Many early German postmarks have the word (Mark) following the town name. Example: Mittenwalde (Mark). Google translates Mark for me as "borderland." But I haven't been able to find a clearer explanation of exactly what that means. (Yes, I'm sure it doesn't refer to the former monetary unit of Germany.) Can anyone please give me an exact explanation? My thanks in advance.
The marks used to be areas/counties at the border of the kingdom to prevent it from attacks. They could be found in many countries. Here some information about it ...
There is a similar word used in Britain: The Marches. These are perhaps most commonly found between England/Scotland And England/Wales. In Scotland, it also has the meaning "boundary" with some towns having a Riding the Marches event.
In the case of Mittenwalde, the specific Mark in question would be the Mark of Brandenburg. Even though it was no longer an official political entity by the time postage stamps were introduced, the name was (and is) still used to refer to the region. Mittenwalde is 30 km southeast of Berlin.
What tommtomm wrote is generally the case. It is where the English word Margrave derives from. In the case of Mittenwalde, what erilaz wrote is also the case. This particular Mittenwalde is located in the historic Mark of Brandenburg.
Duplicate town names exist in Germany. To distinguish between these towns, you may find a regional indication between brackets.
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Posted 05/11/2020 08:40 am
