Germany: German Wire Museum in Altena

Last Friday I got two postcards: one from Germany and one from Italy.

The card from Germany is from the German Wire Museum in Altena. The German Wire Museum is an experience museum about the history, production and use of wire. It was opened in 1965. 

Stamp:
500th birthday of Lucas Cranach the Younger (issued 01-10-2015)

Thank You very much Birgit!

cover from Germany

Last Friday I got not only two postcards but also a cover from Germany.

Stamps:

Phlox (issued 13-04-2017)

Bluebells (issued 08-06-2017)

Birth Centenary of Hannelore "Loki" Schmidt (issued 01-03-2019)

with a matching special postmark

My Trip to Magdeburg

Last Thursday I was in Magdeburg and there I bought some cards for my collection. On three of the cards I put matching stamps and got them handcancelled at the local post office.

Magdeburg was first mentioned in 805. It soon became an important trading centre with the Slaws. In the Middle Ages the Magdeburg Rights, a set of town privileges, were spread in big parts of East Europa. They are considered to be a milestone in urbanisation of the entire region. The city later became an early centre of the Reformation. Due to this the city was destroyed during the Thirty Years's War by the Count of Tilly. In 1680 the city became a part of Prussia and was turned into an important fortress. During World War II the city was again destroyed. After the war it became an East German district capital and since 1990 it is the capital of the German State of Saxony-Anhalt.

With a matching stamp:
1200 years Magdeburg (issued 08-09-2005)

The State Diet of Saxony-Anhalt convenes in Magdeburg since 1990. It is housed in a Baroque building.

With a matching stamp:
State Diet of Saxony-Anhalt (issued 10-05-2001)

One of the most famous persons connected with Magdeburg is Emperor Otto the Great. Otto was German King from 936 and Holy Roman Emperor from 962. In 968 he founded an archdiocese in Magdeburg and the city thus turned into a centre for the christianisation of Eastern Europa.

With a matching stamp:
1100th birthday of Otto the Great (issued 09-08-2012)

The Magdeburg Cathedral is the most famous landmark of Magdeburg. The current church was built over a period of 300 years starting in 1209, but earlier there was also a church from the time of Otto the Great. It is the oldest Gothic church in Germany and one of the tallest cathedrals in Eastern Germany. The tomb of Otto the Great is housed inside.

The Cathedral Museum Ottonianum was opened in 2018. In a modern exhibition it presents the findings of excavations carried out in the cathedral area between 2001 and 2010.

The Cultural History Museum is a museum about Magdeburg's history. It was opened in 1906 and is especially known for its special exhibitions. The most famous exhibit of the museum is the original Magdeburg Rider.

The Natural History Museum showed its first exhibition in 1875 and is since 1948 housed in the same building as the Cultural History Museum, as the museum's building was destroyed in World War II. It mainly shows the flora and fauna of Saxony-Anhalt.

Germany: Übersee-Museum in Bremen

Last Wednesday I was in Bremen. There I visited the Übersee-Museum and bought this card for my collection.

The Übersee-Museum was opened in 1896. In its exhibitions it combines natural history and ethnography to present the life in Africa, America, Asia and Oceania. It is one of the most visited museums in Germany.

Germany - Netherlands - Belgium - United Kingdom - USA: Feminism Chaincard

Recently I took again part in a chaincard project organised on Instagram. This time the theme was Feminism and the card travelled from Germany to the Netherlands, Belgium, the United Kingdom, the USA and back to Germany. 

Stamps:

Germany - 50 years Women's Suffrage in Germany (from set of three) (issued 11-08-1969)

Germany - Centenary of the Women's Suffrage in Germany (issued 02-01-2019)

Netherlands - Voting Rights for Women (issued 28-08-1979)

Netherlands - 1001 Women (from set of ten) (issued 25-03-2013)

Belgium - Women in Action (whole set) (issued 07-03-2009)

United Kingdom - Centenary of the Women's Suffrage in the United Kingdom (two from set of eight) (issued 15-02-2018)

USA - Anne Julia Cooper (issued 11-06-2009)

USA - Ayn Rand (issued 22-04-1999)

The card I chose for this chaincard shows the Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus in Berlin. The Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus is located in the government district and was built between 1998 and 2003. It is named after Marie-Elisabeth Lüders, one of the most important figures in the German women's rights movement.

Thank You very much Heleen, Eliza, Doyel and Hannah for your stamps!

