Commission / Interalliee Allenstein District Plebiscite - 1920

COMMISSION / INTERALLIEE (Allied Commission) after WWI designated a plebiscite be held in the Allenstein District  on 11 July 1920.

Allenstein (Olsztyn in Polish) was a city - county that was originally established by the monastic Teutonic Knights in the 14th Century. The word "Allenstein", in German, means "Castle on the Alle River" (now the Lyna River). The Teutonic Knights began construction of Ordensburg Castle,  in 1347, and it was completed in 1397. Over the next 400 years, Allenstein changed hands many times between the Teutonic Knights, the Kingdom of Prussia, and the Kingdom of Sweden.

In 1772, during the first partition of Poland, Allenstein became part of the Prussian Empire. In 1871, when the German Empire was created, it then became part of the state of East Prussia.

After World War I, Allenstein, having both ethnic Polish and German inhabitants, came under the control of the League of Nations. A plebiscite or referendum was then held to determine whether Allenstein would remain part of German East Prussia or whether it would become part of the new Republic of Poland.

In April of 1920, contemporary postage stamps of the Weimar Republic were overprinted in two styles to publicise the upcoming referendum that would determine Allenstein's fate.

The first type overprint consisted of PLÉBISCITE / OLSZTYN / ALLENSTEIN. They are shown here, including the 15 Pf. in violet/brown stamp which was issued later. These postage stamps were valid for use until 30 August 1920. Despite their brief period of use, they are all relatively common in both mint and used condition.

-   5 Pf. green

- 10 Pf. carmine

- 15 Pf. grey

- 15 Pf. violet/brown

- 20 Pf. blue 

- 30 Pf.  orange/black

- 40 Pf. carmine/black

- 50 Pf. purple/black

- 75 Pf. dark blue/black

- 1 M. red

- 1.25 M. green

- 1.5 M. gold

Germania definitives were also overprinted, but they were not issued.

The second type overprint (not shown here) consisted of an oval with COMMISSION D'ADMINISTRATION ET DE PLÉBISCITE * OLSZTYN * ALLENSTEIN * around the oval and TRAITÉ / DE / VERSAILLES  inside an oval shape.

After the referendum was held almost 98% of the electorate chose to remain part of East Prussia. Allenstein became part of the Weimar Republic, and regular German stamps were used there until 1945.

After World War II, the former German state of East Prussia became part of the Republic of Poland, and today, Allenstein is known by its Polish name, Olsztyn.