Vilkaviškis is a major town in Suvalkija, with an important railway station between Kaunas and what was East Prussia. In World War One, after changing fortunes it was conclusively taken by German infantry on February 10 – 11, 1915. After the German withdrawal from Russia at the end of 1918, Vilkaviškis and its environs remained for several months a significant transit area for German border guards, the Grenzschutz.
In the czarist period, Vilkaviškis had a post office named Volkovyshki. During the German occupation it had a branch within Postgebiet Ob.-Ost, first called Wylkowyszki, then spelled Wilkowischki, which was opened on January 15, 1916 and closed down on December 28, 1918. In Vilkaviškis there was also a stationary Feldpoststation 165 active from February 1916 until November 1918. In mid-1919 for the Grenzschutz it had Feldpost 3071.
A mandate as įgaliotinis to open a Lithuanian post office was issued, effective as from December 29, 1918, to Antanas Aušrotas, though it is not clear when the post office did in fact open for business. As from December 1, 1919, Antanas Aušrotas was replaced by Kazimieras Venclovas. Later for many years, in charge was Vladas Žilinskas.
As a very early post office Vilkaviškis was provided with the first stock of Lithuanian stamps, that is, the First Vilnius Issue and the 20 and 30 values of the Second Vilnius Issue. Second and Third Kaunas Issues followed but there seems to be no trace of First Kaunas Issue. Some mail from Vilkaviškis carries several values of the controversial First, Second and Third Berlin Issues but there is no certainty that they were obtained at Vilkaviškis. Vilkaviškis being a base and a transit stage for German Grenzschutz troops, some of whom were keen collectors, these controversial stamps may have been purchased elsewhere.
In the absence of a standard postmarker, early cancelling was done in manuscript, indicating place and date.
Altough the formal “VILKAVIŠKIS” postmarker appears on sets and singles of the First Berlin Issue with an early date “18. III.19″, this particular operation was most likely carried out in Kaunas, for at that time authentic mail from Vilkaviškis was still being pen-cancelled.
The earliest legitimate use at the Vilkaviškis P.O. of the standard “VILKAVIŠKIS” postmarker occurred between April 25 and April 28, 1919. Backdated cancellations showing the month of March can also be found on Kaunas Issues.
While Vilkaviškis was in proper possession of a calendar-type postmarker by May 1919, it took much longer to obtain a standard registration cachet. In its absence, registration was indicated by hand-drawn imitations, sometimes enhanced by a cut-out capital “R” from German-type etiquettes.
[For a more detailed account of postal history of Vilkaviškis during WWI and the immediate post-war period, including quasi-legal use of the “VILKAVIŠKIS” postmarker, see an article /in English/ by Vytautas Doniela, “Vilkaviškis 1915 – 1919” in the Journal of the Lithuania Philatelic Society /Chicago/, No. 238 (2010)]
Known provisional markings:
Cancelling in manuscript:
21? / II / 19 single, Vilnius I 10 [colln. Bubnys]
4 / II / 19 card to Berlin, Vilnius II 30 [colln. Bubnys]
5 / II / 19 letter to P.O.W. camp in Germany, Vilnius II 20, 30 [colln. Doniela]
20 / II / 19 single, Vilnius II 20 [colln. ?]
28 / II / 19 single, Berlin I 10 [formerly Norton]
26 / III / 19 reg. letter No. 20 to Kaunas, Kaunas II 30 x2 [colln. Bubnys]
25 / IV / 19 letter to Kaunas, Berlin IV 30 [colln. Lapas]
25 / IV / 19 letter to Germany Berlin I 15, Berlin II 20, 30, Berlin IV 10 [colln. Doniela]
28 / IV / 19 letter to Kaunas Berlin IV 30 [reported Norton]
28 / IV / 19 letter to Kaunas Berlin IV 30 [reported Norton]
28 / IV / 19 letter to Kaunas Berlin IV 30 [reported Norton]
28 / IV / 19 letter to Kaunas Berlin IV 30 [reported Norton]
28 / IV / 19 letter to Kaunas Berlin IV 15 x2 [reported Norton]
28 / IV / 19 letter to Kaunas Berlin IV 15 x2 [reported Norton]
1 / VI / 19 letter to Kaunas, Kaunas III 10, 20 [colln. ?]
No date single Berlin I 10 [colln. Doniela]
No date single Kaunas III 10 [colln. Doniela]Provisional registration markings:
20 26 / III / 19 reg. letter to Kaunas & MS cnc, Kaunas II 30 x2 [colln. Bubnys]
105 2 / V / 19 reg. letter to Kaunas, Berlin IV 15 x4 [colln. Doniela]
140 17 / V / 19 reg. letter to Germany with cut-out “R”, Berlin II 20, 30, Berlin IV 20, 30 [colln. Doniela]
251 1 / VII / 19 reg. cover to Dresden, Berlin IV 40, 60, 75 x2, censor’s MS “Marken Einfuhr verboten” = “import of stamps prohibited”. Returned to Vilkaviskis 8. VII. 19. [colln. ?]
? 24 / VII / 19 reg. letter [reported]
373 25 / VII / 19 reg. letter to Sweden with cut-out “R”, Berlin IV 20, 1a [colln. Brazdeikis]
384 26 / VII / 19 reg. letter to Germany with cut-out “R”, Kaunas II 60, Kaunas III 20, 40 [colln. ?]