Germany: The 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Nelly Sachs

Born as Leonie Sachs (10 December 1891 – 12 May 1970) Nelly Sachs was a Jewish German poet and playwright whose experiences resulting from the rise of the Nazis in World War II Europe transformed her into a poignant spokeswoman for the grief and yearnings of her fellow Jews. With Shmuel Yosef Agnon, she was awarded the 1966 Nobel Prize in Literature.

Stamps:
2x The 125th Anniversary of the Birth of Nelly Sachs - Issued: 07-04-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark

Germany: The 500th Anniversary of the German Beer Purity Law

The Reinheitsgebot ( literally "purity order"), sometimes called the "German Beer Purity Law" in English, is the collective name for a series of regulations limiting the ingredients in beer in Germany and its predecessor states. The most well-known version of the law was adopted in Bavaria in 1516, but similar regulations predate the Bavarian order, and modern regulations also significantly differ from the 1516 Bavarian version.

Stamp:
The 500th Anniversary of the German Beer Purity Law - Issued: 07-04-2016 with special first day of issue postmark

Germany: The Moselle

The Moselle (German: Mosel) is a river flowing through France, Luxembourg, and Germany. It is a left tributary of the Rhine, which it joins at Koblenz, Germany. A small part of Belgium is also drained by the Moselle through the Sauer and the Our. It flows through a region that has been influenced by mankind since it was first cultivated by the Romans. Today, its hillsides are covered by terraced vineyards where some of the best Rieslings grow and numerous ruined castles dominate the hilltops above wine villages and towns that line the riverbanks.

Stamps:
Tourism - Germany's Most Beautiful Panoramas 'Moselle' (whole set) - Issued: 07-04-2016 with special first day of issue postmark

Germany: The 100th Anniversary of the Death of Franz Marc

Franz Marc (February 8, 1880 – March 4, 1916) was a German painter and printmaker, one of the key figures of the German Expressionist movement. He was a founding member of "Der Blaue Reiter" (The Blue Rider), a journal whose name later became synonymous with the circle of artists collaborating in it. With the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, Marc was drafted in the German Army as a cavalryman. After mobilization of the German Army, the government identified notable artists to be withdrawn from combat for their own safety. Marc was on the list but was struck in the head and killed instantly by a shell splinter during the Battle of Verdun in 1916 before orders for reassignment could reach him.

On the card you can see one of the most famous paintings of Franz Marc. Its called Blaues Pferd I, (or Blue Horse I) from 1911.

Stamp:
Centenary of World War I - Issued: 07-08-2014 with special postmark

Germany: Baby Animals

I received this two cards some days ago. On the cards you can see the new german Baby Animals stamps. The first one is the European hare (Lepus europaeus), also known as the brown hare, is a species of hare native to Europe and parts of Western Asia and Central Asia. It is related to and looks very similar to the European rabbit, which is in the same family but in a different genus. Hares are larger than the European rabbit, have longer ears and hind legs and breed on the ground rather than in a burrow. They rely on speed to escape from predators.

Stamp:
Baby Animals (from a set of two) - Issued: 01-03-2016 with a special first day of issue postmark


The second card is actually not showing the greylag goose (or Anser anser), because I couldn't find a matching card. But at least the stamps does. The greylag goose (Anser anser) is a bird in the waterfowl family Anatidae. It has mottled and barred grey and white plumage and an orange beak and legs. A large bird, it measures between 74 and 91 centimetres (29 and 36 in) in length, with an average weight of 3.3 kilograms (7.3 lb). Its distribution is widespread, with birds from the north of its range in Europe and Asia migrating southwards to spend the winter in warmer places.

Stamp:
Baby Animals (from a set of two) - Issued: 04-03-2016 with a special first day of issue postmark

Germany: Happy Easter

Wishing you all a Happy Easter!

Or as in german: Frohe Ostern!

Stamp:

Cartoons by Peter Gaymann (from a set of two) - Issued: 01-03-2014 with special cancellation from the Easter Bunny Bureau in Ostereistedt

Germany: "Leap Year" Cover

A leap year (also known as an intercalary year or a bissextile year) is a year containing one additional day (or, in the case of lunisolar calendars, a month) added to keep the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year. Because seasons and astronomical events do not repeat in a whole number of days, calendars that have the same number of days in each year drift over time with respect to the event that the year is supposed to track. By inserting (also called intercalating) an additional day or month into the year, the drift can be corrected.

