Austria: Baden bei Wien

On 27th April I got nine postcards: two from Austria, three from Turkey and four from Germany.

One of the cards from Austria shows the Kurhaus in Baden bei Wien. Baden bei Wien is a popular spa town since Roman times. Especially after the town was connected to Vienna and Graz by railway, thousands of Viennese began visiting each year to take the waters. One of the most famous visitors was Ludwig van Beethoven. During World War I the town served as a temporary seat of the Austro-Hungarian high command. As one of the eleven Great Spas of Europa is Baden bei Wien since 2021 on the UNESCO World Heritage List. 

The stamp also shows the Kurhaus, which was built between 1884 and 1886 in a Neorenaissance style. This stamp was issued on 23rd April 2022 making Austria the first country to issue a stamp for the Great Spas. Such a pity that there was not an agreement for a joint issue of all seven countries or at least a few. 

Thank You very much Anita!

Austria: Alexander Roda Roda

On 27th April I got nine postcards: two from Austria, three from Turkey and four from Germany.

One of the cards from Austria shows Alexander Roda Roda. Alexander Roda Roda was an Austrian writer and satirist born in 1872. Since 1911 he was writing articles for the Neue Freie Presse, one of Austria's most respected newspapers, and especially during World War I produced over 700 articles as war correspondent for the paper. He also contributed to the German satirical magazine Simplicissimus and in the 1920s his humorous and satirical book publications were largely successful. He lived in Germany when the Nazis seized power in 1933, which forced him to move to Graz, which again he left after the Anschluss in 1938 for Switzerland and later the USA. Alexander Roda Roda died in New York in 1945. 

For Alexander Roda Roda's 150th birthday the Austrian Post issued the big souvenir sheet used here on 22nd April.

Thank You very much Anita!

Germany: Herzog August Library

On 27th April I got nine postcards: four from Germany, two from Austria and three from Turkey.

One of the cards from Germany shows the Augusteerhalle of the Herzog August Library in Wolfenbüttel. The Herzog August Library was founded by Duke Julius of Brunswick-Lüneburg in 1572. It houses a large collection of manuscripts of the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period and is one of the oldest libraries in the World which have never suffered loss to its collection. Its most famous librarians were Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz and Gotthold Ephraim Lessing. Today it is a major international research centre for Medieval and Early Modern culture. Some of its rooms are used as museum.

For the 450th anniversary of the Herzog August Library a nice special stamp was issued on 7th April 2022. I used it on the postcard above, which I had bought during a visit to the library in early April. 

Among the most important and famous manuscripts of the library are the Gospels of Henry the Lion, a copy of the Sachsenspiegel, a printed edition of the Latin Psalter with annotations by Martin Luther, Luther's German translation of the New Testament and parts of the Bibliotheca Corviniana Collection. The latter three are even part of the Memory of the World Programme of the UNESCO. Another card which arrived on 27th April shows a book by Bartolomeo della Fonte of the Bibliotheca Corviniana Collection from the library's collection.

On this card I used the same stamp and got the second First Day Special Postmark.

A third card from my trip to the library arrived on 13th May. It shows Duke Augustus the Younger of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, one of the most literate princes of his time who extensively enlarged the library's collection in the 17th century and who is now its namesake. Its portrait is even shown on the stamp.

Here I used the stamp for the third time and got a special postmark from Wolfenbüttel.

Germany: Badger and Lynx

On 27th April I got nine postcards: four from Germany, two from Austria and three from Turkey.

Two of the cards from Germany I have used to get the First Day Special Postmarks of this year's Young Animal stamps (issued 07-04-2022). The animals shown this year are the Badger and the Lynx. I especially like the Badger.

Turkey: Dolmabahçe Palace

On 27th April I got nine postcards: three from Turkey, four from Germany and two from Austria.

One of the cards from Turkey shows the Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul. The Dolmabahçe Palace was built between 1843 and 1856 at the behest of Sultan Abdülmecid I. It replaced the medieval Topkapı Palace as official residence, which according to the sultan was lacking in contemporary style, luxury, and comfort, as compared to the palaces of the European monarchs. The construction however placed an enormous burden on the state purse and contributed to the deteriorating financial situation of the Ottoman Empire. Between 1856 and 1924 the palace was home to six sultans and afterwards Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the founder and first President of the Republic of Turkey, used the palace as a presidential residence during the summers, enacted some of his most important works there and even died in the palace in 1938.

Three stamps were used on the card. Two identical ones are from a set of six about Postal Buildings (issued 22-02-2016) and show the Post Office of Izmir. The other stamp is from a souvenir sheet with three stamps about Traditional Gastronomy (issued 13-07-2020). It is an Euromed issue.

Thank You very much Marcel!

Turkey: Derinkuyu Underground City

On 27th April I got nine postcards: three from Turkey, four from Germany and two from Austria.

