1904 Rugen Island Germany Vintage Postcard, German Kurrent Script
About This Vintage Postcard
This evocative sepia-toned postcard captures a wooded path on the island of Rügen, Germany, leading toward the Jagdschloss Granitz (Granitz Hunting Lodge). The scene specifically depicts the "Aufstieg zum Jagdschloss" (ascent to the hunting lodge) through the dense beech forests of the Granitz nature reserve. The building on the right, featuring distinctive half-timbered architecture and a decorative lattice fence, served the princely Marstall (stables or carriage house) for the estate. Built in the mid-19th century for Prince Wilhelm Malte I of Putbus, this site is a prime example of Northern Italian Renaissance-style architecture in the Baltic region.
Details
Era: Divided Back (1904)
City: Binz (Granitz Forest) State or Region: Rügen Island
Country: Germany
Topic: Insel Rügen, Jagdschloss Granitz, Fürstlicher Marstall, Hunting Lodge, German Royal History, Putbus Family, Forest Path
Condition: Circulated
Postage: 1904 Berlin postmark with a 40-pfennig Germania stamp (Deutsches Reich inscription)
Address Side: Divided back
Orientation: Horizontal (Landscape)
Artist / Photographer: Unstated
Publisher: Verlag v. Arthur Schuster, Stettin (No. 1049)
Printer: Likely German phototypie studio
Print Type: Sepia-toned Collotype (Phototypie)
Additional Information
The back of the card is addressed to Miss Paula Peinlich in Borgsdorf and features a detailed handwritten message in German Kurrent script, dated August 31, 1904. The Jagdschloss Granitz was a premier destination for European nobility, including figures like Otto von Bismarck. The stables area shown here was a vital part of the princely hunting parties hosted on the island. The 40-pfennig Germania stamp is the updated post-1902 version featuring the Deutsches Reich inscription at the top. The publisher, Arthur Schuster of Stettin, was a prolific producer of views of the Baltic coast during the early 20th century.
Message Information
The handwritten message on the back of your 1904 postcard is written in German Kurrent script. While it was the standard handwriting in German-speaking countries for over 400 years, it was officially abolished in schools in 1941 in favor of the Latin script we use today. Because it was no longer taught, most Germans born after the early 1940s cannot read or write it.
Here is the full transcription and translation of the personal note sent from the island of Rugen:
Transcription:
Sellin a/R [auf Rügen] d. 31/8 04.
Liebes Fräulein Peinlich.
Indem ich Ihnen bestens für Ihren lieben Brief danke, muß ich Ihnen zugleich mitteilen, daß die Sommerreise nun zu Ende geht. Ich gehe heute in der hiesigen Kirche die Orgel besichtigen. Alles Weitere mündlich. Ich hoffe Sie gesund anzutreffen.
Herzlichen Gruß! Marianne.
English Translation:
Sellin on Rugen, August 31, 1904.
Dear Miss Peinlich,
While thanking you very much for your kind letter, I must also inform you that the summer trip is now coming to an end. Today I am going to the local church to inspect the organ. Everything else in person. I hope to find you in good health.
Heartfelt greeting! Marianne.
The card captures a fleeting moment at the end of a vacation, where Marianne mentions her plan to see a church organ before returning home to meet her friend in person. This type of social correspondence was the primary use for postcards during the early 1900s, often serving as a brief "status update" similar to a modern text message.
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