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The Collectors of Baltic Philately in Central Europe
Emerged from: Arbeitsgemeinschaft Estland e.V. + Forschungsgemeinschaft Lettland + Forschungsgemeinschaft Litauen e.V. + Nederlandse Filatelistengroep "Het Baltische Gebied"
62. monthly video chat
As well as showcasing a number of new acquisitions, this time there was a discussion on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in philately and other fields.
Attention was drawn to the free software Perplexity (available for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS), which simply gathers information from websites and provides links to them, allowing users to explore the sources found in greater depth.
In the Lithuanian town of Rokiškis, there are black and green postmark cancellations (see the 49th video chat in the news archive) from what appear to be different postmarking machines.
There does not appear to be any UPU ban on the use of different postmarking devices bearing the same distinguishing letter; if there is, it must be a matter of national regulations. Such regulations do not seem to exist in Lithuania in the same form as they do in Germany.
Our monthly video chat, where anyone with an interest in Baltic philately is welcome, takes place on every first Saturday of the month at 17 h CET more technical information on this here).
Next date: July 4, 2026
Special theme: none so far
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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"
At the NORDIA 2026 Stamp Exhibition in Espoo, Finland, from May 8–10, 2026, the following ArGe members exhibited items relating to the Baltic region:
| Exhibitor | Land | Exhibit | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jaan Roots | Norway | Estonia, the First Ten years 1918–1928 | 93 points, Gold and Grand Prix International |
| Tuomo Koskiaho | Finland | Estonia 1918–1940 | 91 points, Gold |
| Ago Papp | Estonia | Postalwagon Postmarks of the Estonian SSR (1945–1970) | 76 points, Large Silver |
A total of 33 frames on 10 different themes were exhibited by Estonian participants; this is by far the largest number of frames for a long time shown at an exhibition outside Estonia.
Our member Vesma Grinfelds won the Grand Award – the competition’s highest honour – at PIPEX in Portland, USA with her 128–page exhibit "Cancellation Types of the Provisional Era in Latvia 1919–1921". As a result, she is going to be in her first American Philatelic Society "Champion of Champions" next year.
At the World Stamp Show in Boston, USA, from May 23–30, 2026, there were very few exhibits on the Baltic countries from among our members:
| Exhibitor | Land | Exhibit | Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vesma Grinfelds | USA | Cancellation Types of the Provisional Era in Latvia 1919–1921 | 91 points, Gold, Special Prize |
| Vesma Grinfelds | USA | Postmarks of Mail Routes Within the Latvian Territory of Russia: 1765–1858 | 90 points, Gold |
| Antanas Jankauskas | Lithuania | Specialised Lithuanian Postage Stamp Catalogue (1918–2024) | 85 points, Large Vermeil |
Congratulations to all the exhibitors!
By the way: if you'd like to have your results displayed on our website, all you need to do is be (or become) a member of ArGe and send your results to the webmaster!
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.
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Baltikum e.V.
(Working Group Baltic States)
in the BDPh e.V. (Association of German Philatelists)
Philately of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania
Association register entry VR 3542 at Siegburg local court
Latest News
- 62. monthly video chat June 6, 2026
- Exhibition successes 2026 May 30, 2026
- Honoring Ruud van Wijnen May 9, 2026
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Contact
Torsten Berndt, Chairman
+49 (0)89 82079480
Öschlestraße 75,
D-78315 Radolfzell–Böhringen
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