This is a survey of the postage stamps and

postal history Postal history is the study of postal systems and how they operate and, or, the study of the use of postage stamps and covers and associated postal artifacts illustrating historical episodes in the development of postal systems. The term is att ...

of Croatia.

Austria-Hungary

Prior to 1918, Croatia, including Slavonia, was part of the

Austro-Hungarian Empire Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, and beginning in 1850 with the introduction of postage stamps, the stamps of the empire were used. In 1871, after the Croatian–Hungarian Settlement, the new stamps of the Kingdom of Hungary were used, except in

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

which continued to use Austrian stamps.

Kingdom in 1918

In 1918, as part of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (SHS), Croatia overprinted the existing stocks of Hungarian stamps, with "Hrvatska SHS". In 1919 they printed their own stamps with "Hrvatska" (Croatia) as the country name, some of which also included an "SHS". These were used until 1921, when the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, began issuing stamps for use throughout the kingdom.

World War II

With the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) in 1941, the new government first overprinted existing stocks of Yugoslav stamps with "Nezavisna Drzava Hrvatska", and then issued its own stamps that same year.

'Landscape' definitives

The 'Landscape' series is a set of 23 different value stamps which show views of Croatia. They were first released between November 1941 and September 1942 and were the country's definitives until their replacement in 1944. The local rate for mail was 2 k between 16 November 1941 and 31 December 1942. Registered mail came with an extra 9k charge. Tête-bêche issues exist of values which were printed in November and December 1941; they are not found in the 0.75k, 3k, 5k green-blue, 12k and 100k values which were all issued in 1942. In 1942, activity by Partisans affected the railway network and created shortages of stamps especially in rural areas. This led to stamps being bisected and a particular shortage of 0.25k stamps in June 1942 meant that overprints were created from supplies of 2k stamps. Aging machinery caused perforation errors and wartime paper shortages resulted in stamps being printed on six different types of paper including pelure, which was so thin that the images on the stamps can be seen through the paper.

Post war

With the fall of the NDH government in 1945, stamps of the Independent State of Croatia were overprinted with a star and "Jugoslavia" or a star and "Demokratska Federativna", but were soon replaced by the stamps of the

federal republic A federal republic is a federation of states with a republican form of government. At its core, the literal meaning of the word republic when used to reference a form of government means: "a country that is governed by elected representatives ...

of Yugoslavia, beginning with the

Marshal Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his death ...

stamps of 1945.

Independence

With the resumption of independence in 1991, the

Republic of Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

again reinstated the Croatian Post, with the first new postage stamp being an airmail issued 9 September 1991, and with the first new regular postage stamp being issued on 21 November 1991. However, on 1 April 1991 Croatia had issued a postal tax stamp, required on all mail during the month of April 1991, with the tax payable to the State's Worker’s Fund. The stamp was affixed alongside the regular Yugoslav postage stamps which paid the transmittal fees. Croatia joined the Universal Postal Union on 20 July 1992, and was an initial participating country in the WADP Numbering System. StampSerbianKrajina1993Michel1

Serbian Krajina

Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb state within Croatia during the

Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yugosl ...

which issued its own stamps. Serbian Krajina was disbanded in 1995 and the eastern part placed under

UNTAES The United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium (UNTAES) was a UN peacebuilding transitional administration in the Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Syrmia in the eastern parts of Croatia ...

administration until reintegration into Croatia in 1998.

Fiume (Rijeka)

In 1918 with the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire,

Rijeka Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...

was disputed between Italy and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. For a very short time, overprinted Hungarian stamps were used, but in 1919 Italian irredentists established the

Italian Regency of Carnaro The Italian Regency of Carnaro ( it, Reggenza Italiana del Carnaro), also known in Italian as (), was a self-proclaimed state in the city of Fiume (now Rijeka, Croatia) led by Gabriele d'Annunzio between 1919 and 1920. ''Impresa di Fiume'' ...

which issued its own stamps. These were replaced by the stamps of the

Free State of Fiume The Free State of Fiume () was an independent free state that existed between 1920 and 1924. Its territory of comprised the city of Fiume (today Rijeka, Croatia) and rural areas to its north, with a corridor to its west connecting it to the K ...

. On 21 March 1924, following the

Treaty of Rome The Treaty of Rome, or EEC Treaty (officially the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community), brought about the creation of the European Economic Community (EEC), the best known of the European Communities (EC). The treaty was sig ...

between Italy and Yugoslavia, the two countries agreed to partition the territory.Scott (2008) "Fiume" ''Scott 2009 Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue Volume 2'' (165th edition)

Scott Publishing Co. The Scott catalogue of postage stamps, published by Scott Publishing Company, now a subsidiary of Amos Media, is updated annually and lists all the stamps of the world that its editors recognize as issued for postal purposes. It is published in fo ...

, Sidney, Ohio, page 1164.

Dalmatia

Before World War I, the stamps of Austria were used in

. Some parts of Dalmatia were occupied by Italy during World War I, and used Italian stamps. In 1919 Italy printed special stamps for these Dalmatian territories. In 1920, this occupation was confirmed by the

Treaty of Rapallo Following World War I there were two Treaties of Rapallo, both named after Rapallo, a resort on the Ligurian coast of Italy: * Treaty of Rapallo, 1920, an agreement between Italy and the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (the later Yugoslav ...

, including the annexation of Zadar to Italy. Following which Italian stamps were used. After the 1943 surrender of Italy to the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

in World War II these former Italian parts of Dalmatia were occupied by German troops and Italian stamps were overprinted by German authorities for use. After troops under Marshal Tito took these areas, the stamps of Yugoslavia were used.

Notes

External links

The Chronology of Postal Authorities Issuing Stamps in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
* {{PostalhistoryEurope Philately of Croatia