Censorship of Alsace-Lorraine soldiers mail in 1917

Since the outbreak of the First World War and the mobilisation of German forces in August 1914, the correspondence of soldiers from the imperial territory of Alsace-Lorraine (Reichsland Elsass-Lothringen) had been subject to stricter regulations. In March 1917, these restrictions were further tightened.

The Situation Before March 1917.

Between late 1916 and early 1917, propaganda efforts by France and Britain succeeded in stirring public sentiment in Alsace-Lorraine to an even greater extent than before. This agitation extended not only to the home front but also to the battlefield, influencing Alsace-Lorraine soldiers serving in the German army. German intelligence services and postal control authorities took note of this heightened unrest.

As a result, the correspondence of Alsace-Lorraine soldiers was subjected to more rigorous postal censorship than that of their German counterparts, even though inspections remained selective rather than systematic.

Letter from an Alsace-Lorraine soldier in the 101st Infantry Division (Serbia-Greece border) delivered to Feldpoststation 241, 14th February 1916. Destined for the Rombas ironworks (Rhombacher Hüttenwerke), it was opened and controlled by the Metz postal control centre.

Marked "Metz P(ost). K(ontrolle). Geprüft U(nd) zu befördern" (Metz postal control, checked and to be forwarded).

Closing label "Militärischerseits unter Kriegsrecht geöffnet in Metz" (Opened in Metz for military reasons and according to the law of war).

In Army Detachment B (formerly Armee-Abteilung Gaede), which occupied Upper Alsace, soldiers and non-commissioned officers were permitted to write to their families only twice a week, using postcards and open letters. These soldiers were not allowed to use civilian post offices; instead, they were required to submit their correspondence to their unit. The unit would then collect and forward it to an intelligence officer responsible for reading its contents. Only after this inspection was the mail handed over to the military postal service [1].

In other units containing soldiers of Alsatian-Lorraine origin, the unit commander had the authority to read his soldiers' letters before forwarding them to the Feldpost. However, this practice was officially prohibited by the Ministry of War on 21 December 1916.

The German High Command observed that in Upper Alsace, particularly within the operational zone, military secrecy was at risk of being compromised through soldiers’ correspondence. Moreover, several instances of desertion had been linked to letters received by Alsatian-Lorraine soldiers from their families.

As a result, the High Command concluded that stricter control of soldiers’ mail was necessary. However, it also acknowledged that the existing postal control centres (Postüberwachungsstellen) were already overburdened due to insufficient staff, making the establishment of new centres unfeasible.

The final decision of this exchange was that postal censorship should be conducted within the units themselves.

The Regulation of 20 March 1917.

On 20 March 1917 [2], the Ministry of War issued Regulation 1426/17, which further tightened controls on the correspondence of soldiers from Alsace-Lorraine. This measure was justified by what was described as the “systematic and growing agitation of the population of Alsace-Lorraine” orchestrated by the Entente countries. It was deemed necessary to “protect Alsace and Lorraine soldiers at the front from the harmful influence of letters from their homeland.”

The introduction to this regulation reveals that approximately 5% of mail sent from Alsace and Lorraine to soldiers was being inspected, and that around 90% of this sample was deemed by the authorities to contain objectionable content. Consequently, the authorities concluded that a significant proportion of mail from Alsace-Lorraine was reaching soldiers unchecked, despite containing undesirable material.

Recognising that the existing postal control centres (Postüberwachungsstellen) lacked the capacity to increase their workload, the War Office determined that part of the censorship process would need to be decentralised. Nevertheless, the postal control centres were to remain responsible for maintaining lists of suspected Alsatian-Lorraine soldiers and compiling evidence against them.

However, the regulation was divided into two sections:

1. Mail from Alsace-Lorraine to the Military

Key Provisions:

All mail from Alsace-Lorraine addressed to soldiers had to be submitted unsealed and was subject to examination.
Existing postal control centres were instructed to make every effort to increase the proportion of letters they could inspect.
Mail that was not checked by postal control centres was to be marked with a special red “Pr.” stamp, identifying it as originating from imperial territory, before being forwarded by the military post office.

