Letter (message)
The letter (from the Latin brevis libellus or vulgar Latin breve scriptum ( Missive ), short letter to brevis, short ' ) is a firmly held on paper message that is usually delivered by a messenger and contains an imaginary for the recipients personal message. A letter will be sent folded ( folded letter ) or in an envelope (cover letter ). In addition, may be meant an item.
The letter usually consists of giving to the place and date of writing, the title, the text and the final formula. The envelope usually contains information about the sender, the recipient's address and mail order a clearance.
- 2.1 Porto
- 3.1 E- mail letter
- 5.1 collections of letters
- 5.2 secondary literature
History
The beginnings of writing such a report, go back to the Babylonians, the messages scratched into clay tablets. In ancient Egypt, however, served as a writing surface for papyri letters. In ancient Greece and Rome they used for this purpose wax coated panels made of wood. Since the first authors of such messages, the purpose of a letter has not changed: it is still a means of public expression of opinion (eg, letters to the editor in a newspaper), a literary form (see Goethe's epistolary novel "The Sorrows of Young Werther ", the letters of Paul in the New Testament of the Bible) as well as a tool for dissemination of official (eg kultusministerieller writing), and transmission of personal messages (eg: Love Letter ). Already in the early modern period, the letter also developed a collector's item; one of the largest surviving collections since then in Germany by Christoph Jacob Trew.
Letters are examined in the humanities, according to historical, literary and cultural studies perspectives. A pioneer of the German research letter was the librarian and cultural theorist Georg Steinhausen, whose history of the German letter 1889-1891 was published in two volumes.
History of the letter and the postal service in France in the 18th century
The letter transportation in the 18th century was generally considered to have recourse to different means of transport. This served a postal exchange of data with different transport speeds.
A correspondence relies on the one the appropriate writing materials, and for the transport of written texts, etc. ahead from one place to the next. The postal letters, thus the receiver paid the transportation fee, provided the rule dar. postage means in the rest of unpaid fee. Starting the 16th century, noted in France on the mailpieces s diligence (translated with haste also in the sense and with care ) of this note stirred ago that French stagecoaches received their name diligences. Only at the end of the 18th century developed the steel spring, which was in a holder, the spring holder, recessed. Previously, the quills were common and were gradually displaced.
Until the development of chlorine bleach, Eau de Javel 1789 by Claude -Louis Berthollet the only raw material for paper making was the bright rags of linen, hemp or rarely cotton, in conjunction with Threads and Seilereiabfällen, as the only available fiber raw materials for the production of paper, the so-called rag paper.
As a travel and transport in the 18th century were essentially the movement on foot, the self-employed riding, ride in a carriage ( Stagecoach ) or via water routes. In 1671 the families Pajot and rouille founded in the center of Paris in the Rue des Bourdonnais № 34 against the № 9 and 11 Rue des Déchargeurs the first post office, premier center Postal de Paris. They were Ferme générale under Louis XIV, Ferme générale des Postes.
At the beginning of the 17th century the post, that of the surintendant Général des Postes was financed by contributions appeared. You got a price for the letter, which was paid for by the recipient. The letters were traveling from one station to the next post, interrupted by the relay stations where the horses were changed. The postal shipments were accompanied by a postilion. He was responsible for leading up to the respective next station and then took the horses back alone to the original relay station. The distance of the relay stations amounted to an average of 7 miles or 28 km, hence the famous seven-league boots in the fairy tale by Charles Perrault, Le Petit Poucet.
Post and travel routes through France to 1703; in the 18th century, the average distance between two relay stations 16 kilometers. A letter from Paris to Lyon sent required 2 days and 8 hours and slightly more than 4 days to Marseille. There were about 1400 postal stations. In 1760, Claude Humbert Piarron de Chamousset ( 1717-1773 ) established a post office in Paris. With 200 letter carriers, facteurs - they made with rattling attention to himself - he was responsible for the delivery of mail and assured a distribution within three days.
