Cabinet noir

As Black Cabinets, even black cabinets (French cabinet noir ), called to the set up at major post offices locations in which all opened on the orders of the State Government or any other authority of a person or Incoming letters in secret, viewed, copied, were resealed and returned to the postal service.

The oldest institution of its kind, there was supposed to be in France under King Louis XI. ( 1423-1483 ). On the basis of a decree of June 19, 1464, the French national postal had to create such a facility. This edict, however, was debunked in 1937 by Gaston Zeller as a forgery dating from the 17th century.

Initially served the Black Cabinets for State purposes. Couriers and postilions were obliged to look through them passed from private letters to harmful for the King news.

Even when operated by the Thurn and Taxis Imperial Imperial post such secret lodges to the beginning of the 19th century are detectable in many cities. 1808 experienced the Bavarian government thereof, and therefore justified the nationalization of Taxis'schen post.

Towards the secrecy of offending institutions of a similar nature ( censorship ) were common in times of war and during the occupation times. So created the French in 1809 a cabinet noir in Berlin. During the First and Second World War was broad censorship at home and abroad.