France: Montreuil

Yesterday I got three postcards: one from France and two from Germany.

The card from France shows various views of Montreuil. Montreuil has medieval ramparts which were reinforced by Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban. In the Middle Ages the town laid by the sea, but now it is some distance away. During World War I was Montreuil the headquarters of the British Army in France. There is a statue of General Douglas Haig in front of Montreuil's theatre (upper left corner). 

General Douglas Haig was a British senior officer during World War I. He was the commander of the British Expeditionary Force from 1915 until 1918 including the Battle of the Somme, the Third Battle of Ypres and the Hundred Days Offensive. He became the model of class-based incompetent commanders unable to grasp modern tactics and technology.

With a nice stamp:
EUROPA (issued 04-05-2015)

Thank You very much William!

Germany: History of Stuttgart

Yesterday I got three postcards: two from Germany and one from France.

One of the cards from Germany is the Chronicle card of Stuttgart. Stuttgart was first mentioned in 1229 and got the town privileges in 1254. In 1316 became Stuttgart the residence of the Counts of Württemberg and in 1482 the capital of Württemberg. During World War II was Stuttgart heavily destroyed, but later rebuilt. From 1945 to 1952 was the city the capital of Württemberg-Baden and since then it has been the capital of the German State of Baden-Württemberg, of which it is also the largest city. Today is Stuttgart the sixth largest city of Germany and an important location of the economy.

Stamp:
Dresden (from set of two) (issued 03-04-2014)

Thank You very much Silvia!

Germany: Bauhaus Exhibition 1923

Yesterday I got three postcards: two from Germany and one from France.

One of the cards from Germany uses the motive of an old postcard printed for the Bauhaus Exhibition 1923 in Weimar.

I got this card a few weeks ago in a cover.

With related stamps:
Fagus Factory (issued 02-10-2014)
The Fagus Factory was built in 1911 by Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus.
800 Years Dessau (issued 01-07-2013)
The Bauhaus in Dessau was built between 1925 and 1926 following the designs of Walter Gropius. Dessau became the new place of activity after the Bauhaus School had been expelled from Weimar.
50 years Diplomatic Relations with Israel (issued 07-05-2015)
The White City in Tel Aviv was mainly built in the 1930s by Jewish architects having got their qualification at the Bauhaus and had to left Germany after the takeover of the National Socialists.
with a special postmark from the Bauhaus Days in Dessau

Thank You very much Claas for sending me the card in an envelope!

Germany: Wernigerode

On Tuesday I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Singapore.

The card from Germany shows various views of Wernigerode. Wernigerode is a town in Saxony-Anhalt on the edge of the Harz. The city is a part of the German Timber-Frame Road.

I sent this card to me when I recently visited Wernigerode.

Stamp:
Felix the Rabbit (from set of two) (issued 02-03-2015)

I bought also two cards of Wernigerode's Town Hall. It was first mentioned in 1277 and was once used as comital court. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful town halls in Europe.

Another card I bought shows the Wernigerode Castle. The Wernigerode Castle in its present state was built in the style of the Historicism in the 19th century. It houses an art museum.

In Wernigerode I visited the Baumkuchen House. It opened in 2008 and houses a café and a small museum.

Wernigerode is also a terminal of the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways and there is a small shop selling train things. There I found a special postcard which was printed for the 125th anniversary of the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways in 2012.

The card has a matching stamp (issued 09-02-2012) and was cancelled on 18th August 2012 in Quedlinburg.

Singapore: Firework

On Tuesday I got two postcards: one from Singapore and one from Germany.

The card from Singapore shows a firework in front of the skyline.

Stamp:
Tourism50 (from set of five) (issued 31-10-2014)
with the fifth of twelve slogan postmarks celebrating Singapore's 50th anniversary of independence

Thank You very much Candice!

Sweden: Farmhouses of Hälsingland

Yesterday I got two postcards: one from Sweden and one from Japan.

The card from Sweden shows one of the decorated farmhouses of Hälsingland. The decoration of farmhouses in Hälsingland originates to the Middle Ages and shows the wealth of the region's farmers. The decorated rooms were mainly reserved for festivities. They were painted in a combination of folk art and other styles including Rococo and Baroque. Since 2012 are the Decorated Farmhouses of Hälsingland on the the UNESCO World Heritage List. The card is a maxicard. The stamp is from a set of five and was issued on 7th May 2015.

The card is prepaid.

Thank You very much Caroline!

Japan: Ishidori Matsuri

Yesterday I got two postcards: one from Japan and one from Sweden.

The card from Japan shows the Ishidori Matsuri. The Ishidori Matsuri is a festival held annually in Kuwana in the Mie prefecture. It is considered to be the loudest festival in Japan.

Stamps:

Thank You very much Akane!

Germany: History of Weimar

On Saturday I got a postcard from Germany.

