Brussels (BE)

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Brussels is the capital of Belgium. The Brussels-Capital Region (one of the 3 Regions since the 1989 administrative reform) includes 19 municipalities (communes, gemeenten), with a population of 1,138,854 in 2013.

Postmarks history before 1950

The BRUXELLES post-office opened before 1830. It used a postal code 24 with bars (before 1864), and 60 with points before 1870. Sub-offices before 1910 were (in alphabetical order) Rue Blaes, Boulevard d'Anvers, Est, Exposition, Josaphat, Législatif, Luxembourg, Midi, Nord, Ouest, Palais de Justice, Place de la Chapelle, Place des Gueux,, Porte de Flandre, Quartier Léopold, Quartier Louise, Rue Cuerens, Rue de la Chancellerie, Rue de la Chapelle, Rue de la Loi, Rue Ducale, Rue du Taciturne, Rue Joseph II, Rue Rogier and Sud-Ouest.

Leopold I period

Covers in 1830-1849 period

Prephilately. To be noted, a double circle, rather than a linear postmark.

Green double-circle cancelled in 1836 to Lessines (Hainaut).

Leopold I period

Code 24 in 18 thin horizontal bars on 1849 first stamp issue.

Same on the 10c, 1850 issue.

Same on the 20c, 1850 issue.

Code 24, larger bars on a 1851 issue.	Postmark Essay with 26 lines in October 1855.	Direction code 24 on a 1858 issue.
60 within points since April 1864.	60 not 09 on a 1865 issue.

Leopold II period

File:Brussels (BE) LII BR a.jpg

BRUXELLES in 1881.

In 1883, the 14 services (functions) within Brussels post-office were given a number: 5 Service des départs for exemple. Full names were preferred starting 1893 Effets de commerce for 7, etc.

Service 1 - Arrivées

BRUXELLES -..1 in 1884ca.

BRUXELLES 1 in 1905.

File:Brussels (BE) LII BR1 b.jpg

Service 3 - Objets enregistrés

BRUXELLES 3 in 1886ca.

File:Brussels (BE) LII BR3 b.jpg

Service 5 - Départs

BRUXELLES 5 on a 1883 issue, COB40.	BRUXELLES 5 in May 1888, COB47.	BRUXELLES 5 in March 1893, COB45.
BRUXELLES 5 in March 1893, COB46.	BRUXELLES 5 in July 1894, COB46.
BRUXELLES 5 in January 1898, COB57.	BRUXELLES 5 in 1899.	BRUXELLES DEPART in January 1900.	BRUXELLES DEPART in March 1900.

Service 7 - Effets de commerce

BRUXELLES 7 in 1885.	BRUXELLES 7 in 1888.	BRUXELLES 7 in 1894.
BRUXELLES 7 in 1898.	Effets de commerce in 1901.	Effets de commerce in 1909.

Service 11 - Quittances - dépôt

File:Brussels (BE) LII BR11 a.jpg

Quittances- D.. in 1900.

Quittances-Dépôt in 1907.

Railway - Postal Parcels

Postmarks placed on parcels (Colis in French): it does not mean that there was a railway station at the location. It can be a re-distribution office.

BRUXELLES/Place Chapelle/ Brussels-Chapel railway station, 1890.

BRUXELLES ST JOSS(E) TEN NOODE in 1907.

Albert I period

Postmarks are bilingual after 1910. See also below (municipalities).

BRUXELLES 1 in 1910

Bilingual BRUXELLES 1A-1R in 1913

BRÜSSEL in 1917, German occupation

Brussels 10 in 1917

Brussels 2A in 1920	Brussels 4 in 1920	Brussels 12 in 1920	Michel No. 164, postmarked at "Brussels 12", 08-06-1921
Brussels QL in 1928	Brussels 5L in 1930	Brussels 2 on issue 1935

Cards

Card in 1918 with small circle 61

Railway - Postal Parcels

Postmarks placed on parcels (Colis in French): it does not mean that there was a railway station at the location. It can be a re-distribution office.

BRUXELLES 7 Rue Ursulines in 1913.	ZUID - MIDI in 1919.	BRUXELLES Rue Chartreux 14 in 1921.	BRUXELLES Rue Chartreux 10 in 1922.
BRUXELLES T.T. P - 3 in 1923.	BRUXELLES T T ? in 1923.	BRUXELLES R. Duquesnoy in 1927.
Brussels 5H in 1933.	TT WIETHAUS in 1933.

Leopold III period

Double circle Bxl 1 in 1937.

Bilingual circle Bxl 1B 1A in 1939.

Bilingual circle in 1942.

DC Brussels 1 - French/Dutch in 1948.

Cards and Covers

BRÜSSEL * 1 a 1914

Postcard with Slogan Cancel from Bruxelles/Brussel-1, August 1926.

