60-740: (Redirected from Imperial Post Office ) The Imperial Post , Imperial Post Office , or Imperial Postal Service may refer to: The Kaiserliche Reichspost of the Holy Roman Empire The Thurn-und-Taxis Post , its successor The Chinese Imperial Post of the late Qing Dynasty in China , administered by the Chinese Maritime Customs Service The Russian Post before 1917 The British General Post Office before
120-444: A Dutch dialect which is distinct from other Brabantic dialects. Since 1995, a subscribers' quarterly, De Mecheleir , shows old photographs of Mechelen and has stories on the local history, as well as a few columns written mimicking the dialect, for which there is no standard spelling. Historically famous Mechlinian trades include laken (woollen cloth), tapestries , cordwain , Mechlin lace (precious bobbin lace , already from
180-591: A dark green granite socle – the tallest granite Buddha in Europe. The Refuge of Grimbergen, the Refuge of Villers, the Refuge of Rozendaal, the Refuge of Sint-Truiden and the Refuge of Tongerlo, are retreat mansions for distant abbeys, the latter now housing the Manufacturer De Wit which restores the finest tapestries , for which Flanders was famous in the 16th century. The Lakenhal (a cloth hall ) and
240-478: A database of stolen, non-insured and cars listed for other reasons. In case of a positive match, an alarm is generated in the dispatching room, enabling the police to quickly intercept the car. Mechelen was one of the first cities in Belgium to use ANPR on this scale. As of early 2012, 1 million cars per week are checked in this way. Mechelen started this project with SAIT Zenitel. Mechelen and Willebroek formed
300-624: A famous place of pilgrimage in Belgium, was designed by native architect Lucas Faydherbe , some of whose sculptures can also be found in the cathedral, and was completed in 1876. The Kerk van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-over-de-Dijle (Church of Our Lady across the river Dijle) and the Sint-Janskerk exhibit work from Rubens , including 'The Adoration of the Magi' and 'The Miraculous Draught of Fishes' respectively. Other important churches in Mechelen include
360-555: A matter of months) by France and England, although initially they wanted to restrict the development of private mail. "The French postal network was soon denser than the imperial one, while Henry VII (r. 1485-1509) and subsequent Tudor monarchs remained content with a line of communication from Dover to London and from London to Berwick on the Scottish border." The Habsburg system gained in importance when Philip expanded it to Spain though. It became so successful that it would function until
420-429: A postal system on their own. Other European governments tried to develop their own models as well, but efforts usually proved short-lived, as in the case Louis XI 's ambitious project. It was founded by the brothers Janetto and Francesco Tasso ( Franz von Taxis ) together with Maximilian of Austria in 1495, on the basis of the pre-existing Italian models and the courier networks built by Frederick III and Charles
480-551: A settlement of about five wooden houses, at Nekkerspoel . The area of Mechelen was settled on the banks of the river during the Gallo-Roman period as evidenced by several Roman ruins and roads. Upon Rome's declining influence during 3rd–4th centuries, the area became inhabited by Germanic tribes . A few centuries later, it was christianized , assumedly by the Irish or Scottish missionary St Rumbold (Dutch: Rombout ), who
540-634: Is Bart Somers (Open Vld) since 2001. In October 2019 Alexander Vandersmissen became acting mayor because Bart Somers became minister in the Flemish government, he retains the title of mayor. The Vld-Groen-M+ kartel got an absolute majority of seats in the October 2018 election . The 2019-2024 city council, elected in October 2018, consists of: The city of Mechelen uses ANPR cameras since September 2011 to check all inbound and outbound cars against
600-478: Is a city and municipality in the province of Antwerp in the Flemish Region of Belgium . The municipality comprises the city of Mechelen proper, some quarters at its outskirts, the hamlets of Nekkerspoel (adjacent) and Battel (a few kilometers away), as well as the villages of Walem, Heffen , Leest, Hombeek, and Muizen. The river Dyle (Dijle) flows through the city, hence it is often referred to as
660-545: Is described in the chronicles of the city of Memmingen report: In this year they began to establish the posts at the order of Maximilian I the Roman king, from Austria all the way to the Netherlands, France, and Rome. Everywhere one post was separated from another by five miles [38 kilometers] [...] Other authors note that the notable feature of the system was that it was the first public-access postal system (mainly due to
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#1732772066418720-473: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Kaiserliche Reichspost Kaiserliche Reichspost ( German: [ˈʁaɪçsˌpɔst] , Imperial Mail ), originally named Niederländische Postkurs (Low Countries' postal route), was the name of the international postal service of the Holy Roman Empire , founded in 1490. Often considered
