The Universal Postal Union (UPU) celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2024. On this historic occasion, the UPU will host its first-ever international historians’ colloquium in Berne, Switzerland, on 1 and 2 February 2024, welcoming 40 academics and historians as panellists as well as philatelists from over 16 countries around the globe.
The colloquium – organized in partnership with La Poste Groupe (France), La Poste Historical Committee (CHP) and SIRICE laboratory – will take place under the theme “Achieving 'a single postal territory': A global promise – Past and present”. Since its foundation, the UPU has aimed to establish a worldwide ‘single postal territory’ as described in Article 1 of the Convention signed at Berne in 1874.The UPU’s development merits the close attention of historians, as postal networks have played a central role from the 19th century to the present, continually evolving in the 20th and 21st centuries and throughout the emergence of e-commerce. Research on the economic, social, cultural and thus political impacts of postal networks is extensive. At this first-ever scholarly gathering, the UPU will emerge from the academic shadows to promote knowledge and foster exchanges and mutual enrichment among historians.
From the co-organisers:
“The Universal Postal Union is the second-oldest international organisation. Its mission has not changed since it was founded 150 years ago: to create a common framework between member states so that mail, parcels and other postal services can connect people everywhere on Earth.
This ambitious mission is no simple matter. It involves, among other things, agreeing on the distribution of costs and revenues, integrating technical innovations, overcoming war and coping with competition from new operators. All this will be discussed at this pioneering colloquium, the first of its kind since 1874!”
Léonard Laborie, Research Fellow, CNRS, UMR Sirice, France
“For the first time in 150 years, the Universal Postal Union is hosting a historical colloquium! Researchers from almost every continent will make fresh, original contributions on many of the UPU’s constituent dimensions.
The audience will join us with fruitful discussions on the political and diplomatic factors affecting postal service, from the imperialism of the late 19th century to decolonisation in the post-1945 era and the challenges of postal globalisation and trade. Other topics to be addressed include postal materiality and the UPU’s influence on the emergence of new services and their organisation among operators worldwide.”
Sébastien Richez, Historian, La Poste Historical Committee (CHP), France
More information on the programme, can be found here: https://www.upu.int/en/events/historians-colloquium-celebrating-upus-150th-anniversary
Participation is by invitation only, with public streaming available on tv.upu.int.