“Mes bons et chers amis”: the correspondence of the interned Bourbaki soldiers
On 17 February 1871, internee Émile Bellenger writes to his sister's family in Chateauroux, France. The letter is addressed to Eugène, the sister's husband. Still weakened from the rigors of war, Émile is staying at the Les Terreaux military hospital in Neuchâtel. Since it was written by an internee, the letter will reach France free of charge. This is indicated by the information next to the address.
Custom letters
The Geneva Convention provides free postage for prisoners of war, but not for internees. In order to ensure free correspondence nevertheless, free stamps and pre-printed cards are produced and distributed to the internees - according to the instructions of the Federal Council. The military department explicitly motivated the internees to correspond with their relatives regarding their condition and whereabouts. Those unable to write receive help from literate locals. However, the message can’t be too heavy: 20 grams is the maximum weight!
Post haste
In accordance with Federal Council regulations, those who do not, do not yet, or do not currently possess free stamps, can mark the letter with the word “Gratis” or the “Franco” postmark. By agreement with the French authorities, incoming mail to internees is also delivered free of charge - this is again indicated by the “Franco” postmark. Exceptions to the rule are the areas occupied by the Germans - here, both postage and validation must be applied. Nonetheless, many letters from internees were cancelled by postmark - probably an oversight out of habit. Of course, cards are also written in Arabic - they travel to the Algerian colonial areas. The free stamps are produced by letterpress printing on rubberised purple paper. Rushing the process decreases the quality: many of the stamps still existing today have faded in various shades over time.
Pioneers
As early as 1870, the Red Cross vignette was created by private Red Cross aid societies. However, since it was issued by a private relief organization and not by the postal service, the federal government first had to grant it the status of “postage paid”. Philatelic detail: Due to their brief circulation period, the free stamps of 1871 are very rare today. Its direct issuance by the Post Office also makes it a pioneer: it is the first postage-free stamp in the world.