780-612: Is pulled about on a sheet as part of the Ommegang. Nowadays, it is the replica that is so pulled around the city. A recent bronze statue depicting the Opsinjoorke stands in front of the Belfry. The annual parade of carts decorated with flowers (comparable to that of Blankenberge for Mechlinian florists still prepare up to half of decorations), and with vegetables—all of which are local to the area—has been indefinitely canceled since
840-573: Is still brewed in the city at Het Anker brewery, one of the oldest breweries in Belgium. Mechelen has an oceanic climate ( Köppen Cfb ). Mechelen has a narrow temperature range between seasons for its high latitude, despite its inland position. Summers are warm and occasionally hot, whereas winters usually remain above freezing. Similar to Belgium as a whole, the climate is relatively cloudy and receives frequent rainfall, often light. Home of two old Belgian football clubs, founded in 1904: K.R.C. Mechelen and K.V. Mechelen . The latter contributed to
900-474: Is the largest co-operative vegetable auction in Europe. One of the four breeds of the Belgian Sheepdog is the local Malinois . The Mechelse koekoek is a local poultry breed, fleshy chickens with black and white feathers which extend on the birds' legs, with colours reminiscent of a cuckoo , hence the name. Mechelsen Bruynen was allegedly the emperor Charles V 's favourite beer. A version
960-616: The Dijlestad ("City on the Dyle"). Mechelen lies on the major urban and industrial axis Brussels – Antwerp , about 25 km (16 mi) from each city. Inhabitants find employment at Mechelen's southern industrial and northern office estates, as well as at offices or industry near the capital and Brussels Airport , or at industrial plants near Antwerp's seaport . Mechelen is one of Flanders' prominent cities of historical art, with Antwerp , Bruges , Brussels , Ghent , and Leuven . It
1020-728: The Eighty Years' War , the city was burned and sacked by the Spanish during the Spanish Fury at Mechelen . After this pillaging, the city was rebuilt. It was sacked again in 1580 during the English Fury at Mechelen . It was during this time that the tradition of furniture making, still seen today, began. In 1718, a major rebellion took place in the city, angry mobs entered the Town Hall. During this time Lord Pierre de Romrée
1080-656: The Imperial cities and smaller principalities often developed their own communication system. After the accession of Rudolph's brother Emperor Matthias in 1612, a second route was established from Cologne via Frankfurt , Aschaffenburg , and Nuremberg to Bohemia and later also to Leipzig and Hamburg . After the Thirty Years' War and the Peace of Westphalia , Postmaster General Count Lamoral II Claudius Franz von Thurn und Taxis and his successors had to deal with
1140-667: The Late Middle Ages and it even became the capital of the Low Countries (very roughly the Netherlands , Belgium and Luxembourg ) in the first half of the 16th century under Archduchess Margaret of Austria . During the 16th century, the city's political influence decreased dramatically, due to many governmental institutions being moved to Brussels in 1530 and after the gunpowder magazine explosion of 1546. Mechelen compensated for this by increasing prominence in
1200-666: The Malines Conversations , presided over by Cardinal Mercier and attended by Anglican divines and laymen, including Lord Halifax , was the most significant of early attempts at the reconciliation between the Anglican and Roman Catholic Churches. Most cities in Flanders have a mock name for their inhabitants. Since 1687, for their heroic attempt to fight the fire high up in the Saint-Rumbold's Tower, where
1260-608: The Ultimate club Freespect is located in Mechelen. There are several important cathedrals and churches in Mechelen. Most famous is Sint-Romboutskathedraal ( St. Rumbold's Cathedral ) with its dominating tower, which was consecrated in 1312 and is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as part of the Belfries of Belgium and France site. The domed, baroque Basiliek van Onze-Lieve-Vrouw-van-Hanswijk ,
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#17327720664181320-868: The Wittelsbach rival Charles VII in the War of the Austrian Succession , their services were indispensable, and Maria Theresa 's husband Emperor Francis I officially re-implemented the Thurn und Taxis monopoly in 1746. Two years later, the postal authority moved to Regensburg , seat of the Imperial Diet . The family had accumulated extreme wealth; nonetheless, it was devastated by the Napoleonic Wars . The last Postmaster General, Prince Karl Alexander von Thurn und Taxis , lost his office with
1380-482: The 14th-century Belfry beside it are now incorporated with the modern City Hall complex on the main square. The hall and belfry are part of the Belfries of Belgium and France World Heritage Site for their civic importance and architecture. The Brusselpoort , the last remaining of the city's twelve gates was built in the 13th century. Along with the Schepenhuis, the oldest stone-built city hall in Flanders and
1440-586: The 16th-19th centuries, and their houses still remain today. The Hof van Savoye was built for Margaret of Austria while she was regent of the Netherlands and in it she raised the later Charles Quint . It is one of the first Renaissance buildings north of the Alps and was converted to the meeting place of for courts of justice in 1609. In addition, Mechelen contains the "Hof van Nassau", a 15th-century building which served as temporary court of Margaret of York when she arrived in Mechelen after her marriage with Charles
