DENMARK 5;')5,000 in 1864
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MERCURY STAMP JOURNAL Published periodically by the MERCURY STAMP COMPANY 522 Fifth Ave., New York 36, N. Y. Edited by Edwin Mueller No. 28 Copyrig~t, 1953, by Edwin Mueller DECEMBER, 1953 EUROPEAN CLASSICS X. DENMARK 5;')5,000 in 1864. Lauenburg had little more The Kingdom of Demllark-Danmark in than 400 sq. mi., with 47,000 inhabitants a the native Danish tongue-is onc of the in 1845, 49,000 in 1855 and 50,000 in 1864. smaller EUl'opcan countries. III 1851, when '1'1Ie city of Copenhagen (Kiobenhavll), postage stamps were introduced, DClllllark situated on the largest is1and, Seeland proper comprised the llOl'thern part of the (Sjaclland), "which became Denmark's capi peninsula of Jutland (Jylland) and about tal in 1443, had a population of 127,000 in 200 islands, located between the North 1845, which increased l'llther rapiclly and Sea and the Baltic, as well 38 the island was 170,000 in 1858. Denmark had, during ,. of BOl'llhohn in the Bultic. Danish sover its stamp issuing classical period, several eignty extended also to the southern part overseas possessions, namely in Europe the of ,Jutland, ·which had a predominently Faroe Islands, 540 sq. mi., "dth about 8,500 German population, forming the Duchies population in 1855, and Iceland, almost of Schles,vig, Holstein and Lanenburg. 40,000 sq. mi., with 65,000 inhabitants in Although HOlstein and Lauenbmg were 1855, as well as the icy "wastes of Green members of the German Confederation, the land, 735,000 sq. mi., with a population of Ring of' Denmark was also Duke of Schles less than 10,000 in 1855, and the Danish wig, HOlstein and Lauenburg, in this way West Indies, three small islands (St. Thom binding tlle three duchies to Denmark as, St. John and St. CroLx), all together proper. Schleswig at the llOrth bordered on 133 sq. mi., with about 37,000 inhabitants Dennu\.1"k, at the south on Holstein, with in 1855. the rh'cr Eider forming the boundary. HoI. Denmark's history goes far back into the stein and Lauenburg had as their southern dark ages. Its territory was settled in the \ boundary the river EIhe, "with the Kingdom second century A. D. by the Angles, Jutes of Hanover and the Free City of Ham and Saxons, Germanic tribes, which in the burg with Bergedorf on the other side of fifth or sixth century were replaced by the the river. To the southeast they bordered Danes, also a Germanic tribe, of the Viking on tIle Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg race, which invaded the territory from Schwerin, the Duchy of Ratzeburg, which Scandinavia. They were ruled by' native belonged to the Grand Duchy of Mecklen Kings, but in 934 came undcr German burg-Strelitz, and the Free City of Lubeck. sovcreignty which lasted for two and a half 'rhere was a sUlall enclave in Holstein ter centuries. After tllrowi.ng off German rulc, ritory, the Principality of Lubeck, about Denmark extended its tenitory greatly 170 sq. mi., with 22,000 iUhabitants, which and in the 13th and 14th centuries became belonged to the Grand Duchy of Oldenburg. Denmark proper covered about 14,500 sq. The Mercury Stamp Journal is sent reg. mi., of which more than 5,000 sq. mi. were ularly to friends and customers of the MERCURY STAMP COMPANY free of ,> islands; it had a population of 1350000 in 1845 and 1,500,000 in 1855. S~hle;wig darge. Others may obtain four consecu' covered little over 3,500 sq. mi., with tive numbers up.on payment of $1.00. 365,000 inhabitants in 1845, 396,000 in Bound Volumes 1 {Nos. 1 to 12 J and II 1855 and 406,000 in 1864. Holstei.n com (Nos. 13 to 24) $5.00 each, back numbers prised about 3,350 sq. mi., with a popula (available Nos. I. 3 to 14, 16 to 27) tion of 477,000 in 1845, 524,000 in 1855 and 25c ea.ch. MERCURY STAMP JOURNAL 73 1he mighticst power on the Baltie. At that W:.IS punished by losing Norway, which time, Danish sovereignty extended over was given to Sweden, and the t.!-ny island of I ] £eligoland, which had been occupied by the almost 25,000 sq. mi. and included the \ southern part of Sweden, the coastal re British in 1807 and was ceded to them. As gions of Pomerania, with the island of a small compellsation for these losses, it Rugen, and part of Estonia. In 1397, in obtained Swedish Pomerani.a which it ex the trent~· of Kalmar, the Kingdoms of chauged in 1816 for the Duchy of Laueu ... Denmark, Norway and Sweden formed a burg, which from 1811 belonged to the union, under Danish leadership, which nom }'rcnch Department 128, Bouclles de l'Elbe. iually existed for more than 400 Jears. III the 19th century, territorial losses con Sweden soon drove out the Danish mlers tinued. Of the overse<lS possessions, those