Cure-Saxonian post office mile columns were set up during the reign of August of the strong one and its successor at numerous important post office and action races and in nearly all cities of the cure principality Saxonia for the indication of the distances. Since the cure principality was at that time substantially larger Saxonia than the today's Land of the Federal Republic of the same name, one finds such columns also in Thuringia, Brandenburg, Saxonia-Anhalt and in today's Poland.

The establishment of the post office mile columns in the cure principality Saxonia was not under any circumstances a singular development. From history a set of countries is well-known, which let such columns or stones with range readings at roads establish.

A systematic measuring by means of wooden way columns erstellter in regular intervals was suggested already 1695 by the Saxonian upper post office master Ludwig William for the road Leipzig - to Dresden. The cure prince Friedrich August of Saxonia issued thereupon on 18 June 1695 the instruction that certain mile owls are gesetzet. The conversion of this work the Kondukteur Heinrich Niedhart was assigned. The cure-Saxonian forest masters should instruct the appropriate wood for the mile columns and provide the managers of the cure-Saxonian offices for putting these columns up.

Further columns were common as signposts/guides at roads in Saxonia 1700 ago arm so mentioned (EN). These columns consisted of a wooden stake, which had direction indicators at the upper end in the form of human arms with hands. Their disadvantage was however the Kurzlebigkeit, since the wood was inclined by permanent wetness effect fast to putrefying and thus numerous columns

Land surveying by

The Saxonian post office mile columns are inseparably connected with the name of the minister Adam Friedrich from Skassa, native in Marieney. This made a map of Grossenhain. By this work the cure prince Friedrich August I. became attentive to him and gave him after further kartografischen work on 12 April 1713 the order: "Offices including those inside rule, manors, cities present, villages and so on in mappas geographicas bring ". This meant the topografische collection of the cure-Saxonian areas. They covered the cure-Saxonian portions of the counties hen mountain and one field, the country, the areas of the albertinischen Nebenlinien Merseburg, white rock and Zeitz, as well as the two Lausitzen apart from the heartland.

The results of these work and the map material developed from it as far as possible secretly remained for military reasons several decades. Only, the few weeks later effected extension order for measurement, the production of an improved post office map, the cure prince let publish. Thereupon 1718 published "Chur Saxonian post office Charte for the first time ", remained by appropriate Nachauflagen to in 19. Jh. in use.

Since the range readings were based at the time at that time frequently on inaccurate estimations, the distances of had again determined and/or the existing data to be first examined. In addition by it "the geometrical test van was designed ", with which the rear wheel propelled a speedometer over a worm gear. This method made a very exact measurement possible of the roads.

The used units represented a further problem in this connection. In the cure principality existed at the time at that time still different mile mass. The standardization became therefore to 17. March 1722 "the cure-Saxonian post office mile "(1 mile = 9.062 km) imported. As range reading on the of the then usual way hour was used, whereby a mile corresponded to two way hours.

The measuring travels usually began in Leipzig or Dresden, whereby the speedometer at the city boundary (at the town-gate) was set to zero. For this reason also of a Leipziger and/or a Dresden distance was spoken. During such a travel the assistant of the surveyor of all quarter mile had to hit a durchnummerierten wooden distance peg and dig besides a hole. The excavated material was used thereby for the attachment of the Holzpfahls. Of the protection of the measurement stake in the long run the owner of property had to take care.

In some cases the measurements were continued also outside of the cure principality. Everywhere, where the Saxonian territory was interrupted by other rule ranges it was measured likewise, on roads, on which Saxonian posts operated, with permission of the owner.

In particular in the Oberlausitz became difficult the land surveying, since the conditions sought to prevent the activity here. Only starting from 29 June 1723 with the measurement of the upper and Niederlausitz beginnen.1733 knew was final the measurement work on the substantial roads of the country.

Establishment of the columns

On 19 September 1721 the instruction was issued to the offices of the cities Dresden, Meissen and Grossenhain to establish stone post office mile columns. Short time later, on 1 November 1721, was expanded the instruction since the entire country. Still on the same day became from the responsible national authority

"The general regulation, setting the stone post office columns in Chur concerning landing "

and that

"Mandate that the expenses it are to happen at setting the stone post office columns at expense of that place authority, on whose reason and soil selbige stand to come. "

issued. For the Oberlausitz a separate instruction took place on 24 November 1721.

Which columns should be set in detail, by themselves, which on 14 December 1721 by a decree of August of the strong one was assigned, one prepared. specified that directly before the gates of the city a large to all quarter mile a quarterly mile column, had to be established all half mile a half mile column and all mile a complete mile column.

Places with cure-Saxonian

Places, in which cure-Saxonian remained or were placed to receive:

old person mountain, Anna mountain book wood, Auma, bath Gottleuba bath Liebenwerda, bear stone, Belgern, Belzig, Brehna, Bischofswerda, bridge, Calau, Dahme, Delitzsch, Dippoldiswalde, Dohna, Dresden, Doberlug Kirchhain, Eibenstock, Elsterwerda, Elstra, Elterlein, Erlabrunn (ore mountains), Frankenberg/Sa., woman Mrs., free mountain, glad castle, Geising, Geithain, small forest, Geyer, glasswork, Grimma, Beierfeld, Guben, Hoyerswerda, Johanngeorgenstadt, Kamenz, Kemberg, king stone, Landsberg, Lauban, Leisnig, Lieberose, Lommatzsch, Lbbenau, Marienberg, Meissen, Mittweida, Moritzburg_ (Saxonia), Mhlberg, Mutz, Niemegk, new city to the Orla, new city in Saxonia, Niederwiesa, Nossen, Oberwiesenthal, Ortrand, Pegau, Penig, Pirna, Plauen, Pulsnitz, Radeburg, Reichenbach in the Vogtland, Rochlitz, Rosswein, Schlettau, Sebnitz, Senftenberg, Stolpen, Strehla, Tharandt, Thum, Uebigau forest home, Wilsdruff, Wittichenau, cloud stone, Wurzen, Zwickau,

Resistances

Both the costs and the responsibility for setting the columns were with the respective authority of the place. This explains, why the measures did not encounter undivided agreement in the country. On the one hand the Saxonian federal state parliament asked the cure prince to do without the expensive project on the other hand one it met in the entire country also the resistance of the officials and cities.

Due to the sluggish conversion of the instructions the cure prince had to finally seize to hard measures. Thus one threatened to officials for carelessnesses disciplinary actions and with exceeding of the date punishments at a value of 20 Talern.

Since, was attached to the instruction already 24 points comprehensive memorandum prepared from 19 September 1721 one, probably by themselves, it is to be accepted that one counted from the outset on problems. When advantages of the land surveying it became for example aforementioned that the payment of messengers and Stafetten becomes examinable etc. and the prices thereby any longer was not arbitrarily determinable that it repays fewer complaints of the travelers over too high will give, who employed courts and upper authorities at this time in the high measure and that way and transport time would for the first time accurately be specified by the measurement. A further argument was that roads were better recognizable in the winter and with bad weather.

The resistance against the post office mile columns was particularly strong in the Oberlausitz. 1723 refused the town councillors of Bautzen and receiving in this affair at all. Only to 31. The conditions of the Oberlausitz explained themselves March 1724 ready to carry out for the instructions consequence.

There was damaged and even upset, determined a mandate of 1724 isolates columns for such acts "fortress detention "and other one "hard and exemplary punishments ".

Due to the continuous resistance itself finally the Saxonian federal state parliament with the resolution could to establish intersperse against the cure prince the columns only on main and post office roads on 12 April 1728.

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