One of the cards from Turkey shows the Derinkuyu Underground City. The Derinkuyu Underground City is an ancient multi-level underground city extending to a depth of approximately 85 metres. It is large enough to have sheltered as many as 20000 people together with their livestock and food stores. Most likely the underground city was first created in the 8th and 7th century BC. After the Christianisation of the population it was used until as late as the 20th century as an refuge from persecutions. It is the largest excavated underground city in Turkey and is one of several underground complexes found throughout Cappadocia, some of which are linked by tunnels. As part of the Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia it is since 1985 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Three stamps were used on the card. Two identical ones are from a set of six about Postal Buildings (issued 22-02-2016) and show the Post Office of Izmir. The other stamp is from a souvenir sheet with three stamps about Traditional Gastronomy (issued 13-07-2020). It is an Euromed issue.

Thank You very much Marcel!

Turkey: Göreme National Park

On 27th April I got nine postcards: three from Turkey, four from Germany and two from Austria.

One of the cards from Turkey shows the Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia. The Göreme National Park and the Rock Sites of Cappadocia contains spectacular landscapes shaped by erosion and sanctuaries that provide unique evidence of Byzantine art. It is a mixed UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

Three stamps were used on the card. Two identical ones are from a set of six about Postal Buildings (issued 22-02-2016) and show the Post Office of Izmir. The other stamp is from a souvenir sheet with three stamps about Traditional Gastronomy (issued 13-07-2020). It is an Euromed issue.

Thank You very much Marcel!

France: Montpellier

On 21st April I got a postcard from France.

It shows various views of Montpellier. Montpellier is a city in the Hérault department in the Languedoc-Roussillon region on the Mediterranean coast. Montpellier is France's fastest growing city and at the moment the seventh-largest city of the country. The University of Montpellier is one of the oldest universities in the World.

Nine Marianne stamps were used here and the other stamp shows the Solar Furnace of Odeillo (issued 28-03-2022). They got cancelled in the philatelic shop in Montpellier.

Thank You very much William!

Germany: Cologne after WWII

On 20th April I got a postcard from Germany.

It shows a view of Cologne after World War II. During World War II Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Royal Air Force. 

A stamp about 150th birthday of Else Lasker-Schüler (issued 07-02-2019) was used here.

Thank You very much Marcel!

cover from the Vatican

On 16th April I got a cover from the Vatican.

The cover was cancelled with an interesting pictorial postmark of the Saint Peter's Basilica and a nice stamp about the 700th death anniversary of Dante Alighieri (issued 08-09-2021) was used. The scene on the stamp is inspired by the 24th Canto of Paradise in which Dante is subjected to the examination of faith by Saint Peter.

Thank You very much William!

Austria: Easter

On 14th April I got a postcard from Austria.

It is an Easter card.

The card was sent with a matching personalised stamp and a cute Easter postmark.

Thank You very much Anita!

Germany: Städtisches Museum in Braunschweig

On 14th April I visited the Städtisches Museum in Braunschweig. Although I already have tons, I still bought three new cards for my collection, as every time they seem to find some other ones to be sold.

Sierra Leone: Flag

On 13th April I got two postcards: my first card from Sierra Leone and one from Japan.

Sierra Leone is a country in West Africa bordering on Guinea and Liberia. After becoming independent from the United Kingdom in 1961, the country witnessed three decades of political stability before a brutal civil war broke out in 1991 and nowadays Sierra Leone is still one of the World's poorest countries. Freetown is Sierra Leone's capital and largest city.

The card shows the Flag of the country. The Flag of Sierra Leone was officially adopted in 1961 right after the independence. Green symbolises agriculture, mountains and natural resources, White stands for unity and justice and Blue denotes hope.

Among philatelists Sierra Leone is known as a client of the notorious Stamperija agency, which pours out hundreds of stamps per year in the country's name that have no connection to Sierra Leone at all and that are rarely available in the country itself but only sold to collectors. This however is a definitive stamp from a Nature series (issued 15-11-2018) issued mainly for the use in the country. In total 17 stamps were issued showing birds, lions and minerals. Shown on this stamp is a African Rock Pigeon.

 Thank You very much Gerda for arranging this card for me!

Japan: Koinobori

On 13th April I got two postcards: one from Japan and my first card from Sierra Leone.

The card from Japan shows Koinobori. Koinobori, meaning "carp streamer" in Japanese, are carp-shaped windsocks traditionally flown in Japan to celebrate Tango no sekku, a traditional calendrical event which is now designated as Children's Day, a national holiday in Japan. Landscapes across Japan are decorated with Koinobori from April to early May, in honour of children for a good future and in the hope that they will grow up healthy and strong.

The stamp on the left used here with First Day Special Postmark is from a set of ten about Hospitality Flowers (issued 06-04-2022). 

Thank You very much Keiko!

Poland: Jewish Historical Institute

On 12th April I got two postcards from Poland.

One of them shows the Jewish Historical Institute in Warsaw. The Jewish Historical Institute is a public cultural and research institution dealing with the history of Jews in Poland and Jewish culture. It was founded in 1947 and is housed in the building of the former Main Judaic Library

Stamps about the Year of the Ox (issued 26-02-2021) and the Year of the Tiger (issued 01-02-2022) were used on this card. Four smaller values about Rail Crossing Safety Awareness (issued 30-05-2020) and the 40th anniversary of the Solidarity Union of Farmers (issued 12-05-2021) had to be used as well to reach the right amount of postage. 

Thank You very much Marcel!