Explanation: When the North German Confederation was founded, the postal system was organised as a unified state transport authority with the simultaneous disappearance of the territorial postal institutions. Bremen received a federal post office. In 1871, postal sovereignty was transferred to the German Reich. In 1874, the Reichspostverwaltung appointed Bremen as the seat of an Oberpostdirektion, which became the medium Reichspostbehörde. In addition to the territory of Bremen, its area of responsibility included the part of the administrative district of Hanover on the left bank of the Weser, parts of the administrative district of Stade and the administrative district of Thedinghausen in Brunswick. Until the First World War she was also responsible for the postal services in German New Guinea, on the Caroline Islands, Mariana Islands, Palau and Marshall Islands and Samoa. From 1934-1945 the Oberpostdirektion was called Reichspostdirektion Bremen. In 1943 it also took over the district of the Oldenburg management, which had until then been independent, and which included the Weser-Ems district. The privatization of Deutsche Bundespost was initiated in 1989, and in 1990 it was separated into the postal service and telecommunications divisions at OPD. At the end of 1992, the Postal Directorate was divided into the Postal Service and Telecommunications Directorates. Since 1995 they have been part of Deutsche Post AG and Deutsche Telekom AG. Lit.: Christian Piefke, Die Entstehung der Oberpostdirektion Bremen, in: Postgeschichtliche Blätter aus der Weser-Ems-Gebiet, Vol. 1, H. 1, 1955, S. 2-3; Werner Guddat, 100 Jahre Oberpostdirektion Bremen, Leer 1974; Theodor Windmann, 100 Jahre Oberpostdirektion Bremen, in: Postgeschichtliche Hefte Weser-Ems, Vol. 1, 1955, S. 2-3. 4, H. 4, 1973, p. 77-84; Johannes Rust, Die Postgeschichte des Bezirks der Reichspostdirektion Bremen für den Kriegsjahre 1939-1945, Bremen 1949; K. Johanns, Die ersten Schritte. Attempt to reconstruct postal conditions in the Reichspostdirektions district of Bremen after the end of the Second World War until the resumption of limited correspondence on 1 July 1945, in: Philatelie und Postgeschichte, 20, No. 89, 1986, p. 1-19; Alexis Wegener, Die Post in Bremen und Bremerhaven 1945-1964, in: Wachsende Städte an der Unterweser, 1965, p. 88-96; Der OPD-Bezirk Bremen, in: Zeitschrift für das Post- u. Fernmeldewesen, 7 (1955), p. 41-53; Oberpostdirektion Bremen (ed.), Oberpostdirektion Bremen im neuen Haus, Bremen 1985; Herbert Leclerc, Von Apia bis Yap. Former German postal institutions in the South Seas, in: Archiv für deutsche Postgeschichte 1982, pp. 7-32; Fritz Thole, Die Leiter der Oberpostdirektion Bremen, in: Postgeschichtliche Blätter aus dem Weser-Emsgebiet, vol. 1, H. 1, 1955, p. 3, H. 3, 1956, p. 29-38, vol. 2, H. 6, 1961, p. 118-119. Reference: Christian Piefke, Die Entstehung der Oberpostdirektion Bremen, in: Postgeschichtliche Blätter aus der Weser-Ems-Gebiet, vol. 1, H. 1, 1955, p. 2-3; Werner Guddat, 100 Jahre Oberpostdirektion Bremen, Leer 1974; Theodor Windmann, 100 Jahre Oberpostdirektion Bremen, in: Postgeschichtliche Hefte Weser-Ems, vol. 4, H. 4, 1973, p. 77-84; Johannes Rust, Die Postgeschichte des Bezirks der Reichspostdirektion Bremen für die Kriegsjahre 1939-1945, Bremen 1949; K. Johanns, Die ersten Schritte. Attempt to reconstruct postal conditions in the Reichspostdirektions district of Bremen after the end of the Second World War until the resumption of limited correspondence on 1 July 1945, in: Philatelie und Postgeschichte, 20, No. 89, 1986, p. 1-19; Alexis Wegener, Die Post in Bremen und Bremerhaven 1945-1964, in: Wachsende Städte an der Unterweser, 1965, p. 88-96; Der OPD-Bezirk Bremen, in: Zeitschrift für das Post- u. Fernmeldewesen, 7 (1955), p. 41-53; Oberpostdirektion Bremen (ed.), Oberpostdirektion Bremen im neuen Haus, Bremen 1985; Herbert Leclerc, Von Apia bis Yap. Former German Post Offices in the South Seas, in: Archiv für deutsche Postgeschichte 1982, pp. 7-32; Fritz Thole, Die Leiter der Oberpostdirektion Bremen, in: Postgeschichtliche Blätter aus dem Weser-Ems-Gebiet, vol. 1, h. 1, 1955, pp. 3, h. 3, 1956, pp. 29-38, vol. 2, h. 6, 1961, pp. 118-119.

