Germania: Marke & Mythos – Dr. Andreas Hahn

It was one of the highlights of IBRA 2023, which attracted more than 13,000 visitors to Essen from 25 to 28 May 2023: the special display "Germania: Marke und Mythos" or "Germania: Stamp and Myth". In the treasury of the international philatelic exhibition, visitors had the opportunity to see an extensive range of stamps and stamp designs as well as essays and proofs related to "Germania". These are otherwise kept "behind closed doors" in the Archive for Philately at the Post and Telecommunications Museum in Bonn.

Accompanying the exhibition, a lavish documentation in book form has been published by Dr. Andreas Hahn, Head of the Archive for Philately in Bonn, in cooperation with the Heinrich Koehler auction house, which takes an exciting look behind the scenes at the creation of these stamp issues (and beyond). The stamps with the "Germania" motif appeared in several issues from 1900 onwards. This was preceded by a competition organised by the Reichsdruckerei and many original and competing designs, also various motifs and representations have fortunately survived to this day. Kaiser Wilhelm II personally selected the winning design by Paul Eduard Waldraff. He thus laid the foundations of a stamp series that was in use for a period of 22 years and is still today one of the longest-lived German stamp designs. However, not only the philatelic aspects are considered in this work. Rather, Dr. Andreas Hahn also goes into the background of the creation of the stamp and explains myths and stories that surrounded the stamps and also the Germania motif.

At the same time, the higher mark values of the Germania series are also brought into focus. Even if their designs differ, each stamp demonstrates in its own way the highly interesting connection between philately and contemporary history, on different levels. The same applies to the first stamp issues of the German colonies, which were issued at the same time and which are also presented in detail with the help of existing archive material.

On a total of 208 excellently designed pages, the author manages to expand the topic - the myth of the "Germania" stamp - in its many facets with unique illustrative material, and puts the history of the Germania issues into a new context. The book is a real enrichment for every (Germania) collector and can be recommended without reservation to readers interested in history.

— Michael Maassen, AIJP

208 page, Hardbound, in German