Bronze certificate of honour for Friedhelm Doell

Friedhelm Doell is corporate designer and webmaster for ArGe, editorial designer for BALTIKUM and online host for the monthly video conferences. These activities are indispensable for ArGe's public relations work.

Silver certificate of honour for Thomas Löbbering

Thomas Löbbering was editor-in-chief of BALTIKUM from the founding of ArGe Baltikum until the change in management in 2022 and is the most active and prolific author for BALTIKUM, who never ceases to impress with his expertise.

Bronze certificate of honour for Olaf Hoffmann

Olaf Hoffmann is the first person to be honoured by the BDPh for services to literature for his graphic design work on postmarks, posters, postcards and stamps. Due to illness, the award ceremony will take place at a later date.

As always, there was discussion...

...examine...

.. and hearty banter.

Jaan Roots showed 2 very rare covers from Estonia during the time of the withdrawal of German troops of the Commander-in-Chief East ("Ob. Ost") in November 1918 with handwritten note "Eesti", affixed in Riga (see illustration on the right).

Friedhelm Doell showed a presumably unique document from the day the Polish DP camp in Haren / Ems was founded, which changed its name to Mazkow for several years.

Martin Bechstedt revealed the secret of the Lithuanian Post's green cancellations: they are used for internal simple letters, while internal registered letters and normal consumer mail receive black cancellations. The green postmarks can be easily distinguished from the larger decorative Christmas postmarks with a rapidly oxidising green postmark ink.

Finally, Michael Wieneke and Friedhelm Doell showed Zeppelin feeder mail and catapult mail from Estonia to America, including a rare cover of the steamer "Europa" (most catapult flights were made from the steamer "Bremen").

This cover from Wesenberg (Estonian: Rakvere) / Estonia to Opladen / Germany dated November 17, 1918 was issued at a time when the German troops of the "Oberbefehls-haber (Ob.) Ost" were just withdrawing from Estonia, but the new Estonian republic did not yet have its own stamps and postmarks (the postmark dates from the Russian period). The card was transported by field post to Riga and labelled "Eesti" by hand by the postmaster there to indicate to other postal authorities in the event of a possible return that it did not have to be sent to Ob. Ost, but to Estonia.

Our monthly video chat, where anyone with an interest in Baltium philately is welcome, takes place on every first Saturday of the month at 17 h CET more technical information on this here).

Next date: June 7, 2025

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Join the Zoom meeting with:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85338222428?pwd=WGpZRXJTZVpnSnB6eHg4Ukx2aFVHdz09