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As by the postal history of Vilnius is described, Vilnius was only a short time in the transition-period after World War I, capital of Lithuania.
The "provisional"seat of government became finally the town of Kaunas.
In Kaunas the first agreement about postal traffic between Lithuania and a foreign country, in this case Germany, is closed on 1 January 1919. In this treaty was decided which mail was permited, which languages were permited. On the German side Post-office 1 in Königsberg became the point of exchange, and on the Lithuanian side the post-office in Kaunas. Karl Ziegler (Militär-Postdirektor by Oberbefehlshaber Ost) signed for Germany, R. Sliupas (representative of the Lithuanian government in Kaunas) signed fot Lithuania. On 2 January the government fled from the Pole to Kaunas.
The first stamps -the 1st and 2th Vilniusissues- (M.1-8)- were issued still in Vilnius.
After this, on 29 january, in Kaunas were issued similar stamps: the 1st printing of the first Kaunas-issue (Mi. 9-12).
The Kaunas-issues are to distinguish very easily from the Vilnius-issues. The Vilnius-issues have the wrong designation 'pasta'. By the Kaunas-issues this has been corrected in the right 'pastas'.
The three Kaunas-issues are to distinguish easily also again: the first Kaunas-issue has 'skatiku' in full as indication of the currency. The second Kaunas-issue used the abbreviation 'sk' after the value indication. The third Kaunas-issue used 'sk' before and after the value indication.
On 6 february followed the 2th impression of the first Kaunas-issue.
The stamps of this first Kaunas-issue were printed in sheets of 20: five stamps side by side and four rows of five under each other. Anly the values 10-15-20 and 30 were issued now, probably because the higher values were in stock from the 2e Vilnius-issue. Alleen de waarden 10-15-20 en 30 werden nu uitgegeven, waarschijnlijk omdat de hogere waarden nog in voorraad waren uit de 2e Vilnius-uitgave. All four values (Mi. 9-12) are reprinted later by the second printing.
By the second Kaunas-issues this is different.
On 18 february followed the 1st printing of the second Kaunas-issue (Mi. 13-19), but only the values 10 sk., 15, 20, 30, 40 and 50 (Mi. 13-18) are printed then. This happened well on the same wayas the first Kaunas-issue in sheets of 20 stamps.
On 26 february the 2th printing came also of this values (Mi. 13-18) and also the 3rd printing of the values 20 sk, 30, 40 and 50 (mi. 15-18), also on the same way in sheets of 20 stamps.
On 1 march the 4th impression makes one's appearance with only the value 60 sk. (so for this value the first impression), but this value was printed together -on one plate- with the second impression of the third Kaunas-issue.
The first Kaunas-issue:

The second Kaunas-issue:
The reconstruction of the original positions of the stamps in a sheet, can be done with the Kaunas-issues largely via the box of the stamps. For the upper end and the under end (of the box) are used canted o's. The little bars with the letter o, were canted, but the white space above and under a print letter is different. Under a print letter there is more white space. Because the letter o in the upper end and the under end of the stamp not consequently are canted to the same side, the distance between the ovals in the box of the stamp is different.
For the second Kaunas-issue are used the plates of the first indeed, but a great number of stamps is be found now on other positions. The five stamps of the first row stayed on the same position. By the second, third and fourth row the stamp came in reverse order: 1-2-3-4-5//10-9-8-7-6//15-14-13-12-11//20-19-19-17-16.
A well-known printing error occurs of Mi. 10 of the first Kaunas-issue: by the falling off of the '1' came into existence a value of 5 skatiku (instead of 15). Also there is a well-known printing error of the second Kaunas-issue: by Mi. 15, 20 sk., the 'p' of pastas is falled off in parts of the second impression. Falsifications of this two stamps are known. There are also false sheets of the first and second Kaunas-issue in stereotype-printing. This is a special printing-process, that was used for the second impression of the third Kaunas-issue.

The "Mariampole"-falsifications of the first and second Kaunas-issues:

The only -antedated- postmark on this 'falsifications' is of the place 'MARIJAMPOLE *a*'. Letters with the first and second Kaunas-issue and this postmark are never found, so one always doubted of the authenticity.
By the stamps itself, the falsifications are difficult to recognize, because they are maked by the postmaster of Lithuania, Sruongo. He has the disposal of the original -somewhat threadbare- plates.
Investigation of Walter Norton makes it plausible that the stamps are maked on request of the Lithuanian Peace Delegation, which was in Paris from 16 january 1919.
They need money for their cost of living, and therefore they have sended a request to Lithuania for stamps, which they then could sell to dealers.
Also for many later falsifications we have to thank A. Sruonga and his assistants. A criminal procedure began againt Sruonga and Augunas, the director of the post-office in Memel in December 1934. By Sruonga a mumber of plates of the Kaunas-issues was found at his arrest. From all issues Sruonga let make deviations, perforation-faults, etc. and he reserved it for himself for selling to dealers and collectioners. By manipulation he forced up the prices of some stamps. Many Sruonga-making is found again automatically in catalogs, because he took care of selling the stamps in little amounts at the counter and so it was used postal. In 1935 Sruonga was condemned to 15 year house of correction and the others a half to 3 year.