For example, in the Gregorian calendar, each leap year has 366 days instead of the usual 365, by extending February to 29 days rather than the common 28.

I set up this cover myself with several ATM stamps showing 29-02-2016 and with an additional 0,03 € stamp for the right postage and a cancellation on 29th February.

5 x ATM Stamp  - Issued: 24-10-2008

Germany: Martin Luther

Martin Luther (10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German professor of theology, composer, priest, former monk and a seminal figure in the Protestant Reformation. He strongly disputed the claim that freedom from God's punishment for sin could be purchased with money. He proposed an academic discussion of the power and usefulness of indulgences in his Ninety-Five Theses of 1517. His refusal to retract all of his writings at the demand of Pope Leo X in 1520 and the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V at the Diet of Worms in 1521 resulted in his excommunication by the Pope and condemnation as an outlaw by the Emperor. His translation of the Bible into the vernacular (instead of Latin) made it more accessible, which had a tremendous impact on the church and German culture. Luther died in 1546 in Eisleben, Germany. The card shows him around 1540.

Stamp:
ATM Stamp "Post Tower - Bonn" (0, 45 €) - Issued: 24-10-2008 with special postmark commemorating the 470. Anniversary of his day of death

Germany: The 25th Anniversary of the 112 European Emergency Number

112 is the common emergency telephone number that can be dialed free of charge from most mobile telephones and, in some countries, fixed telephones in order to reach emergency services (ambulance, fire and rescue, police). 112 was first standardised by a Recommendation by the CEPT in 1972 and later by a decision of the EU Council in 1991 and subsequently reaffirmed in 2002 by article 26 of the Universal Service Directive and its subsequent amendments.

Stamps (left to right):
ATM Stamp "Brandenburg Gate – Berlin" (0,05 ct) - Issued: 24-10-2008
Definitive Issue - Flowers "Tagetes erect" - Issued: 07-07-2005
The 25th Anniversary of the 112 European Emergency Number - Issued: 11-02-2016 with special first day of Issued postmark

Germany: The 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Ernst Litfaß (1816-1874)

Ernst Amandus Theodor Litfaß (11 February 1816 – 27 December 1874) was a German printer and publisher. He invented the free-standing cylindrical advertising column which bears his name in German (Litfaßsäule). In 1854 Litfaß proposed putting up columns in the streets of Berlin for announcement and advertising purposes. Allegedly, he was disgusted by the unsystematic and ubiquitous posting of pamphlets, notices and other materials on walls, doors, fences and trees. In December that year he was granted permission to erect such Annoncier-Säulen columns, and on 1 July 1855 the first 100 Litfaß-Säulen were presented in Berlin. Litfaß had a monopoly on his advertising columns and grew rich fast. After his death in Wiesbaden in 1874, the idea of putting up Litfaßsäulen (Litfaß columns or Litfaß pillars) quickly spread to other German cities. Today, they can be found in other countries as well.

Stamps:
2x The 200th Anniversary of the Birth of Ernst Litfaß (1816-1874) - Issued: 11-02-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark

Germany: Little Red Riding Hood

"Little Red Riding Hood", or "Little Red Ridinghood", also known as "Little Red Cap" or simply "Red Riding Hood", is a European fairy tale about a young girl and a Big Bad Wolf. The story has been changed considerably in its history and subject to numerous modern adaptations and readings. The story was first published by Charles Perrault and later reedited by the Grimm Brothers.

Stamps:
Charity Stamps - Little Red Riding Hood (whole Set) - Issued: 11-02-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark

Germany: Classic Cars

I received this two covers yesterday. On the covers you can see the current stamp issue from the german stamp series "Classic Cars". On the first cover you see the Ford Capri 1. The Ford Capri 1 is a fastback coupé that was built by Ford Motor Company from 1969 to 1973. Using the mechanical components from the Ford Cortina and intended as the European equivalent of the Ford Mustang for the European markets, the Capri went on to be a highly successful car for Ford, and sold nearly 1.9 million units in its lifetime.

Stamp:
Classic Cars "Ford Capri 1" (from a set of two) - Issued: 02-01-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark

On the second cover you can see the Porsche 911 Targa. This car is also known as the “safety cabriolet”. At its world premiere in 1965 at the International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt, Germany  it caused a stir; its “roll-over bar” was its unique selling point. The background: this was designed to protect the occupants' head area in the event of overturning.