REGISTERED cover sent by EXPRESS from Brussels (Belgium) to Rotterdam (the Netherlands) in 1936. Postage stamps are the whole series of Mourning stamps for Queen Astrid who died in Küssnacht (Switzerland) in 1935.

Censored card in August 1943 to Bruxelles (Anderlecht). Postmarks Bxl G4G and H4H (why 2?).

Railway - Postal Parcels

Postmarks placed on parcels (Colis in French).

Ellipse BRUXELLES-BRUSSEL TT 1 in 1936.

File:Brussels (BE) LIII CF b.jpg

Postmarks after 1950

In 1969, the postal cantons of Brussels (1 to 20) were attributed postal codes 1000 to 1200. See Brussels xy (BE) pages for more details.

Helicopter service

1950 - Belgium, Special Helicopter Airmail Service Postcard by National Aeronautical Committee, National Aviation Committee.

Slogan cancels (all periods and all districts)

See the page Belgium - Slogan postmarks for a general thematic analysis.

Slogan 1913, World Exhibition in Ghent.

DC in 1927. Colonial Exposition

DC in 1930 Vacances.

DC in 1931 with welfare slogan.	DC in 1937 with slogan for the Mothers.
DC in 1960 with slogan.	Slogan cancel, Antwerpen Zoo 1974.

Slogan cancel, 1978. Prevent high blood pressure. Avoid salt.

With slogan DACHAU 1933-1945-1980.

Meter cancels (all periods and all districts)

1000

to be confirmed - a # 36 can't be a municipality - descriptive document needed

1 1934	1 1960
1 1969	1000-1 Handelskaai 1992
1000 1 2003	1000 Rue Wiertz 2017
5 1985

9? 1971	21, Avenue des Arts1961 Bruxelles 4 ?
23 1967	1000-23 Rue de la Loi 1988

31 1971	31 1974
1000-36 1996

1020 etc

to be moved to municipalities

1020 45 2003	1050 Race 1998
1070 - 7 2008	1120 1986

Brussels sub-offices

Function or location to be determined.

Bxl 22 in 1956.	Bxl 22 in 1975.	Bxl 23 in 1995.	Bxl 24 in 1999.
Bxl 25 in 1997.	Bxl T in 1993.	Bxl W-W in 1986.

Commemorative Postmarks

Instrumental museum 15 Sep 1873

The Saxophone (FDC postmark) - postmark also as a gold imprint on FDC, 7 Jul 2014

First day cancel of Belgish Jazz, 24 May 2004

Brussels X

BRUXELLES-BRUSSEL X (not 10) is used as a centralized treatment office, now located in Anderlecht.

X BRUXELLES X BRUSSEL

DC X BRUXELLES X BRUSSEL in July 1955.

DC X BRUXELLES X BRUSSEL in December 1955.

DC X BRUXELLES X BRUSSEL in 1961.

DC X BRUXELLES X BRUSSEL in 1964.

BRUSSEL-BRUXELLES X

DC BRUSSEL-BRUXELLES X in 1968.

DC BRUSSEL-BRUXELLES X in 1973.

Douane

BRUXELLES-BRUSSEL - Douane in 1986.

Railway - Postal Parcels

MIDI-ZUID in 1966.

File:Brussels (BE) BDN CF b.jpg

File:Brussels (BE) ALBII CF a.jpg

File:Brussels (BE) ALBII CF b.jpg

Brussels city sub-offices opened before 1910

Sorted by opening date.

Midi (Zuid)

This BRUXELLES MIDI office opened on 15 October 1861. It used a postal code 62 with points in 1864-1874 period.

Hexagone in 1885.	Hexagone in 1889.	Railway BRUXELLES-MIDI 3 A in 1891.
BRUXELLES (MIDI) DEPART in 1906.	Bilingual in 1912.	Railway BRUXELLES-MIDI N°21 in 1913.

Nord (Noord)

It remains a very large railway station on the Jonction Nord-Midi.

This BRUXELLES NORD office opened on 15 October 1861. It used a postal code 63 with points in the 1864-1870 period.

63 on a 1865 issue.	Bruxelles-Nord in 1880.	Railway Hexagonal Postmark at RUE ROGIER in 1885.
Circle in French in 1906 (?).	Railway Hexagonal in 1910.	Bilingual in 1920.
French - Dutch in 1938.	Double circle in 1948.

BRUXELLES NORD RAILWAY, The office was attached to the Brussels North Railway station and dealt with parcel railway post.

BRUXELLES (NORD) in 1883.	Railway Hexagonal Postmark in 1898.	BRUXELLES NORD 45 in 1924.
Bilingual frame in 1931.

Est (Ixelles)

This BRUXELLES-EST office opened on 30 November 1861. It used a postal code 61 with points in the 1864-1873 period.

File:Bruxelles-Est a.jpg

In 1894 on the 1884 issue.

In 1900 on the 1893 issue.

