Germany: Lanxess Arena in Cologne

On Monday I got four postcards from Germany.

One of them shows the Lanxess Arena in Cologne. The Lanxess Arena is an indoor arena. It was opened in 1998 and is used for ice hockey, handball, basketball and concerts. It is the largest ice hockey arena outside of North America.

Stamp:
25 years 112 as emergency telephone number in Europe (issued 11-02-2016)

Thank You very much Marcel!

Belgium: Gaston

On Saturday I got two postcards: one from Belgium and one from Germany.

The card from Belgium shows Gaston. Gaston is a Belgian comic character created by André Franquin. He first appeared in the comic magazine Spirou in 1957 and is since then very popular in large parts of Europe. His adventures were translated in over a dozen languages.

With a matching stamp:
60 years Gaston (from set of five) (issued 28-01-2017)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Gerda!

Germany: Güstrow Palace

On Saturday I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Belgium.

The card from Germany shows Güstrow Palace. Güstrow Palace was built from 1558 onwards and is one of the most important Renaissance style buildings in northern Germany. It was the residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg-Güstrow and now is one of the locations of the State Museum Schwerin.

Stamp:
Saxon Switzerland (issued 02-06-2016)

Thank You very much Ann-Kathrin!

Germany: Town Musicians of Bremen

On Friday I got two postcards from Germany.

One of them shows the Town Musicians of Bremen. The Towns Musicians of Bremen is a European fairy tale about four animals on their way to Bremen, where they want to become town musicians. It was published for the first time in 1819 by the Brothers Grimm.

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

You can read the whole story of the four animals on my stamp blog. ^___^

With a matching stamp:
Town Musicians of Bremen (from set of three) (issued 09-02-2017)
with First Day Special Postmark

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

On Friday I also got three covers with other First Day Special Postmarks.

Germany: Kaspar Hauser Memorial

On Friday I got two postcards from Germany.

One of them shows the Kaspar Hauser Memorial in Ansbach. The Kaspar Hauser Memorial was erected in 1981 to commemorate the famous foundling Kaspar Hauser from the Biedermeier period. 

Stamp:
Centenary of the Möhne Reservoir (issued 04-04-2013)

Thank You very much Julia!

Germany: Bremen from Papersisters

On Wednesday I got three postcards: one from Germany, one from Indonesia and one from Japan.

The card from Germany is Papersisters' German Landmark postcard of Bremen. The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is a two-city-state bordering on Lower Saxony. It consists of the two cities of Bremen and Bremerhaven. By area it is the smallest state of Germany.

Among others the card shows the statue of the Town Musicians of Bremen, the Town Hall of Bremen and the Bremen Roland.

With matching stamps:
Sail Bremerhaven (issued 06-08-2015)
Die Weser (issued 08-12-2016)
Town Musicians of Bremen (from set of three) (issued 09-02-2017)
with a special postmark showing also the Town Musicians

Japan: Tea-stall at Sagano

On Wednesday I got three postcards: one from Japan, one from Germany and one from Indonesia.

The card from Japan shows an old tea-stall at Sagano.

With a great stamp:
Winnie the Pooh (from set of ten) (issued 09-02-2017)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Keiko!

Indonesia: Year of the Rooster

On Wednesday I got three postcards: one from Indonesia, one from Japan and one from Germany.

The card from Indonesia is a maxicard about the Year of the Rooster. The stamp is from a set of three and was issued on 21st January 2017.

The card was sent with the other two stamps from the set.

Thank You very much Shinta!

Germany: Berlin

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

One of the cards from Germany shows important political buildings in Berlin. Berlin became capital of the Margraviate of Brandenburg in 1417 and was later also the capital of the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich. After World War II the city was divided between France, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the USA. The eastern part became the capital of East Germany, while the western part formed an exclave of West Germany surrounded by the Berlin Wall. After the German Reunification also Berlin was reunited and in 1991 the Bundestag decided to move the German capital from Bonn to Berlin. Today the Bundestag, the Cabinet of Germany, the President and most of the ministries and foreign embassies are located in Berlin. Berlin is the largest city in Germany, the second largest in the European Union and an international centre of culture, politics and science. 