The " newspaper " letter
In the 16th century a letter form was common in Europe, which approached the newspaper ( and parallels with the social network on the Internet has ): "In order to let his releases get the same larger circles, the letter writer is no longer directed his letter very soon only to a individual, but in the main the same on a larger number of sympathizers, "noted the newspaper chronicler Ludwig Salomon 1906 These letters consisted of two parts:. said " intimate " part, which was located in a separate envelope within the larger envelope, and a loose the envelope defined semi-public part that the addressee should pass it on to acquaintances and peers, if he thought he was interesting. About this selective scattering of messages to a limited circle arose among the correspondents of the time decentralized discussion circles and growing social networks. The semi-public letter elements were called Avise, Beylage, Pagelle, Zeddel, Nova and finally only newspaper. " The form in which the writer of these, newspapers ' their news reported was almost always only the purely relatorische " - ie a the relationship, nothing hard -researched, but rather a gathering of news and opinions.
The letter as a historical source
From the perspective of historical research only the private letter is a " letter ". Is the author or the recipient is a public official or an institution, then the document is one of the documents or files. An " open letter ", which in fact is aimed at the general public, one of the literary works. Because of the many hybrid forms (eg business letters, which also include Private ) but is not always compelling even among historians, this terminology.
Letters were once very expensive and were rather sent by officials or wealthy merchants; from the 18th century, the correspondence is extended to wider circles of the upper classes. This century also called the century of letters. Only occasionally, in important matters, even ordinary people could write letters. In addition there was the occupation of the letter writer. Frequently they stereotyped -like phrases were used, making a lot of individuality was lost.
Since the 19th century, the history of science also used traditional correspondences. In the 20th century the interest in the everyday history and the history of the "little people " enhanced, so that the mail these people came increasingly to the fore. Examples include letters soldiers from the world wars in the home that are not (only ) interested because of the individual's fate, but because you want to be based on statements about the life and mentality of larger groups of people.
The letterhead
As a letterhead is called the normally above pre-printed on the first page of a letter elements. While it has always been limited to private stationery on few data and little decorative motifs present (possibly for example, an inserted in the embossing coat of arms ), the elaborately designed letterheads of companies are certainly of historical interest. The simple beginnings date back to the early 19th century. With the increase of the traffic and the depersonalization of commercial trade, it came more and more to a representative external form of correspondence. Technically, came to meet this need, the 1813 patented quick press and a recovery of lithography from 1820. Popular Topics in the second half of the 19th century next to ornamental and allegorical jewelry especially factory views and decorative arranged renditions of prize medals.
A postal
Until the 19th century, collapsed arches were the usual form of a letter, while a special envelope was the exception. The shape of a folded folio sheet, the normal size of the letter, about 9x17 cm, the average weight was about 1 Lot or ½ oz = approximately 15 g All letters had to be sealed (1849 repealed). The post did not stick for the loss of a letter. The seal was designed to protect the confidentiality of correspondence. The fee was negotiated separately from post office to post office, rarely have fixed rates.
In the Kingdom of Westphalia all shipments were to be calculated in francs and centimes. Since 1 November 1810, paid by distance and weight. The simple letter could be 8 g in weight, broadcasts more than 60 g should be transported with the driving post.
In the Duchy of Brunswick was in 1814 the simple letter weight 1 lot, the price increased with each lot and the distance. 1834 allowed the simple letter only ¾ Lot be difficult, the price rose from 1 per Lot ½ Lot to the letter fee. Letters on Lot 4 should be transported with the driving post. From 1855 on, the simple letter could not have a full Lot weigh, the distance did not matter. Since 1863 each 1 Lot was to pay one penny. In 1865 there were only two weight categories, up to 1 Postlot = 1 penny, to 15 = 2 pennies.
