Japan: Akō City Museum of History

On 28th May I got two postcards: one from Japan and one from Germany.

The card from Japan shows an artwork from the collection of the Akō City Museum of History. The Akō City Museum of History was established in 1989 and shows artifacts from Akō's past.

A very nice stamp about the 50th anniversary of the Restoration of Japanese Sovereignty in Okinawa (issued 13-05-2022) was used here. It is from a set of five and shows the Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa's capital.

Thank You very much Keiko!

Germany: Neuss

On 28th May I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Japan.

The card from Germany shows an aerial view of Neuss with the text #wirsindHANSE referring to the Hanseatic League. Neuss was actually never a member of the real historic Hanseatic League, but it got the same privileges from its sovereign and kept active relations with Hanseatic cities in the region. In 1980 Neuss however joined the newly founded Hanseatic League of the Modern Era. This year the city hosted the Hanseatic Day, but more about that one in another post. 

The German EUROPA stamp of 2018 (issued 03-05-2018) was used here.

Thank You very much Marcel!

Italy: Milan

On 27th May I got a postcard from Italy.

It shows various views of Milan. I like the cartoonish look of this card.

The stamp celebrates the 20th anniversary of the Fiscal Agencies of Italy (issued 06-10-2021).

Thank You very much William!

Some Old Postcards

On 24th May I got some old postcards which I had ordered online.

The first card shows a view of Bad Freienwalde in the Oderbruch. The Oderbruch is a landscape located at the Oder river in eastern Germany on the Polish border. The Prussian king Frederick the Great initiated the drainage of the Oderbruch in order to bring this large tract of marshland under cultivation. The Oderbruch got the European Heritage Label this year. 

On the second card the Bavarian State Library in Munich is shown. The Bavarian State Library is one of Europa's most important universal libraries and ranks among the best research libraries in the World. Moreover its historical stock encompasses one of the most important manuscript collections of the World, the largest collection of incunabula Worldwide, as well as numerous further important special collections. Since 1663 already two copies of every book printed in Bavaria have to be sent to the library.

The next card shows the Burschenschaftsdenkmal in Eisenach. The Burschenschaftsdenkmal is a national monument built between 1897 and 1902. It was erected to honour the students who died during the Franco-Prussian War and also the influence of the student leagues on the German Unification of 1871.

Blankenburg Castle is shown on another card. It dates back to the 12th century and in the 18th century it got its current Baroque shape. The Welf court of Blankenburg was famous for its brilliant festivals and theatrical performances.

Last but not least I also bought these two cards of the Soviet War Memorial in Berlin's Treptower Park. This Soviet War Memorial honours those soldiers who died during the battle of Berlin and was the central war memorial of East Germany. It is part of a triptych which also includes The Motherland Calls in Volgograd. I had visited this memorial some years ago, but was not able to get a postcard back then. 

Italy: Pavia

On 20th May I got five postcards from Italy.

One of them shows various views of Pavia. Pavia is a city in Lombardy near Milan. It was the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom from 540 to 553, of the Kingdom of the Lombards from 572 to 774, of the Kingdom of Italy from 774 to 1024 and seat of the Visconti court from 1365 to 1413. Also it is home to one of the oldest universities in the World.

The stamp celebrates the Centenary of the Federation of Italian Philatelic Societies (issued 23-11-2019) and the postmark is from the philatelic shop in Pavia.

Thank You very much William!

Italy: Vernazza

On 20th May I got five postcards from Italy.

One of them shows Vernazza. Vernazza is one of the Cinque Terre towns and remains one of the truest fishing villages on the Italian Riviera. The 2021 animated film Luca was inspired by Vernazza and the other Cinque Terre towns. Pixar animators visited Vernazza and based the piazza of Portorosso on Vernazza's in particular.

Postmarked in La Spezia, the stamp shows Ugo Tognazzi (issued 23-03-2022), an Italian actor.

Thank You very much William!

Italy: Riomaggiore

On 20th May I got five postcards from Italy.

One of them shows Riomaggiore. Riomaggiore is the southernmost of the Cinque Terre. It is known for its wine and historic character. 

The card got a nice and clear postmark from Riomaggiore. The stamp is about the Basilica of Santa Maria in Vado of Ferrara (issued 28-03-2022).

Thank You very much William!

Italy: La Spezia

On 20th May I got five postcards from Italy.

One of them shows a view of La Spezia. La Spezia is the second largest city of Liguria, one of the main Italian commercial harbours, a major Italian Navy base, a popular seaside resort and also a significant railway junction.

The stamp used here celebrates the Centenary of the Coronation of Madonna della Sanità of Vallecorsa (issued 23-04-2022). The postmark is from the philatelic shop in La Spezia.

Thank You very much William!

Italy: Chiavari

On 20th May I got five postcards from Italy.

One of them shows an aerial view of Chiavari. Chiavari is a commune near Genoa in Liguria.

The card got cancelled in the philatelic shop in Chiavari and the stamp celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Conference of Regions and Autonomous Provinces (issued 15-01-2021).

Thank You very much William!

Italy: Manarola

On 19th May I got a postcards from Italy.