I bought this card when I recently visited Berlin.

With a matching stamp:
Bellevue Palace (issued 03-05-2007)
with a special postmark about the election of the new President of Germany

Germany: Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe

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

One of the cards from Germany shows the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe. The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a memorial in Berlin to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. It was built between 2003 and 2004 and consists of 2711 concrete stelae. It was inaugurated on 10th May 2005, sixty years after the end of World War II. In the underground under the memorial there is a place of information.

I bought this card when I recently visited Berlin.

Stamp:
Topography of Terror (issued 02-01-2017)
with a special postmark about the death of Roman Herzog
Roman Herzog was born in Landshut in 1934. He was law professor in Berlin and Speyer and in 1983 Herzog was elected a judge at the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany, whose president he became in 1987. Between 1994 and 1999 he was President of Germany. In 1996 Herzog declared the 27th January as Germany's official day of remembrance for the victims of the Nazi regime. Roman Herzog died on 10th January 2017.

Italy: Victory Arch in Genoa

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

The card from Italy shows the Victory Arch in Genoa. The Victory Arch was inaugurated in 1931. It was built to remember the townsmen of Genoa who died during World War I.

During World War I was Genoa an important logistic port of Italy and between 30000 and 80000 townsmen of Genoa fought on the battlefront.

Stamps:
Tourism (from set of four) (issued 28-06-1982)
Centenary of World War I (from set of four) (issued 24-05-2015)

Thank You very much Irene!

Dominican Republic: Columbus Lighthouse

On Monday I got three postcards: one from the Dominican Republic, one from Singapore and one from Thailand.

The card from the Dominican Republic shows the Columbus Lighthouse. The Columbus Lighthouse is a mausoleum, memorial and museum. It was built between 1986 and 1992 to commemorate the 500th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in America and houses what is said to be the remains of Columbus.

Stamps:
Scouting Centenary (from set of two) (issued 2007)
Tourism (from set of twelve) (issued 23-05-2013)

Thank You very much Valery!

Thailand: Ramayana

On Monday I got three postcards: one from Thailand, one from the Dominican Republic and one from Singapore.

The card from Thailand shows a performance of the Ramayana. The Ramayana is one of the largest ancient epics in World literature. It tells the story of Prince Rama and his fight with the Demon King Ravana. It is an important part of the culture in India, Indonesia, Thailand and other Asian countries.

With matching stamps:
66 years diplomatic relations with Indonesia (whole set) (issued 05-05-2016)
It is a joint issue with Indonesia.
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Kwanjira!

Singapore: Year of the Rooster

On Monday I got three postcards: one from Singpore, one from Thailand and one from the Dominican Republic.

The card from Singapore is a maxicard about the Year of the Rooster. The stamp is from a set of three and was issued on 6th January 2017.

Stamps:
Greetings (from set of five) (issued 10-02-1993)
Vanishing Trades (from set of ten) (issued 16-10-2013)
Tourism (from set of nine) (issued 04-07-1990)
with a special postmark from River Hongbao

Thank You very much Kelvin!

cover from Germany

On Monday I got not only three postcards but also a cover from Germany.

Stamp:

Opening of the Elbphilharmonie (issued 02-01-2017)

Inside were two German postcards.

The first one shows the Melanchthonhaus in Bretten. The Melanchthonhaus is a museum about the Protestant Reformation and Philipp Melanchthon. It was built between 1897 and 1903 on the site of Melanchthon's birthplace.

The second one shows Peter and Paul Festival in Bretten. The Peter and Paul Festival is a festival about important events in Bretten's history. It is celebrated with many historical costumes and is held every year on the weekend following the Church Day of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. Since 2014 it is a part of the German Nationwide Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Thank You very much Charlotte!