Skip navigation and search Home About us History About us History People have been sending information, letters and goods to one another for thousands of years. Couriers have travelled the length and breadth of countries on behest of their masters; messages have been relayed and have successfully reached the intended recipients. The dispatch of mail has been more or less organized throughout history, achieving a more stable form in the Nordic countries during the early 17th century. The following is a Danish-Swedish perspective of the way in which the infrastructure for the delivery of mail and goods has developed over time. More about our history Post farmers and mail carriers Christian IV’s “Forordning om Post-Budde” (Mail Carrier Decree) was enacted in December 1624. Twelve years later the Swedish council of state approved the ”Förordning om Postbådhen” (Mail Carrier Ordinance). This was the beginning of formal postal services in both countries. More about post farmers and mail carriers Cross border Sweden established a permanent post office in Hamburg in 1620. Dutchman Leonard van Sorgen was assigned the task of arranging postal service from Sweden to Hamburg. More about early cross border postal services Stamps Englishman Rowland Hill is usually credited with inventing flat-rate postage, which was introduced in 1840 and paved the way for the use of stamps. More about the introduction of stamps Railways The Danish postal service was quick to exploit the innovation of sending post by train. The first Danish railway line between Altona and Kiel opened in 1844. More about innovation of sending post by train By water Initially, the many islands comprising the country of Denmark made it difficult to establish a reliable postal service to all areas. More about the introduction of steamboats in postal service Automobiles The New York Times reported in the summer of 1904 on a commission dispatched by the Danish government in Europe to investigate the usefulness of the automobile for short postal transports. More about the introduction of cars in postal service By air Sending mail by air is not particularly modern – the ancient Egyptians used carrier pigeons. The bird of peace was used for postal transport through the Second World War. More about the introduction of airmail services New times In this era of globalization, there is a growing need for cross-border communication and logistics. Regions rather than countries are important to doing business. More about how we meet new times and challenges More about About us Corporate Governance Our vision, purpose, culture and customer value proposition Strategy Whistleblower system Purchasing Our Market Organization Independent ombudsman GDPR