Exhibition successes 2026

So far in 2026, there have been a number of significant international exhibitions and competitions in which individual ArGe members have taken part, and we are pleased to report on the results here – in keeping with the working groups motto: "Estonia–Latvia–Lithuania philately, our passion – stamps, documents, postmarks – exhibit, research, publish"

Honoring Ruud van Wijnen

An award for "services to research and literature" from the Federation of German Philatelists (BDPh) was – in another first in the history of the BDPh and the ArGe Baltikum – this time presented to someone who is neither German nor a member of the BDPh: our Latvia specialist editor, Ruud van Wijnen from the Netherlands. He has made a significant contribution to the research and documentation of this field of collecting, not only through his numerous activities, articles and his role as chairman of the sister society "Het baltische Gebied", but also through his decades of work promoting Latvian philately in Germany.

Torsten Berndt explains the significance of the procedure...

As is well known, the BDPh awards a bronze pin and a corresponding certificate for first-time honours, regardless of the level of merit achieved.

The honour was presented on behalf of the BDPh by Torsten Berndt, Chair of the Working Group.

...and Ruud van Wijnen is clearly both surprised and delighted by the unusual attention.

AGM 2026

A good dozen people attended this year’s general meeting of the ArGe Baltikum. As always, the face-to-face meeting and the chance to chat were the most important aspects, followed by the opportunity to acquire new treasures and the formalities of the extended board meeting and the general meeting required under association law. ArGe members can read about the results of the general meeting in BALTIKUM No. 22.

As always, an informal get-together took place the evening before. Pictured here are three of the board members: at the back on the left is Martin Bechstedt, Vice-Chairman and Editor for Lithuania; in the middle is Michael Haslau, Treasurer and BPP Examiner for Memel; and on the right is Torsten Berndt, Chairman (the fourth member of the group was standing behind the camera).

Studying potential new acquisitions required careful attention...

...and a close look.

As always, specialist presentations added to the afternoon’s programme:

This time, Thomas Löbbering gave a talk on Estonian express letters from 1925 to 1941...

...and Martin Bechstedt on the excesses of the variants of Estonian stamps and mini-sheets, which can now be regarded as "collector’s exploitation".