of and in 1523 established lts full independ the Danish East India Company were sold encc_ But thc last Danish possessions in to Great Britain in 1845 und l)!ans to sell Sweden were lost 0111)· in 1656, as were the the Danish Wcst Indics to tbe United possessions in Pomerania and Estonia some States in 1867 did not materialize only be· time before. Norway, with its o\-erseas C311SC the United States Congress did not • possessions-tbe Faroe Islands, Icelaud and approve tbe purchase. In the duchies of Greenland-remained under Danish rule. In Schleswig, Holstein and Lauenburg, Ger 1448, Christian of Oldenburg became the lIlan nntionulism made itself felt more and first Danish King, founding the ruling more and iu 1848, when Dellmark tried to • House of Denmark-Oldenburg. Schleswig, incorporate Schleswig, it resulted in a revo which until 1386 had belonged to Denmark, lution whie.h se\'ered these duchies from when its larger southern part was ceded to Delllllark. But the German Confederation, the Count of Holstein, was regained in 1460 of which Holstein and Lauenburg were , when ITolstein, after the death of the last members, interfered only temporarily and Duke of Holstein, placed jtself under the af.ter three Je:.ns, the war ended with a sovereignty of King Christi:lIl I, who now victory for Dcnmark. Its sovereignty in the r became also Duke of Schleswig and Hol three duchies was completely restored in stein, which union remaincd in force for 1851 and 1852, but autonomy of the duchies more than 300 ycurs. During the 16th and remained guaranteed. Under King Frederic 17th centuries, Denmark was involved in YII, who ruled from 1848 to 1863, a new numerous wars; it participated also in the democratic constitution was adopted in Thirty Years Wur, losing part of its ter 1849. When Frederic VII died childless, dtory but regainillg it at the end. In the Prince Christian of the House of Glucks 17th and 18th centuries, the seafaring qual burg became King :wd, as Christian IX, he ities of the populatiou became more e\'i ruled for more than fort)' years. Shortl.r dent and important o'\"erseas interests were after his accession to the throne, he again acquired, which made Denmark one of the tried to incorporate Schleswig, but this led leading trading nations of that time. Dan to the intervontion of tho Germau Confed \ ish settlements and forts existed on the eration, which did not recognize the new Gold Coast of West Africa, but they were King as ruler of Schlcswig, Holstein ond soleI to t.he British in 1650. In 1671, the Lauenourg. Prussian and Austrian troops Danish West India Company established occupied Holstein and Lauenburg la.te in the first settlements in the West Indies on 1863. III 1864, they invaded Schleswig and three little islands of the Leeward lslands, in the resulting war, Deumark was de which ill 1755 went as the colony of Dan· feated. In the peace treaty of Vienna in ish 'Vest Indies to the goverulllent. '.rhe 1864, Denmark lost all three duchies, in Danish East India Company, founded in cluding the Danish northern part of Schles 1729, became onc of the foremost trading wig. Lauenburg was illcorporatecl into , companies, with flourishing possessions in Prussia, while Schleswig and Holstein were India, the chjef towns of which were Trall first governed by Prussia and Austria to quebar, Frederiksnagore and Serampur on gether. After the Prusso-Austrian War the east coast. Denmark at first kept out of 1866 they were also annexed to Prussia. of the Napoleonic Wars, but later joined By thja loas, Denmark became olle of the the side of Napoleon and was attacked by small countries of EU1·ope, of limited politi 1:he British. In the peace of. Kiel ln 1814, it cal impol·tanee. ( 74 MERCURY STAMP JOURNAL - The postal history of Denmark is quite est:tblished on )'Inrch 1, 1806. It passed into dh-crsific<1, but organized mail seT\"ice priv:lte hands in 1809 and wns a.gain taken started relativel)' hite. '.rhe first mail routes o,·cr by the goycrnment post office in 1849, 011 Danish territor)" were established by the Until ]876, it was conducted by a separate Hanseatic League, which extended ill 1602 "]?odpostkontor". Prom 1819, mail was car its courier service to Copenhagen. By a ried by stenmboat, first on the line from decree of 1624, King Christian IV estab Copcnhagen to Kiel, but only in sUllllllcr, lished a natiollal postal sel'vice and the while ill winter the mail wns carded by first mail routes connecting the various sleigh o\-er the ice, Genernlly, stcnmboats Danish towns in which post offices werc wero used for earr)'ing the mail from 1833_ established, and with the important trade The first railroad was opened in 1844 be center of Hamburg, were soon opened.