Postal codes in Germany
overview of postal codes in Germany / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Postal codes in Germany, German: Postleitzahl (PLZ) (plural Postleitzahlen), have five numbers. The first two show the wide area, the three other show the postal district.
The present system was introduced on 1 July 1993. Before reunification, both the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the German Democratic Republic (DDR) used four-digit codes.
There was a temporary system after reunification. Between 1989 and 1993 postal codes in the west started with W, eg W-1000 Berlin 30 (postal districts in western cities were separate from the postal code) and those in the east with O (for Ost), e.g.: O-1234 Berlin.
Companies that posted a lot of letters, German: Großkunden have their own postal codes, separate from those used for postal districts or PO Box number ranges.
Postal regions do not always follow state borders. This is because sometimes it is easier to deliver mail to a place on the border from the other state.
The postal regions and some postal codes are: