The town Šeduva (Shadovo, Schadow) lies on the railway line Šiauliai – Daugavpils, 35 km west of Šiauliai. During the battles for Šiauliai, the railway station of Šeduva was an object of serious contention and was first raided by Bavarian cavalry (Bayersche Kavallerie-Division) on May 5, 1915, then finally taken by infantry of 1. Reserve-Division on July 22.
During the German withdrawal from Russia at the end of 1918, Šeduva was entered by Red Army’s vanguard early in January 1919. Bolshevik units were pushed out on March 14, 1919 by joint efforts of Lithuanian regulars and Regiment Kettner (subordinated to Generalkommando 52).
In czarist times, Šeduva had had a post office (Shadovo) but none during the German occupation. A Soviet post office was planned or actually opened during the short Bolshevik period but there is no surviving evidence of its activity.
A mandate to establish a Lithuanian post office was issued, as įgaliotinis, to Anatolius Rozanavičius (apparently a previous postal official) as from April 1, 1919. As postmaster, he continued into 1920 and later.
For stamps, Šeduva was supplied with Fourth Berlin Issue etc. but it is not clear whether it had been provided with any Kaunas Issues.
Early cancelling was done in manuscript, indicating place and date. No other provisional postal markings are known.
A regular calendar-type postmarker was supplied in the second half of 1919.
Known provisional markings:
Cancelling in manuscript:
11 / IV 19 cover to Germany, Berlin IV 20, 40 [colln. Bubnys]