There came also yet a third Kaunas-issue (Mi. 20-26): on 1 march 1919 the 1st impression, only of the values 10 sk, 15 and 20. By the second printing on 3rd March all values (Mi. 20-26) were printed.


The 1st impression of the third Kaunas-issue had many print faults of the second Kaunas-issue. The same plates are used.
The second impression were maked on a newspaper-printing-press, according to an entirely other printingprocess, the stereotype printing. By this printingprocess a printing-plate was maked from more plates. The printing-plate got also a special composition: a sheet of the 7 values of the 2th impression of the third Kaunas-issue (Mi. 20-26) together with the 4th impression of the second Kaunas-issue.
Hereby the original plates were used as basis, and only the value indication and the abbrevation for the currency "sk" were set up again. So 7 times 20 stamps of the third Kaunas-issue came on the printing plate, and to filling the sheet also 1 time 20 stamps of the second Kaunas-issue (60 sk).
The plate looked like follows: at the top 20 stamps (4 rows of vijf stamps under each other) of 'sk 30 sk' (Mi. 23), 20 stamps of 'sk 20 sk' (Mi. 22), 20 stamps of 'sk 15 sk' (Mi. 21) and 'sk 10 sk' (Mi. 20). Under this again 4 blocks: 20 stamps of '60 sk'(so of the second Kaunas-issue), 20 stamps of 'sk 60 sk' (Mi. 26), 20 stamps of 'sk 50 sk' (mi. 25) and 20 stamps of 'sk 40 sk' (Mi. 24).
The 'Nederlandsch Tijdschrift voor Postzegelkunde' speaks in 1919 already about a 'strange manner of composition'of this plate:

sk 30 sk	sk 20 sk	sk 15 sk	sk 10 sk
60 sk	sk 60 sk	sk 50 sk	sk 40 sk

After strong pressure the stamps, which were ordered from the company Hermann in Berlin, arrived. These 'Berlin printings' are printed on greyish blue paper, with a watermark of narrow wavy lines, the so-called 'empire-bread-paper'. Theu are produced in lithography.
about the quality the Nederlandsch Tijdschrift voor Postzegelkunde (1919, nr. 6, p. 88) reports: "In the printing-office the stamps were the last thing they were concerned about in comparison with the State-printing-office. Stamps, down the middle toothed, and other sheets, destined for destruction, are delivered: everything gives an impression of working with with the utmost speed, and that there was no time to select the spoiled sheets. that looks promising for the ... fool and their smiling dealers."

On this letter there is much to see, you can collect special: register-postmark, postmark, 1937 to Paris:

On the backside a closing-strip "MUITINEJE", this means "custom-house":

RAILWAY-POSTMARKS

Three types railway postmarks are used in Lithuania: little-round, great-round and oval. On the letter below we see an example of an oval railway postmark. On the postmark the starting place and terminus, and the number of the railway line was mentioned. You can find a list of the lines (sections) in the first number of the periodical HBG (1983)

Letter with the railway-postmark "RYGA-KYBARTAI", at the bottom of the postmark should stay -here illegibly- "PASTO VAG. N 2 ". This postmark was used 1927-1940 on this line (section). Kybartai is situated in the south-west of Lithuania.

METER POSTAGE STAMPS

Letter with meter postage stamp:

The text "PIRKIME TIK SAVO KRAST0 GAMINIUS" means: Let we buy only products of own country.
The stamp "VOKIETIJA" means nothing else as "Germany", whereto the letter had to go.

POSTAL FORMS AND POSTAL STATIONARIES

Postal form with stamp:


Postal stationaries:




Postal stationary P 12, from Kaunas ? to Klaipeda, oktober 1927:


SPECIAL POSTAL STATIONERIES
From 1938-1940 a number special postal stationeries with pictures of Lithuania is issued (P24-34). A complete overview with images can be find in the article 'Katalogisierung von Postkarten' in the periodical Lituania (1996 ; nr. 6).
This postal stationery, with a view on kaunas, is sended to Vilnius, 15-XI.1939.
The postal stationery is issued in 1938 (P 24-3):

KLAIPEDA - MEMEL

Memel is the German name for the lithuanian Klaipeda, situated in Western-Lithuania on the coast. The area around this city was German to the first World War, but it becomes trust territory under French government.
On 15 January 1923 the area was occupied by Lithuania. 22 March 1939 Lithuania was forced to cede the area to Germany. After World War II the area came by the Sovjet-republic Lithuania.
From August 1925 Lithuanian stamps had to be used. on this picture card "Schwarzort", yoy can see the postmark Klaipeda with a Lithuanian stamp, to England:

The postmark with the Lithuanian Klaipeda is of the German 'Bridge-type'.