It shows Manarola. Manarola is the second-smallest of the famous Cinque Terre towns frequented by tourists, but maybe is also the oldest in the region. Before you wonder why this looks familiar, the Cinque Terre towns including Manarola were the inspiration for the town of Portorosso in the 2021 animated film Luca. Since 1997 are Portovenere, the Cinque Terre and the Islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

A round stamp about the Centenary of the Foundation of the Mosaic School of Friuli (issued 22-04-2022) was used here and got cancelled in the philatelic shop of La Spezia.

Thank You very much William!

covers from Germany

On 19th May I got not only a postcard but also three covers including two from Germany.

Both covers were sent by myself with this year's German EUROPA stamp (issued 05-05-2022). Germany decided to illustrate the theme of Legends with an archetypical monster which could appear in stories from around the World. Honestly I like the postmarks more than the stamp itself. The designer of the stamp, Professor Henning Wagenbreth, however also designed one of my favourite stamps of all time, the 500th anniversary of Till Eulenspiegel stamp (issued 07-07-2011), so I used that one on one of the covers as well. 

cover from Austria

On 19th May I got not only a postcard but also three covers including one from Austria.

The cover was sent with three personalised stamps about animals.

In the cover were four maxicards and three mint souvenir sheets.

Thank You very much Anita!

Italy: Monte dei Cappuccini in Turin

On 18th May I got two postcards: one from Italy and one from Germany.

The card from Italy shows the Monte dei Cappuccini in Turin. The Church of Santa Maria al Monte dei Cappuccini is a late-Renaissance-style church on a hill overlooking the River Po. It was built for the Capuchin Order between 1583 and 1656.

The card was postmarked in the philatelic shop in Turin on 9th May, the beginning of the Eurovision week. The stamp shows Vittorio de Sica (issued 27-08-2021), an Italian film director and actor. He was a leading figure in the neorealist movement and especially his movie Bicycle Thieves is considered to be one of the best and most influetial movies in cinema history.

Thank You very much William!

Germany: Brüggen Castle

On 18th May I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Italy.

The card from Germany shows Brüggen Castle. Brüggen Castle is a water castle in North Rhine-Westphalia and was once the most important castle in the north of the Duchy of Jülich. After the occupation of Brüggen in 1794 by Napoleonic troops it was confiscated and resold by the French government to a private individual at the beginning of the 19th century. Today it houses a hunting and natural history museum.

The stamp is about Winegrowing in Germany (issued 07-09-2017).

Thank You very much Marcel!

Austria: Water Sprite of Eisenerz

On 13th May I got four postcards: two from Austria, one from Germany and one from the USA.

One of the cards from Austria shows the Water Sprite of Eisenerz. According to the legend the inhabitants of Eisenerz once caught a Water Sprite. In return for his release he promised either gold for ten years, silver for hundred years or iron forever. The people chose iron, which since then is mined. 

The legend of the Water Sprite of Eisenerz was chosen for this year's Austrian EUROPA stamp (issued 07-05-2022). For my taste the design is a bit too minimalist, but I really like the added metal foil.

Thank You very much Anita!

Austria: Botanic Garden of the University of Graz

On 13th May I got four postcards: two from Austria, one from Germany and one from the USA.

One of the cards from Austria shows the Botanic Garden of the University of Graz. The Botanic Garden was created in 1887 and nowadays it includes multiple greenhouses as well as an open-air area. 

The card was sent with a nice postmark from the Botanic Garden inscribed We Plant For Tomorrow.

Thank You very much Anita!

USA: Majestic Apartments

On 13th May I got four postcards: one from the USA, two from Austria and one from Germany.

The card from the USA shows the Majestic Apartments in New York City. The Majestic Apartments is a cooperative apartment building adjacent to the Central Park. It was constructed from 1930 to 1931 in the Art Deco style and is 30 stories tall.

Five stamps were used on this card. For me the most noteworthy is the green stamp about Shel Silverstein's famous picture book The Giving Tree (issued 08-04-2022). A great addition to my collection of Childhood Heroes on Stamps! The other stamps show Strawberries (issued 05-05-2017), an artwork by George Morrison (issued 22-04-2022) and a Barn (issued 14-04-2022) and celebrate the Centenary of the International Telecommunication Union (issued 06-10-1965). 

Thank You very much Patrick!

Netherlands: Museum Noordwijk

On 4th May I got two postcards: one from the Netherlands and one from Japan.

The card from the Netherlands shows Charlotte van Pallandt's statue De Redder from the collection of the Museum Noordwijk. The Museum Noordwijk is a small museum about the city's history.

A definitive stamp was used here.

Thank You very much Marcel!

Japan: Window Research Institute

On 4th May I got two postcards: one from Japan and one from the Netherlands.

The card from Japan is from the Window Research Institute. The Window Research Institute is a public interest incorporated foundation engaged in research activities and cultural projects based on windows. It was established in 2013 and has already shown exhibition around the World.

The stamp is from a set of three about Philately Week and Ukiyo-e Art (issued 20-04-2022).

Thank You very much Keiko!

Germany: Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum

On 29th April I visited the Roemer and Pelizaeus Museum in Hildesheim and bought these three cards for my collection.