The Army High Command ensured that, depending on the number of Alsace-Lorraine soldiers present in a given area, and where postal control centres were insufficient, "auxiliary postal control centres" (Postüberwachungshilfsstellen or P.Ü. H. St.) would be established by Army Corps or Divisions. Under no circumstances was censorship to be entrusted to soldiers' direct superiors.

Where possible, these auxiliary postal control centres were to be staffed by convalescing soldiers or officers in garrison, and no new positions were to be created specifically for this purpose.

The red “Pr.” stamp mentioned in this section was not a censorship mark but rather an indication of non-censorship. When applied by a postal control centre in Alsace-Lorraine, it signified that the mail had not been inspected upon departure but was required to be examined upon arrival by an auxiliary postal control centre or an Army postal control centre.

The abbreviation "Pr." stood for "Prüfungsstelle", meaning mail examination centre.

Postcard for a territorial soldier stationed at the Kommandantur 221 served by Feldpoststation 195

6 December 1917, card posted in STRASBOURG. The STRASBOURG Postüberwahungsstelle stamped "Pr/SB", but did not check the card. The control took place within the 1st Bavarian Reserve Infantry Division, to which the 3rd Bavarian Reserve Regiment belonged.

To facilitate the identification of where the "Pr." mark had been applied, postal control centres in Alsace and Lorraine added their initials:

Colmar: Pr/C
Haguenau: Pr/H
Metz: PR (no additional indication)
Mulhouse: Pr/M
Sarrebourg: Pr/Srbg.
Sarreguemines: Pr/Srgd.
Strasbourg: Pr/SB
St Louis: Pr/L
Thionville: PR (no additional indication)
Wissembourg: Pr/W

Three typical scenarios arose regarding mail sent from Alsace-Lorraine to the military:

Mail inspected upon departure by one of the ten postal control centres in Alsace-Lorraine, bearing one of their censorship marks.
Mail unchecked at the point of departure but marked with the "Pr." stamp, in addition to a control mark from a postal control centre upon arrival (either in Germany or at the front).
Mail unchecked at departure, bearing the "Pr." stamp but with no visible examination mark upon arrival.

2. Mail sent by soldiers from Alsace and Lorraine.

All mail posted by soldiers from Alsace-Lorraine stationed in the Army or General Government zone had to be submitted to the auxiliary postal control centres of the Divisions or Army Corps, or to an Army postal control centre under their supervision. This meant that soldiers were required to hand their mail to their unit rather than sending it directly via the Feldpost. Any breach of this rule was to be punished.

Units not attached to a military post office were required to send their mail for inspection directly to the Strasbourg postal control centre. To minimise delays and reduce the burden on the Feldpost, it was recommended that these auxiliary postal control centres be positioned strategically.

Two primary scenarios arose concerning the censorship of soldiers' outgoing mail:

Mail inspected upon departure by an auxiliary postal control centre (Postüberwachungshilfsstelle) established at a Division or Army Corps level, or by an Army postal control centre (Postüberwachungsstelle) located in the rear zone, Alsace-Lorraine, or Germany. Some armies with only a small number of Alsace-Lorraine soldiers opted to have their mail examined by an existing postal control centre in the staging area, thus negating the need for separate auxiliary postal control centres.
Mail examined upon arrival by a postal control centre in Alsace-Lorraine.

22 May 1917. Card from a sailor from Lorraine stationed in the port of Wilhelmshaven. Checked on departure by the Wilhelmshaven postal control centre: marked "militärisch geprüft" (militarily checked). The sender saw fit to add "Elsass-Lothringen" under "Feldpost".

4 August 1917, Card from an Alsatian soldier in treatment at military hospital no. 124 in LIBAU (LIEPAJA, Liltuania), processed by Feldpoststation 161.

The card was examined by the LIBAU auxiliary postal control centre, stamped "Postüberwachungshilfsstelle A/Deutsche Feldpost 161".

24 August 1917, postcard for a territorial soldier stationed at the Kommandantur 221 served by military post office no. 195 (Deutsche Feldpost 195).

This post office was in Ukraine. The COLMAR postal control centre did not check the card, but stamped it "Pr./c.". Control on arrival, by the auxiliary postal control centre n° 195: stamps "Überwachungshilfsstelle Nr 195" + "GEPRÜFT".