In Prussia the Posttaxregulativ of 1825 regulated the postage by distance and weight. The simple letter could weigh ¾ Lot. Letters about 2 Lot belonged to driving post. 1860 limited the letter weight in the domestic and club traffic on 15 g ( 250 g). From 1861 onwards, was easy to Lot 1, Lot 15 to double postage.
From 1830 professionally manufactured envelopes came on the market, they were machined from 1840. 1849 letters no longer needed to be sealed. 1850 postage stamps were introduced in 1851 came envelopes with imprinted stamps added.
In the North German Confederation was valid until 1 Lot = 1 Sgr. to 15 Lot = 2 Sgr. In the imperial post 1875-15 g = 10 Pfg and over 15 g = 20 Pfg The simple letter weight increased in 1900 to 20 g same Pappkästchen and rollers were admitted.
Newly introduced were:
After the war, the maximum weight of 500 g was in 1947 raised to 1 kg. From 1948 to 1956, almost all programs in the Western zones and the Federal Republic had to be franked with postage in addition to the tax stamp Notopfer Berlin. On March 1, 1963 Standard letter mail is being offered at a special rate. 1993 4 basic products ( standard, compact, large and oversize letters ) were introduced. 1995, the German postal service was privatized.
In modern times, letters are usually sent via postal services such as the German Post, its content is protected by an envelope and the letter secret. You should, but need not be sealed. Letters are mostly from the sender in advance paid ( cleared ). This is done by affixing indicia in the form of stamps, or printing indicia on the postal service. In addition, a postal address of the recipient to write on the envelope, possibly in addition the sender's address. This enables the smooth return of letters in the event that the recipient refuses or can not be determined. Special forms for the delivery of the writ German, Austrian return receipt letter and the internationally usable registered.
Standardize
The letterhead as well as the design of business letters is regulated in Germany by the German Institute for Standardization, with the norm DIN 5008.
In cases in which the recipient's address has changed and a redirection order has been issued, even letters with an incorrect delivery address to the recipient can be forwarded or redirected.
For the delivery of letters by messengers postage will be charged.
Postage
The price of a standard letter was again increased by 1 January 2014 after one year, from 58 to 60 ct. The post indicates that links to 2 ct 58 ct to compensate for existing brands from January 2, 2014 are available at the post offices. Prices of other letters remained unchanged to this date.
Example of the letter costs at Deutsche Post AG (as of January 2014, only domestic):
In a standard letter match either
- 3 sheets A4 80 g / m² = 15 grams or
- 3 leaves A4 to 90 g / m = 16,875 grams.
Since the envelope counting the weight, leaving only the grammage 80 under the maximum weight for a standard letter.
Since the 1990s, the classical correspondence is increasingly supplemented by e- mail, the postal service in business in particular has some significant advantages ( speed, price ). For the transmission of important texts (eg, love letters, contracts, diplomatic notes ) remains the usual form letter. Since the advent of e-mail, conventional mail is also called jokingly " snail mail " or " sack Post".
A special form of the letter is called the sales letter or the infomercial, and mailing.
E- mail letter
The E- mail letter of Deutsche Post is a hybrid mail service with a connected website for the exchange of electronic messages over the Internet. He is in competition with the statutory De-Mail method.
Non -private letters and documents
Open letters are those that - for example, in mass media - are published, and have a dual addressee, explicit receiver and the public. Other special forms of the letter or the fact sheet. As letters also instructive or commanding messages to groups of people are referred to as letters to Christian communities in the New Testament of the Bible, such as the Pauline Epistles and the Epistle to the Hebrews, Luther's " epistle from interpreting " or the pastoral letter in the Roman Catholic Church.
Letters in the broader sense are masters of letters that can be seen as documents, as well as honor letters (as official recognition for volunteer work, or as an award ). Also make Pfandbriefe constitute a certificate in certificated form that are issued by trusted institutions accordingly. The importance of letter as a record, the phrase " signed and sealed " out Bann, bill of lading, bill of sale, charter and mortgage note.