The German Society for Post and Telecommunication History is an acknowledged non-profit-making society and, with more than 15,000 members, is probably Germany's largest historical association.
Goal of the Society is the cultivation and research of communication. Members are primarily offered sophisticated publications, but also events and opportunities for exchanging experiences.
The spectrum of topics ranges from messenger services of the antiquities through to email, from ship's post to philately and covers the technological history of communication media as well as its effects from social, cultural and organizational viewpoints. Focus is not on a nostalgic look-back but on the spirited interpretation of history. The rapid development of information technology and the privatisation of companies make it possible to gain illuminating insights and comparisons.
Quarterly society members receive a bound magazine titled "Das Archiv: Magazin für Kommunikationsgeschichte" (The Archive: The History of Communication). The Society cultivates close affiliations with the Museum Foundation Post and Telecommunications with its related museums.