Conclusion of the Regulation

The regulation concluded with an instruction for commanders to inform their soldiers from Alsace-Lorraine about the measures outlined above. It was to be made clear to them, "in an appropriate manner," that under the prevailing conditions, "well-meaning Alsace-Lorraine people could not avoid difficulties, and that these difficulties must be endured out of respect for the broader patriotic interest."

Additionally, officers were instructed to oppose any complaints from former Germans residing in Reich territory—particularly the wives of officers and civil servants—by emphasising that the general situation did not allow for any exceptions.

Implementation and Challenges

Recognising that the regulation required significant organisational effort, the authorities allowed time for the troops to establish postal control procedures. The auxiliary postal control centres within the Divisions and ArmyCorps were expected to be operational by the end of June 1917. On 17 May 1917, the Generalquartiermeister ordered that these centres be identified using the Feldpost number of their respective Division or Army Corps.

As expected, some postal control centres in Alsace-Lorraine reported that they lacked the resources to handle the additional workload. In a June 1917 report [3], for example, the THIONVILLE (Diedenhofen) postal control centre stated that it employed only 36 examiners, significantly fewer than the 52 originally planned, and was unable to inspect additional mail. At best, it could examine only 5% of incoming mail, though the actual rate often remained as low as 1%.

As planned, responsibility for censorship was gradually transferred to the auxiliary postal control centres and Army postal control centres. Overall, the control rate was high. While we lack comprehensive statistics for all postal control centres, available data from the 75th Reserve Division on the Eastern Front and its Postüberwachungshilfsstelle No. 959 provides a telling example [4].

Despite this, only a very small proportion of mail slipped through the cracks, which may explain why some letters or cards to the Front bear only the "Pr" mark affixed at a postal control centre in Alsace-Lorraine.

27 July 1917. Card sent by a soldier of a machine-gun unit of the 60th Reserve Regiment of the 221st Infantry Division resting in West Flanders.

Intended for an inhabitant of STRASBOURG, the card was initially checked by the Division's auxiliary postal control centre and stamped "Geprüft! P.Ü. Hst".

Clarification of the Regulation and its Consequences.

Shortly after the introduction of this regulation, soldiers of German origin with families in Alsace-Lorraine began to complain that they too were being affected by paragraph 2 of the order. In response, on 15 May 1917, the Ministry of War issued a note clarifying the definition of "Alsatian-Lorraine" or "Imperial Territory" (Reichsland) soldiers [5]:

“In order to eliminate any ambiguity, it is hereby determined that the term refers exclusively to soldiers whose parents are Alsatian-Lorraine, i.e., of Alsatian-Lorraine nationality. Consequently, it does not include former German soldiers who were residing in Alsace-Lorraine at the outbreak of the war and were conscripted there, nor those who merely acquired Alsatian nationality because their former German parents were born in Alsace-Lorraine (for example, as officers or civil servants). The aim of this provision is to monitor the correspondence of soldiers who, due to their origin, might possess a questionable mindset.”

This note reiterated that all mail sent from Alsace-Lorraine soldiers to the front, whether from the families of former Germans or of Alsatian-Lorraine origin, had to be examined.

In addition to being subject to postal censorship, Alsace-Lorraine soldiers also faced delays in the delivery of their mail. Some military units preferred to accumulate a large volume of letters before sending them to the auxiliary or army postal control centres, rather than dispatching smaller batches more frequently.

Consequences of the Regulation.

The policy of specifically targeting a particular population of soldiers, along with other restrictive measures, likely had the opposite effect of what was intended.

In August 1917 [6], the High Command of Army Detachment Woyrsch alerted the Commander-in-Chief of the Eastern Front to the impact of the measures imposed on soldiers from Alsace-Lorraine. This army detachment was particularly concerned because, since May 1917, it had been ordered to integrate “dubious” Alsatian-Lorraine soldiers from Army Detachment B (Upper Alsace) in exchange for German or Polish soldiers of the same age group, who were to be transferred to the Western Front.

In its report, the detachment noted:

“Experience has shown that these measures have had a detrimental effect on the morale of troops of Alsatian-Lorraine origin. In combination with other similar provisions, the men feel they are being treated as second-class soldiers.”

