Postilion

The postilion (French, in German also postilion ) was the team leader of a horse-drawn mill, which was used by stagecoach in the post- operation for letter mail and passenger transport.

Name

Until the 17th century it was used in German the terms " servant Post " or "Post Rider " for single horse people who only had the task of mail delivery. After the Thirty Years War sat down for them by the name postilion, as can be seen for example from the city of Trier bailiff bills.

The term brother in law who is from the song high on the yellow car out of the phrase " ... I'm sitting in the front brother " for a postilion known, comes from the Swiss city of Chur, which was a main junction of the Alpine road earlier. The Italian postilion who rode on the saddle horse was named chevalier; it was in Swiss German Schewalger and later in the German Schwager.

Riders in the uniform of the Royal Saxon Postillons with Felleisen 1850

R. S. Zimmermann: Baden postilion (1870 )

Stagecoach Royal Württemberg post on the route between Schomberg and Rottweil, before 1914

Clothing and equipment

The coachman wore uniformed clothing and led a post-horn or occasionally in the 19th century, a post with trumpet. This was seen and possibly heard that he was authorized to accept mail and that he deserved priority when using the roads, ferries and bridges. The recruitment and payment of the postilions was carried out by the post holder; However, the postal authorities had a right of veto, especially since they put the uniform.

Literature and music

From the property of the postilion as a message bearer of the name postillon d' amour ( Cupid ) is derived; so you mean a carrier of oral or written messages between lovers.

Literary and musical monuments are among others the poem Sweetly was the night in May of Nikolaus Lenau, the opera The postilion of Lonjumeau by Adolphe Adam and Posthorn - Serenade of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Historical Uniforms on stamps

Prussian postilion ( about 1827 ), on a 20 10 Pf special stamp of the Federal Postal Berlin ( 1954)

Postilion the imperial post (1897 to 1925) on a 20 - Pf special stamp of the Federal Postal Berlin ( 1957)