Postcard? Postcard? (1)

Posted by Oliver Eckl on

What we call a postcard today is actually a postcard.

In Europe it was first introduced in Austria in 1869 under the beautiful name correspondence card.

Unfortunately, the tradition of writing postcards has almost died out. But 150 years ago, the postcard was the newest and most modern means of correspondence. The introducers pointed out the great advantages of the new medium: short, less formal, cheaper and faster than the letter. Not everyone immediately recognized the benefits of the postcard; There was a fear that confidential information could fall into the wrong hands.

By the way, the first cards had no pictures, they were very simple and only had a stamp on them. Postcards began to be sent out in 1896. These showed beautiful places, natural landscapes, flowers, animals and important personalities. Today the importance of the postcard has lost much of its importance compared to electronic media. Some people still get nostalgic and send picture postcards from holidays, birthdays or as invitations.

75% fewer postcards from 1997 to 2010: With the advent of new means of communication such as the telephone, the postcard became less and less important from 1914 onwards. Social media, email and text messages are almost killing it at the turn of the millennium. Swiss Post has recently been helping postcards to enjoy a revival with their postcard app.