - Norway (from Berlin only) See 17.05.1943 - 25/17 (Norway - Portugal - Scotland) - Philippines - Russia to June 1941 - Sweden - Ukraine mid-1941 to early 1944 - Dutch-India (via Serbia-Japan) to May 1940 - USA, Canada (via Serbia-Japan) to 19th Nov.1941 (other routes to 11th Dec.1941) - Mid-America (via Serbia-Japan) to 19th Nov.1941 - South America (via Serbia-Japan) to 19th Nov.1941 (Chile to Jan.1943, Argentina to Feb.1944) - Paid for Feldpost via air from Berlin, Breslau & Posen - German prisoners of war and internees (March 1941+, from July 1944 only incoming POW mail (to Nov.1944) - Feldpost from the Spanish Legion - Spain/Portugal to Switzerland, and Great Britain to Switzerland.
(18th Nov.1939+)
Belgium, Netherlands to 30th Sept.1940 - Luxemburg to 30th Sept 1940 (afterwards only from Luxemburg to and from neutral countries) - Ireland and Liberia to May 1940 - from occupied France to Germany Nov.1940+ - between occupied France and Belgium & Netherlands mid 1940 to July 1943 - German prisoners of war Aug.1940 - March 1941 - Paid for Feldpost air district post office Brussels May 1943+ - German post offices in the Netherlands - German soldier feldpost in Belgium, Netherlands and occupied France to April 1944.
With more notes in Landsmann.
'd' - Munich
(late 1939+ - Munich was occupied by the Americans on 30th April 1945)
To and from - Albania to Sept.1943 - Andorra - Ireland March 1941+ - Italy and colonies - Dutch India (except via Serbia-Japan) - Portugal - San Marino - Saudi-Arabia to June 1940 - Switzerland April 1943+ (formerly ABP Frankfurt) - Spain and colonies - South America air mail via Condor/LATI (Linee Aeree Transcontinentali Italiane) to Nov.1941 - Thailand to Jan.1942 - Vatican.
'e' - Frankfurt
(Nov.1939+)
Switzerland and Liechtenstein to March 1943 - Germany to occupied France Nov.1940+ - Occupied France to neutral countries (if allowed) - Unoccupied France March 1942+ - USA and Canada (except via Siberia-Japan) to Dec.1941 - Middle America (except via Siberia-Japan) to Dec.1941 - South America (not Argentina or Chile) except via Serbia-Japan to Dec.1941.
'f' - Hamburg
(Feb.1940 - Apr.1945)
From and to Norway and Denmark (except air mail and post from the Berlin postal area) - Transit post from Italy, Belgium, Netherlands from and to Denmark and partly Norway - Mail between Denmark and Scandinavia (May-July 1940) - Feldpost with postage paid from the area of air district post office Hamburg to Germany May 1943+ - Postal areas 3, 15, 16, 19, 20, 21, 23 & 24 to German prisoners of war July 1944+
(1st Dec.1939 - Vienna was occupied by the Russians on 7th Apr.1945)
GPM1.3/237 - see 08.05.1941 - 25/90
GV6.3/245 - see 26.06.1943
Bulgaria - Romania - Greece - Hungary - Yugoslavia - Slovakia - Serbia - Croatia - Turkey (with transit post from Italy, Vatican, France and Switzerland going to the aforementioned countries) - Some Italian prisoner of war mail from Egypt to Italy - Internee mail to Palestine and Egypt Oct.1940+ (later Berlin) - Internee mail to Iraq and British India Jan. - Mar.1941 - Feldpost with postage paid from the area of air district post office Vienna to Germany May 1943+ - Postal areas 7a, 9a, 10, 11a, 11b, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b, 14, 17a, 17b, 18 & 22 as well as from the areas of Deutsche Dienstpost Adria and Alpenvorland to German prisoners of war July 1944+
Occupied countries
'k' - Copenhagen
(
l. ABP Lyon
n. ABP Nancy
o. ABP Oslo
t. ABP Trondheim
y. ABP Bordeaux
'h' - Hof
(May 1944 - Hof was occupied by the American on 15th May 1945)
Following the increased bombing of Berlin and subsequent damage to the censor office, the Hof censor office was set up in May 1944, however, itmay have not seen use until later into 1944, sharing the responsibility with Berlin. This office processed incoming German POW mail (and some outgoing, i.e. to POWs held in foreign countries).
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