Germany: Die Sendung mit der Maus

On 13th March I got three postcards: two from Germany and one from France.

One of the cards from Germany shows an illustration of Die Sendung mit der Maus. Die Sendung mit der Maus is one of the most popular German children's TV shows. Produced since 1971, it consists of short educational features and cartoons, the Maus-Spots. In those Maus-Spots you will see Maus, Elefant and Ente. Until now the show has won more than 75 awards. 

For the 50th anniversary of the show a special stamp was issued. Luckily I had already bought some matching cards, like the one above, last year, as this year it would have been more difficult, as most shops are still closed due to Covid-19. For me this was by far the most anticipated German stamp of the year, but I am very disappointed by the outcome. It is not that I do not like the design, which is wonderful, but why did exactly this stamp have to get the Matrixcode? No stamp in April gets it, none in May and just two of five in June. Not only does this code deface all the great stamps, but like that is now a pure trepidation which stamp will get the code and which not. However this was probably the best advertising for this horrible change in modern philately, as this new stamp and its production was featured in an episode of the show. So in conclusion, I love the stamp, but I had the deformation. 

I have not only sent the card above to myself but also two more with different special postmarks, but these just arrived three days later on Tuesday. The first card shows Maus, Elefant and Ente together and the other one is an ad card of the Maus, which I got in Berlin some years ago. If you follow my blog about Childhood Heroes on Stamps you have seen those there already.