1500-459: The 500th anniversary of the birth of Charles V . This cortege shows the city's six 15th–17th-century processional giants and other serious and humoresque puppets and carts, all typically made on a huge scale, and has been UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity since 2005. The city's 17th-century wooden mascot, which since 1775 has been called Opsinjoorke 'the doll',
1560-638: The Bold , as well as the palace she resided in after Charles's death. Other notable houses from the time period include: Mechelen also contains many museums, parks, and zoos: Mechelen also contains the Royal Carillon School "Jef Denyn" where carillonneurs come from around the world to study the carillon and to play the instrument. Other sites in Mechelen include: There are over 300 protected monuments in Mechelen. The city council consists of 43 councillors, elected every six years. The mayor
1620-457: The Bold . The Bergamascan Tasso family had built up postal routes throughout Italy since c. 1290 and Jannetto's uncle Ruggiero had worked for Frederick III since the mid-15th century. After the marriage of Archduke Maximilian of Austria and Mary of Burgundy , to have a better line of communication to govern the Habsburgs' scattered territories, Maximilian commissioned
1680-554: The Empire's dissolution on 6 August 1806, but his postal authority continued as the Frankfurt-based Thurn-und-Taxis Post until the unification of Germany . According to Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger , "The decisive innovative aspect of this system was the creation of postal stations where riders could change horses quickly, thus accelerating the speed with which they spread information. To consolidate
1740-629: The Fuggers and other trading companies had their most important branches in these ports." Confirmed by Emperor Rudolph II in 1595, the Imperial postal service remained a monopoly of the Thurn und Taxis family (officially hereditary from 1615 onwards) until it was terminated with the end of the Empire in 1806. The Imperial Reichspost was first based in Mechelen , before being moved to Brussels in
1800-606: The Low Countries and Spain. The Deutsche Post considers itself the continuation of the system. In 1990, they celebrate the 500th year of the Reichspost's establishment. [REDACTED] Media related to Thurn and Taxis at Wikimedia Commons Mechelen Mechelen ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɛxələ(n)] ; French : Malines [malin] ; historically known as Mechlin in English )
1860-457: The Netherlands, from where the original ("Dutch") route led via Namur , Bastogne , Lieser , Wöllstein , Rheinhausen , and Augsburg to Innsbruck and Trento . It was also used to bypass the Kingdom of France in order to keep in touch with Habsburg Spain during times of hostility. Brussels was the side that organized and paid for the system. Competing services were prohibited, although
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1920-564: The Taxis that allowed them to operate unhampered by interference from the state, as long as they maintained standards in accordance with the Habsburgs' interests. On January 18, 1505, Philip unified communication between Germany, the Netherlands, France and Spain by adding stations in Granada, Toledo, Blois, Paris and Lyon. Charles of Burgundy, later Charles V , continued to develop the system after his father's death. Behringer notes that, "Whereas
1980-601: The Taxis to organize the first postal line from Mechelen to Innsbruck . Maximilian's son Philip, as Duke of Burgundy and King of Castile, expanded the Habsburg postal system established by his father. In 1500, the centre of the system was transferred to Brussels by Franz von Taxis, whom Philip made his postmaster-general. At first, urged by his father, Philip tried to take over the system, but he realized that his bureaucrats were unable to run it efficiently. Thus he made an agreement (later renewed by Charles of Burgundy) with
2040-691: The baroque Begijnhofkerk (Church of the Beguines, dedicated to St. Alexis and St. Catherine); the former Jesuit church Sint-Pieter en Pauluskerk (Saints Peter and Paul); and the present Jesuit Church of Our Lady of Leliendaal . Other religious buildings in Mechelen include the Palace of the Archbishop of the Archbishopric of Mechelen-Brussels , still in use for its original purpose by the current Archbishop De Kesel . These palaces may not be open to
2100-464: The beginning of the 21st century due to lack of financing by the city. In spring, a legendary holy statue of Our Lady is the main feature in the Procession of Hanswijk. Mechelen used to have its own newspaper called de Krijgstrompet , which was the official newspaper of the army. Informally, many Mechlinians ( Dutch Mechelaars , locally pronounced Mecheleirs ) speak Mechlinian ( Mechels ),
2160-601: The city came under the rule of the Dukes of Burgundy , marking the beginning of a prosperous period. In 1473, Charles the Bold moved several political bodies to the city, and Mechelen served as the seat of the Superior Court until the French Revolution . In 1490, a regular postal service between Mechelen and Innsbruck was established. The highly lucrative cloth trade gained Mechelen wealth and power during
