A Saxon post mile pillar, colloquially also known as a Saxon post mile pillar, is a milestone that specifies distances and walking times to within an eighth of an hour. The design of the stones varies depending on the distance they represent; they can be in the shape of an obelisk, an ancient herm or a stele. The model was based on the Roman mile pillars, from which the incorrect designation as a pillar was derived. The Saxon Chief Postal Director Paul Vermehren arranged for it to be drawn up after official distance determinations, the results of which are recorded as hours of travel on the post-mile pillars made of hewn natural stone.
The Saxon postal mile pillars were set up during the reign of August the Strong and his successor on all important post and trade routes and in almost all cities of the Electorate of Saxony to indicate official distances. This should create the basis for a uniform calculation of postal charges. Since the Electorate of Saxony was much larger than today's state of Saxony, such pillars can also be found in Thuringia, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt and Poland.
The locations and images of the milestones still preserved or restored are listed in the gallery of the Saxon post mile pillars. In Saxony, the Saxon post mile columns are listed as a whole, which also includes replicas and remnants of these technical monuments that are true to the original.
Source: Wikipedia