Activities

At this anniversary get-together, the first topic of discussion was the upcoming issue of BALTIKUM No. 19/2025 – its contents and what we would have to postpone until the next issue. That's because we had significantly more contributions than we can fit into a normal issue.

A particular highlight of this issue is the document shown here, which will also appear on the front cover and accompanies the main article "Dorpat (Tartu) 1941 – The 'Landespost' (national post) and 'Wiederaufbau' (reconstruction) postage stamps" by Thomas Löbbering.

Another topic was obtaining stamps in Lithuania. A collector there had small cardboard cards made (size approx. 6×6 cm) on which he asks for stamps at post offices. It looks like this:

Mixed postage German occupation of Estonia MiNr. 5 and 9 (9), postage rates 12+30+40+10 = 92 pfennigs or 920 kopecks for the registered letter over 50 Reichsmarks

A piece of mail that is highly interesting from both a historical and philatelic perspective: a registered letter weighing 20 grams and worth 50 Reichsmarks, sent by the Estonian national postal service from Kuressaare B, Hurt / Ojaste 244:6, on December 19, 1941, to Hullo on Vormsi. The V-label of the DDO based on the German model for Kuressaare / Arensburg on Ösel is only documented from 1942 onwards. However, the Estonian national postal service obviously did not have a V-label or V-stamp based on the Estonian standard either. Instead, it used the new Soviet Estonian R stamp "R No. KURESSAARE ENSV", provisionally converted into a V stamp by overwriting the "R" with a "V" for Valeur. According to the regulations, "actually" no monetary letter was permitted for Estonian civil traffic, only registered items. The reality contradicts the official records.

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: July 5, 2025

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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.

The results of the formal part can be read by members of the ArGe in BALTIKUM No. 19. Suffice it to say that the new board is the old board, there were several honours (see separate article) and much more.

Thomas Löbbering reported on letter censorship in Estonia between 1939 and 1944...

...and Martin Bechstedt presented the second edition of his stamp handbook on Estonia.

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 domestic simple letters, while domestic registered letters and all international 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 Ober-Ost 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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Martin Bechstedt presented the explanatory cards that have been sent with subscriptions to new stamps from the Estonian Post since 2003, and which are currently being sent to Germany in two languages, German and French. There is currently a 3rd series of the new Estonian coat-of-arms stamps, which includes not only a €10 stamp but also a 1 €–stamp in the format 34 x 43 mm (!).

Simon Schütt showed some covers from the early 1920s with foreign destinations (see example on right).

Friedhelm Doell is currently looking for covers from or to Displaced Persons Camps in Germany 1945-1949 in the French occupied zone (‘ postage paid’ or franked) and was able to pick up some tips for further contacts, e.g. to the Working Group French Zone.

Finally, the participants discussed internal ArGe topics.

A cover from the period after Latvia's War of Independence, from Riga (date?) to Transvaal / South Africa February 10, 1921, franked with a block of four of the 1 kopeck Dragon Rider overprint stamp of 1920 (Michel No. 60)

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: May 3, 2025

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The first topic was a report and photos from Philatelia in Munich (see also separate article below) – a now "normal" trade fair stand without any major special features.

Oliver Hanschmidt showed some Estonian newspaper frankings from the year 1923 – local printed matter rate ½ marka – they have never been seen in this form before (see picture).

Olaf Hoffmann introduced us to some new acquisitions from the last few weeks. Many an explanation and additional information on individual pieces was provided by the participants.

Finally, Martin Bechstedt reported on the possibilities of being able to conveniently translate an article in an unknown foreign language (here: Lithuanian) with the software DeepL (in the paid version) on a mobile phone and a photo of the original. His example dealt with an article by the technical manager of the Lithuanian postal service, in which he describes the difficulties of obtaining postmarks in 1994 in view of Lithuanian special requests (e.g. for the date) (see article soon in BALTIKUM).