2220-512: The destruction of the city's fortified walls – their former location however continues to be referred to in the Latin terms intra muros (within the walls) and extra muros (outside), and meanwhile the site became that of the inner ring road. The city entered the industrial age in the 19th century. In 1835, the first railway on the European continent linked Brussels with Mechelen, which became
2280-522: The early 18th century), wood carving and sculpturing , and furniture. Mechelen was at the heart of the revival of the carillon in the early 20th century, and hosts its principal school in the world to this day. The area around Mechelen is famous for the cultivation of vegetables, among which are Belgian endive ( witloof ), asparagus , and cauliflower . Founded in the city, the Mechelse Veilingen in neighbouring Sint-Katelijne-Waver
2340-500: The early modern communications system and the legal status of its participants were invented at these negotiations." He confirmed Jannetto's son Giovanni Battista as Postmaster General ( chief et maistre general de noz postes par tous noz royaumes, pays, et seigneuries ) in 1520. By Charles V's time, "the Holy Roman Empire had become the centre of the European communication(s) universe." Augsburg benefitted majorly from
2400-425: The end of the Holy Roman Empire . The system quickly became a Europe-wide, fee-based, regular and reliable service. The English system, established by Henry VIII in 1512, also had to begin to carry private mails partly to raise revenue and partly to allow the government to keep an eye on public communication. It became open to public use in 1635. Dewald comments, "Unlike in ancient Rome or China, no European ruler
2460-672: The establishment of separate postal agencies, mainly by the Protestant Imperial States of Northern German but also in several lands of the Habsburg monarchy , leading to long-lasting disputes over their range of authority. In the course of the War of the Spanish Succession , the Thurn und Taxis seat was relocated from Brussels to the Free City of Frankfurt in 1702. Though the dynasty had sided with
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2520-416: The financing problems): the mingling of private and government mails broke a threshold. It became open to private mail since the early sixteenth century, with fees being fixed. This was the first modern postal service in the world and initiated a revolution in communication in Europe. Maximilian had intended that the system would serve the Habsburgs alone. But the initiative was emulated immediately (in
2580-455: The gothic windows had shown the flaring of only the moon between clouds, Mechlinians have been called Maneblussers (moon extinguishers). Once every 25 years, a parade , the Ommegang , commemorates both the arrival of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I , father of Archduchess Margaret of Austria , and also other major events of the city's past. The Ommegang had an extra edition in 2000 for
2640-476: The historical seat of the 'Grote Raad' ( Great Council or Supreme Court ), and the gothic - renaissance Hof van Busleyden where Hieronymus van Busleyden received Erasmus , Thomas More , and the later Pope Adrian VI , now house the City Museum. The Vismarkt (former fish market) is a 16th-century square located near the heart of the city along the river Dijle. Many famous people resided in Mechelen in
2700-638: The hub of the Belgian railway network. This led to a development of metalworking industries, among others the central railway workshops which are still located in the town today. During the Second World War , the extensive Mechlinian railway structure had caused the Nazi occupation forces to choose Mechelen for their infamous transit camp . Over 25,000 Jews and Roma were sent by rail to Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp from Mechelen. The site of
2760-423: The innovation lay with a combination of different elements – a setup in which nearly all known organizational means of conveying information were combined to give rise to the early modern postal system: post stations at regular intervals, changes of horses and couriers, fixed delivery times, acceleration through continuous transport, and—implicitly—the organizational framework of the state. This setup, created in 1490,
2820-622: The international glamour of the city by winning the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the European Super Cup in 1988. The number of lesser local teams shows this sport's popularity: Rapid Leest, Sporting Mechelen, Leest Utd., VV Leest, Walem, SK.Heffen, Zennester Hombeek, FC Muizen. In 1985 , the city hosted the Canoe Sprint World Championships . Home of the rugby union club Mechelen RFC . Also
2880-579: The mid-20th century The India Post under the British Raj Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Imperial Post . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_Post&oldid=1256870032 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