The report further highlighted a notable increase in desertions following the introduction of stricter postal controls:

January–March 1917: approximately 1 deserter per month from Alsace-Lorraine.
April 1917 (when the regulation was enacted): 6 deserters.
May 1917: 3 deserters.
June 1917: 4 deserters.
July 1917: 11 deserters.

The report concluded with the following request:

“The higher authorities are therefore asked to ensure that the exceptional measures regarding the control and delivery of letters for Alsatian-Lorraine soldiers are lifted as soon as possible.”

A separate report from the Imperial Directorate of the Strasbourg Post Office noted that 80% of the mail from Alsace-Lorraine processed by auxiliary postal control centres contained no explicitly hostile content. However, the report observed:

“While letters sent from Alsace-Lorraine are not overtly hostile to Germany, they are not particularly friendly either. Stricter controls over the exchange of letters from Alsace-Lorraine remain necessary, even at the cost of causing inconvenience to the small percentage of genuinely loyal individuals.”

Statistics from the 75th Reserve Division provide further insight. Between June and October 1917, on average, only 0.2% of all letters were deemed inappropriate—a figure starkly different from the concerns raised by the Ministry of War or the Strasbourg postal control centre.

Handling of Inappropriate Mail.

Mail from Alsace-Lorraine that had not been inspected before departure was seized by auxiliary or army postal control centres and forwarded to the Strasbourg postal control centre, which then returned it to the postal control centre of origin (identified by the initials in the "Pr." stamp). Similarly, inappropriate mail from the front was seized by the relevant postal control centres.

Minor infractions (e.g., a soldier revealing the precise location of his unit) resulted in a formal request for clarification sent to the soldier’s company commander.
Serious infractions led to the mail being handed over to military intelligence, which could initiate an investigation if deemed necessary.

Seized correspondence frequently revealed minor breaches of military regulations, such as:

Complaints about poor quality or lack of food.
Frustration over insufficient or denied leave to visit family in Alsace-Lorraine.
Grievances about discriminatory treatment by German officers and soldiers.

However, such complaints were not unique to Alsatian-Lorraine soldiers; similar sentiments were expressed in the letters of German soldiers as well.

Partial Repeal of the Regulation.

Despite the administrative burden of postal censorship and the lack of sufficient personnel, the Ministry of War decided to partially repeal the regulation on 20 October 1917 [6]:

“The examination of letters sent by soldiers of Alsatian and Lorraine origin, which has now been in effect for six months, has resulted in few notable objections. For this reason, the measures related to the examination of their mail—Section II of Order No. 1426/17 g. A1, dated 20 March 1917—are hereby repealed. However, the inspection of mail from Alsace-Lorraine by postal control centres and auxiliary postal control centres, as stipulated in Section I of the same order, shall remain in force.”

As a result, postal control over mail sent from Alsace-Lorraine continued, and the “Pr.” stamps remained in use until the end of the war.

The number of auxiliary postal control centres was reduced but not eliminated, as they continued to oversee:

Mail from Alsace-Lorraine that had not been initially examined.
A portion of front-line mail, especially for soldiers from Alsace-Lorraine considered politically unreliable.

Final Assessment.

The enforcement of postal censorship measures, rather than fostering loyalty, alienated many soldiers of Alsace-Lorraine origin, reinforcing their sense of exclusion from the German army. Despite ongoing surveillance, the authorities ultimately recognised that these measures were both administratively burdensome and counterproductive, leading to the partial rollback of censorship by late 1917. However, the surveillance and control of mail from Alsace-Lorraine persisted until the war’s end, highlighting the German High Command’s continued mistrust of these soldiers.

In conclusion, the regulation of March 1917 resulted in a limited number of special stamps being introduced into service at the ten postal control centres in Alsace-Lorraine. It also led to the establishment of auxiliary postal control centres within Army Divisions or Corps where Alsace-Lorraine soldiers were present. These centres employed a greater variety of control marks.

Below is a table displaying the "Pr." postmarks used at the ten postal control centres in Alsace-Lorraine. This represents a snapshot of what was observed at a specific moment in time. There is no doubt that further refinements regarding dates are possible.