Not seen before: Newspaper dispatch (1923) with reduced local printed matter fee ½ marka

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: April 5, 2025

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Dealers were kept busy

A dense crowd on every corner

Our trade fair team spent two successful days at the Philatelia trade fair in Munich on the first weekend in March. We had numerous interesting discussions, exchanged ideas with representatives of other associations and, of course, took the opportunity to broaden our horizons and gain inspiration for our collecting areas. On Saturday, the exhibition hall was surprisingly well attended. You have to look back a good decade to remember such a crowd. On Sunday, the number of visitors was lower. It may have been noticeable that the Philatelia took place during the carnival season, perhaps that is why visitors who usually visit the Philatelia on Sundays came on Saturday this time.

As in previous years, Friedhelm Doell, Reinhard Heinrich, Olaf Hoffmann, Thomas Lö0bbering and Torsten Berndt made up our trade fair team. They are a well-practised team and take the opportunity to exchange views on topics that have nothing or only indirectly to do with the trade fair.

The next trade fair date on the calendar is the International Stamp Fair in Ulm on the last weekend in October. We have already registered and will once again set up an information stand. Of course, we are also planning an information stand at Philatelia in Munich next year.

"Uncle Tom" always has a story to tell

Incidentally, anyone who visited the Deutsche Post stand could get a very special stamp there: It is now one hundred years since the German Museum in Munich was able to open its new building on the River Isar.

To mark the occasion, our member Olaf Hoffmann designed the stamp, which shows the building and the museum's current logo.

Several participants presented pieces mainly from the years between 1918 and 1945, some of which were the subject of intense discussion. A field post letter with the beautiful postmark date 4.4.44, presented by Oliver Hanschmidt, was probably the favourite – only the time did not quite fit, but as they say, you shouldn't quibble. Michael Wieneke was able to determine where the sender was at the time, based on the field post number.

As a sneak preview of things to come, Olaf Hoffmann presented a postmark marking the 100th anniversary of the opening of the German Museum in Munich. Collectors will be able to get their hands on the postmark at the Deutsche Post stand at Philatelia on March 1 and 2.

Incidentally, the philatelic story with the letters of invitation to the general meeting (see the article on the 45th videochat) had a happy ending (as planned) with a double last-day cover: December 31, 2024, marked not only the end of the 85-cent postage rate, but also – at least as things stand – the end of the era of machine stamps in Germany.

Please note: Due to the Philatelia fair, the next regulars' table will not take place until the second Saturday in March, i.e. on March 8 at 17 h CET. The other dates throughout the year remain unchanged – always the first Saturday of the month.

Letter from 4.4.44 – even then, "snake numbers" were already popular with collectors

Cover from the last day of domestic postage at 85 cents and also the last day on which vending machine stamps could be obtained throughout Germany – with the special postmark from the Berlin-Tempelhof postmarking office

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

Next date: exceptionally moved to the 2nd Saturday of the month, March 8, 2025 at 17 h CET due to Philatelia Munich.

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(The other dates in the year will take place on the first Saturday of the month again!)

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The presents for the members of the working group ArGe Baltikum on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the foundation of the group have finally been chosen.

Michael Wienecke and Jaan Roots presented recent acquisitions with special franking and routes from Estonia, some as far as Northern Rhodesia (via Brindisi / Italy). Olaf Hoffmann showed stamps from the 1920 Conference of Baltic Foreign Ministers in Bulduri (German: Bilderlingshof, now a district of Jūrmala) / Latvia, with Thomas Löbbering explaining the history behind them.

Torsten Berndt presented an exciting and still unresolved postal matter, which, however, does not concern a postal institution in the Baltic States, but in Germany: on December 27, 2024, after the Christmas rush, he sent a package of invitations to the to the special postmark office in Berlin, where they were to be cancelled and sent on December 31, 2024, the last day of the 85-cent postage rate for domestic mail and also the last day of use of a certain type of cancellation machine.

However, according to DHL tracking, the package remained in transit for several days and did not reach the special postmark office until January 3, 2025. Questions remain unanswered: will the stamps still be accepted with 85 cents postage (similar to 'from the mailbox')? Will the package be cancelled with the postmark of December 31, 2024 ? Or will it be returned for additional postage? After all, the DHL customer is only entitled to have his item transported, not to have certain deadlines met...

DHL tracking shows that the package (containing the invitations to the general meeting) was left behind the date of the 85-cent postage limit for domestic mail (Dec 31, 2024).

Want to see the solution to the postal delivery thriller live? Then join us for our next video chat!

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: February 1, 2025

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