Contains: Acceptance of the airship Z 1 as well as the use of the national donation for further projects of Count Zeppelin, correspondence between the ministries with marginal remarks of the emperor and statement of the Minister of War Preußisch-Sächsische Verständigung in Sachen der Schiffahrtsabgaben, statement of the Minister of Public Works, Feb. 24, 1909 Course of the English royal visit to Berlin and conduct of the All-German Association, Protocol of the Ministry of State, Feb. 13, 1909. Feb. 1909 Determination of the Imperial Budget 1909 for the Imperial Office of the Interior, Report of the State Secretary of the Imperial Treasury, 16 March 1909 So-called Prussian harmlessness certificate for draft laws of the Imperial State, Letter of the Imperial Chancellery, 14 March 1909 Export of horses to Serbia, Report of the President of the Government in Poznan as well as Decision of the State Ministry, 19th February 1909. March 1909 transit of an imperial mail steamer from Sydney to Apia (Samoa), report of the R e i c h s m a r i n e a m t , 15 March 1909 grouping of the customs supervisors into the pay scale, letter of the Ministry of State, 26 Apr. 1909 indiscretion of an official in connection with press attacks against the RVO, letter of the Ministry of State, 26 Apr. 1909 Protection against acts of terror of the social democratic workers at the Kieler Werft, submission of the National Workers Association for Kiel and the surrounding area, 15 June 1909 applications for the Reich budget for 1910 and the necessity of a reduction of the expenditures, report of the Reich Treasury Office, 26 Aug. 1909 Political situation in North Schleswig, report of the Ministry for Agriculture, Domains and Forests, 30 Sept. 1909 Date for the convening of the Reichstag, letter of the Ministry of State, 23 Sept. 1909 Okt. 1909 Stimmung im Ruhrgebiet, Bericht des Büros für Sozialpolitik, 26. Nov. 1909 Participation of civil servants in the Katowice city elections and their casting of votes for Wielkopolska deputies and transfer of these civil servants by the Royal Prussian Government, report of the District President and discussion of the ministers, 30. Nov. 1909 Miners' movement in the Rhine-Westphalian coal district, report of the President of Police, 23. Nov. 1909 Interpellations in the Reichstag because of the election procedures in Katowice and because of the Mecklenburg constitutional question, statement of the State Ministry, Dec. 14, 1909 use of the Privy Legation Council Klehmet in the Reich Office of the Interior, instruction of the Reich Chancellor, March 8, 1909 request of the Landtag for the absence of the Minister of Culture, reply letter of the State Ministry, March 24, 1909 Apr. 1909 Position of the German Reich Party on inheritance tax rates, position of the Reich Chancellor on a letter from the Duke of Trachenberg, 6 May 1909 Efforts to obtain the title of Privy Government Councillor for Dr. Levin-Stoelping from another side, memo from Jonquieres to the Minister, 29 May 1909 Arbeitskammer-Gesetz as well as the position of the coal industrialists on this, report of the licentiate Mumm, 29 May 1909. Oct. 1909 Sending of persons to the art exhibition in Rome 1911, submission of the German Art Cooperative to Lewald as well as letter from Prof. A. Kampf, 29 Oct. 1909 demonstration in Mulhouse/Alsace, cover letter of the Reich Chancellery, 23 Dec. 1909 investigations after the author of an article in the Weserzeitung, report of the Minister of State Delbrück to the President of the Ministry of State, 29 Dec. 1909

Contains among other things: Rules of Procedure for the Imperial Government of Apia of 1 July 1910

Contains among other things: Map of the road network in the city and planting district of Apia; M.: 1:20 000, 1909

Contains among other things: Celebrations on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the German colonial rule Financial Control Minutes of meetings of the Government Council Petition of the Pflanzer-Verein von Deutsch-Samoa. Apia, Feb. 8, 1910 Rules of Procedure for the Imperial Government in Apia, July 1, 1910

Dr. Erich Schulz, Chief Justice of the Imperial Government, in front of his house in Apia in the German colony of Samoa / Photographer: Scherl

Contains among other things: Draft and situation plan for the construction of the hospital in Apia

Contains among other things: "Bussard" - Auckland, Sydney, Apia "Arcona", "Alexandrine", "Marie" - Valparaiso report on political conditions in Samoa in May 1895 arms trade to Samoa by German company Frings

Contains among other things: Monthly Shipments of Ceylon Black Tea to all Ports in 1908-1909. Petition of the Pflanzerverein von Samoa to the German Reichstag, Apia, Nov. 1911.

View of the Villa Vailima in Apia, currently the seat of the German Governor of the Samoa Colony / Photographer: Scherl

Contains also: Printed matter about the former Deutsch-Samoa compensation affairs of Samoa-Plantagen GmbH in Apia