From Kaunas, 1939, to Memel, to 'Vokietija' (= Germany!) via Königsberg:

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Periodicals:
BLPSNY = Bulletin Lithuanian Philatelic Society of New York
DBZ = Deutsche Zeitung für Briefmarkenkunde / Deutsche Briefmarken Zeitung
HBG = Het Baltische Gebied [in Dutch]
Lituania [in German]

Erste Internationale Vereinbarung / Ricardas Vainora In: Lituania 1996 ; nr. 6. - p. 317-319	[About: first international agreement between Lithuania and Germany about the postal traffic, with the text] {P}
Katalogisierung von Postkarten - Ganzsachen / zusamengesteltt von Fugalewitsch / Kazlauskas In: Lituania 1996 ; nr. 6. - p. 330-348	[About: overview -with pictures- of the postcards (with imprinted stamp) of Lithuania 1938-1940 P24-P34] {P}
De Litouwse postdiensten in Westelijk Wit-Rusland in 1919 / Andrew Cronin In: HBG 1990 ; 15. - [8 p.]	{P}
Posttariffe in Litauen (1919-1940) / Pranas Kazlauskas In: Lituania 1995 ; nr. 3. - p. 122-123	[About: postal rates in Lithuania 1919-1940] {P}
Spezial-Ganzsachen-Katalog der Baltischen Staaten : Estland Lettland Litauen Düsseldorf : Philatel, 1976. - p.8-12: Litauen	{B}
Lithauen In: Nederlandsch Tijdschrift voor Postzegelkunde 1919 ; no. 3. - p. 44 + 1919 ; no. 6. - p.87-88	[About: the first postage stamps of Lithuania] {B}{P}
Fälschungen und Echtheitskriterien in der Litauen-Philatelie (1918-1940) / Udo E. Klein In: Lituania 1995 ; nr. 4. - p. 192-199	[About: the printings of the three Kaunas-issues, Mi. 9-26, falsifications of the first stamps of Lithuania] {P}
Fälschungen und Echtheitskriterien in der Litauen-Philatelie (1918-1940) / Udo E. Klein (1.Forts.) In: Lituania 1996 ; nr. 5. - p. 240-248	[About: falsifications of the Kaunas-issues Mi. 10-I en 15-I] {P}
Litauen - ein Geheimtip für Sammler und forschende Philatelisten (IV) / Hermann Logsch In: DBZ 1982 ; nr. 14. - p. 2625-2629	[About: Vilnius-issues, Mi. 1-8, and first Kaunas-issue, Mi. 9-12] {B}{P}
De eerste Kaunas uitgave / Ruud W. van Wijnen In: HBG 1985 ; 5. - [25 p.]	[About: the first Kaunas-issue] {P}
De tweede Kaunas uitgave / Ruud W. van Wijnen In: HBG 1986 ; 8. - [7 p.]	[About: the second Kaunas-issue] {P}
De "Marijampole" druk van de Kaunas uitgifte / André de Bruin In: HBG 1988 ; 11. - [4 p.]	[About: the 'Marijampole'-print of the Kaunas-issue] {P}
Litauen - ein Geheimtip für Sammler und forschende Philatelisten (III) / Hermann Logsch In: DBZ 1982 ; nr. 13. - p. 2443	[About: Sruonga and his falsifications] {B}{P}
Litauen - ein Geheimtip für Sammler und forschende Philatelisten (V) / Hermann Logsch In: DBZ 1982 ; nr. 15. - p. 2777-2780	[About: second, Mi.13-19, and third, Mi. 20-26, Kaunas-issue ] {B}{P}
De derde Kaunasuitgave / Ruud W. van Wijnen In: HBG 1989 ; 14. - [8 p.]	[About: the third Kaunas-issue] {P}
Spoorpost	Railway Post
Litouwen - treinpost : de trajecten, de stempels In: HBG 1983 ; 1. - [16 p.] + Aanvulling 1984 ; 3. - [1 p.]	[About: railway post, lines, postmarks] {P}
Litouwen 1914-1940 [en] de ontwikkeling van de spoorlijnen in het Memelgebied / [Ruud van Wijnen] In: HBG 1983 ; 2. - [2 p.]	[About: railway post, lines, postmarks in Memel-area] {P}

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Tsaristic period

1939-1945 Sovjet - Lithuanian - German

1944-1990 Sovjet

1990- Independence