Luxembourg

This BRUXELLES-LUXEMBOURG office opened on 24 September 1867. It used a postal code 424 with points before March 1873.

File:Bruxelles-Luxembourg a.jpg

In 1894 on the 1894 issue.

Rue de la Chancellerie

This BRUXELLES (R.CHANCELLERIE) office opened on 3 May 1875.

1897	On the 1893 issue.

Sud-Ouest

This BRUXELLES (SUD-OUEST) office opened on 15 June 1879.

File:Bruxelles-Sud-Ouest a.jpg

In 1906.

Législatif

This BRUXELLES (LEGISLATIF) office opened on 15 January 1881.

File:Bruxelles-Législatif a.jpg

In 1894.

In 1899 (?).

Porte de Flandre

See Brussels 8 (BE) - Molenbeek.

Rue Ducale

This R. DUCALE office opened on 19 December 1905.

In 1910 on Charity stamp issue.

DEPART in 1910.

Heizel

The HEYSEL post-office opened on 26 June 1907.

Railway Postmark HEYZEL CONTENTIEUX in 1920.

Duquesnoy

This office has the name of a street close to current Central sation. Opening date to be determined.

Hexagonal on the Railway 1882 issue, in 1891.

File:Bruxelles Duquesnoy b.jpg

Central

Opening date to be determined. The North South underground jonction was inaugurated in 1952.

Railway frame in 1932 on a normal stamp.

Sainte Marie

Was a Station de chemin de fer vicinal in Brussels.

- Railway Postmark in 1913.

Brussels - 19 Municipalities

Brussel - Bruxelles City

The City of Brussels (Brussels 1) consists of the central historic town and certain additional areas within the greater Brussels-Capital Region, namely Haren, Laeken and Neder-Over-Heembeek to the north, and Avenue Louise and the Bois de la Cambre park to the south. At first, the City of Brussels was simply defined, being the area within the second walls of Brussels, the modern-day small ring. As the city grew, the surrounding villages grew as well, eventually growing into a contiguous city, though the local governments retained control of their area. The construction of Avenue Louise was commissioned in 1847 as a monumental avenue bordered by chestnut trees that would allow easy access to the popular recreational area of the Bois de la Cambre. However, fierce resistance to the project was put up by the town of Ixelles (which was then still separate from Brussels) through whose land the avenue was supposed to run. After years of fruitless negotiations, Brussels finally annexed the narrow band of land needed for the avenue plus the Bois de la Cambre itself in 1864. That decision accounts for the unusual southeastern protrusion of the City of Brussels and for Ixelles being split in two separate parts.

Postal codes 1000, 1010 (Administrative state city), 1020 (Laeken) since 1969.

Brussels 1 - 1000 in 1985.

BRUSSEL-BRUXELLES 1

Bilingual Dutch-French or French-Dutch, opposite.

Albert I period

DC in 1910 on Charity stamp issue.

Circle Office 1A in 1913.

Circle Office 1B in 1920.

File:BRUSSEL-BRUXELLES 1 ALBI b.jpg

BRUXELLES-BRUSSEL

Bilingual French-Dutch.

Baudouin period

File:BRUXELLES-BRUSSEL 1 BDN a.jpg

DC BRUXELLES-BRUSSEL 0 C in 1963.

Albert I period

File:BRUXELLES-BRUSSEL 1 ALBI a.jpg

Circle BRUXELLES-BRUSSEL B 1 T in 1922.

Brussel 10 Bruxelles

Bilingual in 1912.

File:Brussels (BE) BR10 b.jpg

Schaerbeek - Schaarbeek 1030

See Brussels 3 (BE) for expansion.

Etterbeek 1040

See Brussels 4 (BE) for details.

Ixelles - Elsene 1050

See Brussels 5 (BE) for expansion.

Molenbeek 1080

See Brussels 8 (BE) for a postal history.

Jette 1090

See Brussels 9 (BE) for a postal history.

1130

Haren

- Railway Postmark

Vorst - Forest - 1190

See Brussels (19) BE for a postal history.

St. Joost-ten-Node 1210

See Brussels 21 (BE) for a postal history.

Woluwe-Saint-Lambert

See Brussels 20.

Railway Post Offices Ambulants - Spoorwegtrajecten

They operated between 1849 and ...

Noord - Nord

File:Brussels (BE) RPO Nord a.jpg

File:Brussels (BE) RPO Nord b.jpg

Oost - Est

File:Brussels (BE) RPO Est a.jpg

File:Brussels (BE) RPO Est b.jpg

Brussels Box cancel with travelling (par l'ambulant) postmarks of EST 3 Svend Waever in 1889.

Zuid - Midi

File:Brussels (BE) RPO Midi a.jpg

MIDI 3 in 1886.

West - Ouest

OUEST 1 in 1886.

Cards and Covers

Brussels to Paris in 1877.

Brussels 5 to Bournemouth, GB (front) in 1889.