United Kingdom: Windsor Castle

Last Tuesday I got five postcards: three from the United Kingdom, one from Andorra and one from Sweden

One of the cards from the United Kingdom shows Windsor Castle. Windsor Castle was originally built in the 11th century by William the Conquerer and since the 12th century it has been used by the reigning monarch making it the longest-occupied palace in Europa. Over the centuries the castle was often enlarged and redesigned.

Stamps:
Harry Potter (two from souvenir sheet of five) (issued 16-10-2018)
with a special postmark from Windsor

Thank You very much William!

United Kingdom: Brighton

Last Tuesday I got five postcards: three from the United Kingdom, one from Andorra and one from Sweden

One of the cards from the United Kingdom shows various views of Brighton. Brighton is a part of the city of Brighton and Hove on the south coast of England. It is the most famous and most important seaside resort in the United Kingdom.

Stamps:
Prime Ministers (from set of eight) (issued 14-10-2014)
Harry Potter (from set of ten) (issued 16-10-2018)
with a special postmark from Brighton

Thank You very much William!

United Kingdom: Southampton

Last Tuesday I got five postcards: three from the United Kingdom, one from Andorra and one from Sweden

One of the cards from the United Kingdom shows various views of Southampton. Southampton is a city in England. It is an important port city and is known as one of the departure points for D-Day.

Stamps:
Songbirds (from set of ten) (issued 04-05-2017)
Owls (from set of ten) (issued 11-05-2018)
with a special postmark from Southampton

Thank You very much William!

Sweden: Aurora Borealis over Jokkmokk

Last Tuesday I got five postcards: one from Sweden, three from the United Kingdom and one from Andorra.

The card from Sweden shows the Aurora Borealis over Jokkmokk. Jokkmokk is a town in Lapland just north of the Arctic Circle. It is a centre of Sámi culture in Sweden and is known for the Jokkmokk Market, which is a very important social event for the Sámi people. 

Stamp:
Fish in the Nordic Region (from set of five) (issued 03-05-2018)

Thank You very much Svea!

Andorra: Country Views

Last Tuesday I got five postcards: one from Andorra, one from Sweden and three from the United Kingdom.

The card from Andorra shows various views of the country.

Stamps:
Coat of Arms (two from set of six) (issued 02-01-2010)
600th anniversary of the Consell de la Terra (issued 12-02-2019)

Thank You very much William!

cover from the TAAF

Last Tuesday I got not only five postcards but also a cover from the TAAF.

Stamps:

Salvin's Prion (issued 02-01-2018)

Penguins (two from set of three) (issued 07-06-2018)

Thank You very much William!

Germany: Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum in Hildesheim

Last Tuesday I was in Hildesheim. There I visited the Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum and bought this card for my collection.

The Roemer- und Pelizaeus-Museum is an archaeological museum. It houses important collections of Ancient Egyptian and Ancient Peruvian art and the second largest collection of Chinese porcelain in Europa.

Italy: Torgnon

Last Saturday I got two postcards: one from Italy and one from Austria.

The card from Italy shows Torgnon. Torgnon is a town in the Aosta Valley.

Stamp:
Matera - European Capital of Culture (issued 04-03-2019)
with a special postmark about the International Women's Day

Thank You very much Davide!

Austria: Vienna - City of Music

Last Saturday I got two postcards: one from Austria and one from Italy.

The card from Austria shows a clef.

With a related stamp:
Viennese Zither (issued 20-03-2019)
with First Day Special Postmark

Thank You very much Anita!

Salon Philatélique de Printemps in Paris

Between the 14th and 16th March 2019 the Salon Philatélique de Printemps was held in Paris and like usual I got some philatelic souvenirs from this event. Last Thursday I got two postcards and one cover sent during the event.

The first card shows an old view of the Eiffel Tower, which celebrated its 130th birthday a few days ago.

Stamps:
New Marianne 0,01€, 0,10€
with a special postmark about field post in World War I
170th anniversary of the first French Stamp (issued 14-03-2019)
with First Day Special Postmark

The second card shows an illustration of Paris.

Stamp:
New Marianne 0,01€, 0,10€
Boucheron (from set of two) (issued 21-01-2019)
with two different special postmarks about the Salon Philatélique de Printemps

On the cover are these stamps:
Metiers d'Art - Cristallerie (issued 15-03-2019)
Fontaine Saint-Michel (issued 14-03-2019)
with First Day Special Postmarks

Thank You very much William!