2940-907: The public in general but do offer a good external view. The Klein Begijnhof and the Groot Begijnhof (Small and Large Beguinages ), which house lay religious women, form part of the Flemish Béguinages World Heritage Site. The grounds of the Theravada Buddhist place of worship Wat Dhammapateep (Temple of the Flame of Truth or Reality as taught by the Enlightened One) has since 2005 housed a green granite Buddha, sculptured in China, seated on
3000-403: The reign of Emperor Maximilian, when private use of the imperial posts was still illegal, the terminuses of the first transcontinental post lines were already shifted from Innsbruck to Venice in the south, and from Brussels to Antwerp in the north. News arrived from all over the world in these towns, and this is where the communication and news businesses started to merge. And even more importantly,
3060-444: The religious arena: in 1559 it was proclaimed the Archdiocese of Mechelen , seat of religious authority over the territory that would eventually become Belgium. In 1961, "Brussels" was added to the title, resulting in the current Archdiocese of Mechelen–Brussels . Mechelen also retained further relevance as the Great Council of Mechelen remained the supreme court of the territory until the French Revolutionary Wars . In 1572, during
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#17327720664183120-479: The status of private mail remains unclear in the treaty of 1506, it is obvious from the contract of 1516 that the Taxis company had the right to carry mail and keep the profit as long as it guaranteed the delivery of court mail at clearly defined speeds, regulated by time sheets to be filled in by the post riders on the way to their destination. In return, imperial privileges guaranteed exemption from local taxes, local jurisdiction, and military service. The terminology of
3180-441: The system further, Maximilian granted a monopoly over the post system to the noble family of Thurn and Taxis, which, in turn, made the system available to almost anyone by creating a system of fixed routes, timetables, and prices. The Imperial post system, together with the ever wider use of the printing press, brought about a veritable revolution in communication in the Empire and across Europe." Gerhard Dohrn-van Rossum opines that
3240-476: The system. Even when the Habsburg empire began to extend to other parts of Europe, Maximilian's loyalty to Augsburg, where he conducted a lot of his endeavours, meant that the imperial city became "the dominant centre of early capitalism" of the sixteenth century, and "the location of the most important post office within the Holy Roman Empire". The system quickly converged with the European trade system and an emerging market for news. According to Behringer, "During
3300-403: The transit camp and a purpose-built complex across the public square, now house the Kazerne Dossin Memorial, Museum and Documentation Centre on Holocaust and Human Rights . Several famous meetings on the Christian religion are connected to the name of the city. One in 1909 is thought to have inaugurated the Liturgical Movement . Between 1921 and 1925, a series of unofficial conferences, known as
3360-403: The world's first modern postal service, it initiated a revolution in communication in Europe. In the late 15th and early 16th century, the Habsburg dynasty had managed to develop a transoceanic empire, on which it was said that "The sun never sets", but unlike the ancient Romans and Persians or their contemporary Chinese, Russians, Aztecs, or Incas, they lacked the financial capacity to maintain
3420-423: Was able or willing to finance his or her own postal system." Under Gustavus Adolphus , the Swedish, who until this time had no such system of their own, emulated the Reichspost model too. This was why they called their communication services the Rijkspost . The system's development facilitated the Habsburgs's control over their scattered territories, especially the financial centers in South Germany, North Italy,
3480-406: Was also said to have built a monastery. Work on the cathedral that is dedicated to the saint started around 1200. Antwerp lost profitable stapelrechten (rights as first seller) for wool, oats and salt to Mechelen in 1303 when John II , Duke of Brabant , granted city rights to the town. This started a rivalry between these cities that would last well into the 20th century. In the 15th century,
3540-447: Was mayor of Mechelen. The chaos ended when the Emperor formally requested the President of the Great Council to restore peace. On 18 June, Christophe-Ernest de Baillet received a full list of the people who led the troubles. The President received the support of multiple regiments that had been sent by imperial command. After negotiations de Baillet restored peace and order in the city. In 1781, Joseph II, Holy Roman Emperor , ordered
3600-513: Was notably a centre for artistic production during the Northern Renaissance , when painters, printmakers, illuminators and composers of polyphony were attracted by patrons such as Margaret of York , Margaret of Austria and Hieronymus van Busleyden . Archaeological proof of habitation during the La Tène era in the triangle Brussels – Leuven – Antwerp , mainly concentrated around Mechelen, which originated in wetlands, includes an 8.4-metre-long (28 ft) canoe cut from an oak tree trunk and
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