Heinrich von Stephan
Heinrich von Stephan was a German postal official who reorganized the German Empire's post and proposed the 1874 Treaty of Bern, which created the General Postal Union, later the Universal Postal Union.
What they did and why it matters
Stephan created the international postal framework that still governs how small cross-border parcels move and what they cost. His plan, adopted by 22 countries at Bern in 1874, set uniform postage rates among members and required each country to deliver other members' mail, with each country keeping the postage it collected. Payments for unequal mail flows, called terminal dues, were added in 1969 and later kept small packets from China to the US cheap to send, until terminal dues reform. Brands shipping internationally through postal services such as USPS, and those comparing them with private carriers, are using the network he founded.
Related people
Events
Sources
- Heinrich von Stephan (Wikipedia) en.wikipedia.org
- The Treaty of Bern (Postcard History) postcardhistory.net