Stamp:
Classic Cars "Porsche 911 Targa" (from a set of two) - Issued: 02-01-2016 with special first day of Issue postmark

Germany: Christmas Stamp 2015

Today I received a nice cover from Germany. The stamp is the 2015 german christmas stamp. It features the popular Christmas carol "Silent Night" (german: Stille Nacht). The song was composed in 1818 by Franz Xaver Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr in the small town of Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria. It was declared an intangible cultural heritage by UNESCO in 2011.The song has been recorded by a large number of singers from every music genre. The version sung by Bing Crosby is the third best-selling single of all-time.

Stamp:
Christmas - Issued: 02-11-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

Germany: Treasures of German Museums - "Grieving Women" by Tilman Riemenschneider

Tilman Riemenschneider (c. 1460 – 7 July 1531) was a German sculptor and woodcarver active in Würzburg from 1483. He was one of the most prolific and versatile sculptors of the transition period between late Gothic and Renaissance, a master in stone and lime wood. The largest collection of his work, 81 pieces, can be found in the Mainfränkisches Museum in the Marienberg citadel in Würzburg, Germany.

Stamp:
Treasures of German Museums - "Grieving" Women by Tilman Riemenschneider - Issued: 01-10-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

Germany: The 500th Anniversary of the Birth of Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586)

Lucas Cranach the Younger (Lucas Cranach der Jüngere; October 4, 1515 – January 25, 1586) was a German Renaissance artist, known for his woodcuts and paintings. He was the youngest son of Lucas Cranach the Elder and Barbara Brengebier, and began his career as an apprentice in his father's workshop alongside his brother Hans. Henceforth, his own reputation and fame grew. After his father's death, he assumed control over the workshop. They lived in the city of Kronach, in Franconia (in Germany).

Stamps (from the left):

Numeral Stamp (2 Cent) - Issued: 05-12-2013
Definitive Issue - "Crocus" - Issued: 11-08-2005
Definitive Issue - "Tulipa sp." - Issued: 08-09-2005
The 500th Anniversary of the Birth of Lucas Cranach the Younger (1515-1586) - Issued: 01-10-2015 with special first day of issue postmark 

Germany: The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Helmut Schön (1915-1996)

Today, I would like to show you a nice maximum card I got. The Card commemorates Helmut Schön. He was a German football player and manager. He is best remembered for his exceptional career as manager of West Germany. Under Schön's leadership, the German team were Football World Cup runners-up in 1966, third in the World Cup of 1970, European champions in 1972, World Cup winners in 1974 and European Championship runners-up in 1976. He holds World Cup records for both coaching the most matches (25) and the most wins (16), and was the first coach to win both a World Cup and a European Championship. On 15th September 2015 he would have become 100 years.

Stamp:
The 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Helmut Schön - Issued: 01-09-2015 with special postmark

Germany: The 150th Anniversary of Max and Moritz

Max and Moritz is a German language illustrated story in verse. This highly inventive, blackly humorous tale, told entirely in rhymed couplets, was written and illustrated by Wilhelm Busch and published in 1865.

Stamp:
The 150th Anniversary of Max and Moritz - Issued: 02-04-2015 with matching postmark

Germany: 175 Years of the First Postage Stamp - One Penny Black

With a special issue in September 2015 the German Post is commemorating 175 years of postage stamps by showcasing the world’s first: Great Britain’s 1840 Penny Black. It was issued in Great Britain on 1 May 1840, for official use from 6 May of that year. It features a profile of Queen Victoria.

The card I choosed for this stamp shows the "Post Office Counter", a lithography of Eberhard Stammel from 1854.

Stamp:
The 175th Anniversary of the first postage Stamp - Issued: 01-09-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

Germany: Youth Stamps - Fish

Every year the German Post issues a set of stamps with a special donation "For the Youth". This year's issue features different species of fish. The upper stamp shows Thymallus thymallus, the stamp on the bottom left Barbus barbus and right one Acipenser studio.

Stamps:
Youth Stamps - Fish (whole Set) - Issued: 06-08-2015 with special first day of issue postmark

Germany: 125 Years Heligoland to Germany

Yesterday I received a special cover. 125 years ago, Britain gave up the North Sea archipelago Heligoland to Germany. The change of flags took place on August 10, 1890. From August 5-10 2015, the inhabitants of Heligoland will commemorate this with a cultural and historical week. The program includes a ceremony on Saturday, an exhibition, an evening with the traditional costumes from the last 200 years, a regatta of traditional boats and the pier festival on the last day of the festival.

Stamp:
International Windjammerfestival Bremerhaven, Germany - Issued: 06-08-2015 with special postmark