It is the Chronicle card of Weimar. The history of Weimar dates back to the 5/6th century when a village was founded which got the town privileges in 1348. Between 1547 and 1918 was Weimar the capital of Saxe-Weimar. In the 17th century became the city a cultural centre with persons like Goethe, Schiller and Herder living there. In 1919 the Weimar Constitution, Germany's first democratic constitution, was signed in Weimar. After World War II lied Weimar in the German Democratic Republic and after 1990 in the German State of Thuringia. Since 1998 is the Classical Weimar, including the Herder Church and Goethe's House (upper row middle and right), on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In 1999 was Weimar European Capital of Culture. 

Stamp:
Sewin (issued 04-12-2014)

Thank You very much Svea!

Japan: Shiki Memorial Museum

On Thursday I got eight postcards: one from Japan, one from Taiwan, three from Germany, one from Spain, one from Norway and one from Slovenia.

The card from Japan shows the Shiki Memorial Museum in Matsuyama. The Shiki Memorial Museum was opened in 1981 and shows exhibits about the life of the famous Japanese writer Masaoka Shiki and the early history of Matsuyama.

With a nice stamp:
3rd UNI World Congress in Nagasaki (from set of four) (issued 05-11-2010)
with a special postmark

Thank You very much Keiko!

Slovenia: Šentrupert

On Thursday I got eight postcards: one from Slovenia, one from Japan, one from Taiwan, three from Germany, one from Spain and one from Norway.

The card from Slovenia shows Šentrupert. Šentrupert is a village in southeastern Slovenia. 

The card was sent with a EUROPA stamp and Slovenia's new Postcrossing stamp with First Day Special Postmark, but the Postcrossing stamp got lost and only the EUROPA stamp (from set of two) (issued 29-05-2015) and a part of the special Postcrossing postmark remained. :(

Thank You very much Mateja!

Norway: Map

On Thursday I got eight postcards: one from Norway, one from Slovenia, one from Japan, one from Taiwan, three from Germany and one from Spain.

The card from Norway is a map of the complete country.

Stamp:
Winter sports (from set of six) (issued 19-04-2013)
with a special postmark from the Arctic Circle

Thank You very much Svea!

Spain: San Miguel de Lillo in Oviedo

On Thursday I got eight postcards: one from Spain, one from Norway, one from Slovenia, one from Japan, one from Taiwan and three from Germany.

The card from Spain shows San Miguel de Lillo in Asturias' capital Oviedo. San Miguel de Lillo is a Roman Catholic church consecrated in 848. As one of the Monuments of Oviedo and the Kingdom of the Asturias it is since 1985 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Stamp:
label

Thank You very much Lucia!

Germany: Puppenbrücke and Holsten Gate in Lübeck

On Thursday I got eight postcards: three from Germany, one from Spain, one from Norway, one from Slovenia, one from Japan and one from Taiwan.

One of the cards from Germany shows the Puppenbrücke in Lübeck. The Puppenbrücke is a stone bridge in front of the Holsten Gate. It was built between 1770 and 1772 and replaced an old wooden bridge. It is known for its eight sandstone figures which were placed on the bridge in 1774. Today is the bridge the main access to Lübeck's Old Town.

I got this card a few weeks ago in a cover.

Stamp:
Condolence (issued 05-12-2013)
with a special postmark about the death of Nobel Prize winner Günter Grass

In the envelope was also a postcard of the Holsten Gate.
The Holsten Gate is one of only two preserved city gates of Lübeck's medieval city fortifications. It was built in the style of the Brick Gothic in 1464. Today is the Holsten Gate a symbol of Lübeck and houses a museum. Since 1987 it is together with Lübeck's Old Town on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Thank You very much Sabine for sending me the cards in an envelope!

Germany: Bremen

On Thursday I got eight postcards: three from Germany, one from Spain, one from Norway, one from Slovenia, one from Japan and one from Taiwan.

One of the cards from Germany shows an aerial view of Bremen. Bremen is the capital of the German State of Bremen. It is the third largest city in Northern Germany and the tenth largest in Germany. 

I got this card a few weeks ago in a cover.

Stamp:
150 years German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (issued 07-05-2015)
with a special postmark on the same topic

Thank You very much Svenja for sending me the card in an envelope!

Germany: Günter Grass House

On Thursday I got eight postcards: three from Germany, one from Spain, one from Norway, one from Slovenia, one from Japan and one from Taiwan.

One of the cards from Germany was printed for a special exhibition at the Günter Grass House. The Günter Grass House is a museum in Lübeck about the works of Günter Grass. The Nobel Prize winner Günter Grass lived between 1995 and his death in 2015 near Lübeck. The museum was opened in 2002.

Stamp:
Lily of the Valley (issued 06-05-2010)

Thank You very much Kerstin!