This is a registered cover sent in 1923 from Memel / Klaipėda to Bern, Schweiz (Switzerland) during the Lithuanian administration period. It is a business letter sent from Georg H. Jaeger who obviously has an office in Libau, present Latvian city of Liepaja but also in Memel according to this cover. The Memel address is Contre Escarpe 8a, a rather bizarre example of French street name in Memel, meaning a moat surrounding a fortification. This street was actually a part of Memelburg citadel and it is called Žvejų gatvė today.
The adress of this cover leads us into military history. Like many fortifications the Memelburg was protected by a surrounding "starfort". CONTRE ESCARPEs (counterscarps) were a part of these defence fortifications.
ReplyDeletehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterscarp
Sorry, not adress: sender!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the link! It is a bit ironic that German fortification has been named in french...
ReplyDeleteWhat a srtrane coincidence!
ReplyDeleteYes, Linas, coincidence or.. maybe not? Anyway, lot of mysteries are there waiting to be solved!
ReplyDelete