The township Žeimiai lies betwen Kėdainiai and Jonava. In World War One, of some importance was its railway station, 4 km south, which was raided and a segment of the strategic rail line totally destroyed by a deep German cavalry raid (Abteilung von Bonin, Bayersche Kavallerie-Division) on May 7, 1915. After a Russian counteroffensive, Žeimiai was conclusively secured during German preparations to take the Kaunas fortress.
After the German withdrawal from Russia at the end of 1918, the Red Army came close to the Kėdainiai – Jonava section and tried to break through, for East Prussia, at Kėdainiai. In the first half of February 1919 this attempt was repelled and later a counter-advance begun by Lithuanian troops together with Grenzschutz units. Žeimiai housed the headquarters of the 18th Saxonian Volunteers Regiment.
In czarist times there had been a postal facility in Žeimiai (as Zheimenskoje V.P.) or its railway station (Zhejmy). A mandate as įgaliotinis to open a Lithuanian post office at Žeimiai (at its railway station ? ) was issued to an ex-czarist postal employee Jurgis Murniekas effective from May 10, 1919.
For stamps to start with, Žeimiai had Fourth Berlin Issue, followed by the Sėjėjas Issue etc. No postmarker being available, a makeshift one-liner cachet “ŽEIMIAI” was employed. This cachet was also used for registered items by adding the serial number.
A regular postmarker showing the facility’s status as P.A. (pašto agentūra = postal agency) was supplied probably in late 1920 or 1921 [strikes are rare !].
Known provisional markings:
Cancelling by one-liner cachet:
[see registered items below]Provisional registration by one-liner and serial number:
9 no date reg. card to Kaunas, Berlin IV 10, 60 [formerly Matuzas]
79 …1920 reg. cover to Kaunas, Berlin IV 10 x4, 60 [colln. Doniela]
? date unclear back of reg. cover to Kaunas, Berlin IV 10 x11 [formerly Matuzas]