On the postal history of Baden between 1872 and 1934: in 1811, the Grand Duchy of Baden took the postal system out of the hands of Thurn und Taxis and transferred it to state control. A postal directorate was created, which in 1814 was transformed into a regional postal directorate. In 1843, after the introduction of the railway, the "Direktion der Posten und Eisenbahnen" (Directorate of Posts and Railways) was created, which was renamed "Direktion der Großherzoglich Badischen Verkehrsanstalten" in 1854. In connection with his entry into the German Reich, Baden renounced his postal sovereignty. On January 1, 1872, the Baden Postal Correspondents were transferred to the Imperial Imperial Post Office, after the railway system, which had not been handed over, had been separated from the postal administration again (see Resistance Group 421). After 1872, the real estate assets of the Baden Post remained the property of the Baden State, but could be used by the Reichspost, which of course remained free to purchase new land and buildings for its own purposes. The Reichspostverwaltung set up two Oberpostdirektionen (OPD) in Baden as the central authority, based in Karlsruhe and Constance, whose mutual borders ran south of the Kehl-Appenweier-Oppenau railway line. The OPD Karlsruhe was also assigned the Hessian district of Wimpfen, the OPD Konstanz the Prussian part of Hohenzollern; both areas were also looked after by the Reichspost, while the neighbouring kingdom of Württemberg had kept its own post office after 1871. The two Oberpostdirektionen were subordinated to the General Post Office (from 1880 Reichspostamt, from 1919 Reichspostministerium) as the higher authority. Since telegraphy in the North German Confederation had been subject to its own "General Directorate of Telegraphs", in 1872 telegraphy in Baden had also been removed from the jurisdiction of the post office. But already on 1 January 1876 the fusion of post and telegraphy took place in the Reichspost area. From now on the telegraph stations in Baden were subject to the two regional post offices and the Reichspostamt, partly as independent telegraph stations or offices, but mostly united with post offices. In 1934 the OPD Karlsruhe, like the other regional post offices of the Reich, was renamed "Reichspostdirektion" (RPD). On the basis of the Act of 27 February 1934 simplifying and reducing the cost of administration, which was fundamental to the postal and telecommunications sectors, the Constance OPD was dissolved with effect from 1 April 1934 and, after a transitional period, finally ceased to exist on 1 October 1937. Its territory was assigned to the RPD Karlsruhe, which also took over the files of the OPD Konstanz and partially continued them. Explanations on holdings 419: The majority of the files listed in this finding aid were delivered by the RPD Karlsruhe in 1941 (access 1941-17). The smaller part was taken from the deliveries of the OPD Karlsruhe 454 access 1980-30, 419 access 1981-49 and 454 access 1982-18 according to provenance. The OPD Karlsruhe kept an old registration of about 1500 running meters. Files from the foundation of the Reichspostverwaltung in 1872, of which only the aforementioned access had reached the Generallandesarchiv in 1941. After the General State Archives had tried in vain in 1961 to deliver the remaining documents, the OPD had the entire old files destroyed without consulting the archives by house decree of 20 April 1970. This means that the only closed old register of an OPD in Germany, which also contained the documents of the OPD Konstanz, which was dissolved in 1934, has been lost. The duration of the material files of inventory 419 essentially covers the period 1872-1945. Only a few files of the management of the Großherzoglich Badischen Verkehrsanstalten and collections of circular decrees of the General Post Office Berlin to Prussian Oberpostdirketionen, which had apparently been handed over to the OPD Karlsruhe as information necessary for the course of business, continued in the Oberpostdirketionen and date back further. Some files of the access 1941 were classified in the personal files (see below), one file came according to its provenance to stock 418, six files were cashed. Since the numbering of the access was maintained 1941-17, the following numbers are no longer used: 1-7, 10, 11, 13, 65, 121-128, 193, 522, 676, 697, 713, 720, 753, 758, 774, 838, 883, 935-936 and 939-940.The older personnel files of inventory 419 have been added to the General State Archives with the additions 1938-42 (61 personnel files of the OPD Konstanz), 1941-17 (6 personnel files of the OPD Karlsruhe) and 1981-49 (2252 personnel files of the OPDn or RPD Karlsruhe and Konstanz and the OPD Karlsruhe after 1945). The personnel files of the 1941 access were incorporated into the 1981 access and the list of consignments was supplemented accordingly. Song and processing of the inventory: A file plan for the RPD documents is not available and could not be obtained from the OPD Karlsruhe. For example, the classification of the inventory is based on the usual division of the postal and telecommunications sectors into operations and administration, with attempts being made to reconstruct the file plan from the registry signatures on the file covers. The greater part of the documents are special maps, which were led by the OPDn to the individual transport companies of their district. These are post offices, postal agencies, postal branch offices, railway post offices, postal auxiliaries and independent telegraph stations or offices. These files shall regularly contain the following documents: Professional records, audit reports from post offices, inventories, duty schedules, guides for the training of postal and telegraph staff, which are no longer mentioned in the repertory itself. Further details on the legal status, business area and internal operation of the individual transport companies can be found in the description by K. Sautter (see bibliography), pp. 37-41. Under the direction of the undersigned, the State Archives officers Rudolf Benl, Robert Kretzschmar and Sybille Wittenberg carried out the drawing up of the records and the order in the spring of 1982, and Brigitte Weiler, an aspiring inspector, added additions. The fair copy of the repertory was provided by Mrs. Eva-Maria Staron. Karlsruhe, June 30, 1982 Dr. H. John References (as of 1982): Development of postal and telegraph services in the Grand Duchy of Baden during the twenty-five-year period from 1872 to 1896 (1897).K. Löffler, History of transport in Baden, in particular of communications and passenger transport (messenger, postal and telegraph traffic) from Roman times to 1872 (1910). K. Sautter, History of Deutsche Post. Part 3: History of the Deutsche Reichspost 1871 to 1945 (1951), K. Stiefel, Baden 1648-1952 II (1977), pp. 1485-1509.