Germany - 100th anniversary of the birth of Heinz Sielmann: On the 8th of June, the German postal service issued this beautiful stamp, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the birth of Heinz Sielmann. He was a famed wildlife photographer and documentary film-maker. He was educated in Poznan, Poland, while this was under German rule during WWII. Heinz Sielmann was the creator of a wide range of documentaries, which became world-wide hits. His first international hit was called "Carpenters of the Forest" originally, and the British title gave him his nickname - Mr. Woodpecker. The documentaries he created became a world-wide success, and his work has been enjoyed in most of the world. The stamp depicts Heinz Sielmann while filming in a natural setting, and the stamp is denominated at 45 cents. The stamp can be found here in our catalogue. Hungary - 200th anniversary of the birth of János Arany: In celebration of the 200th anniversary of the birth of János Arany, the Hungarian postal Service have issued a set of commemorative stamps in the form of a souvenir sheet. János Arany was a writer, and he is recognized as one of the most influential writers of all time in Hungary. One of the keys in his writing is his immensely impressive vocabulary. In his combined works, he used more than 60,000 different words, which easily wins him the title of being the Hungarian writer with the largest vocabulary. Apart from writing his own poetry, János Arany was also famous for his translations of classic pieces of literature into Hungarian. For instance he has translated three of the most well-known Shakespeare dramas into Hungarian - Hamlet, king John, and A Midsummer Night's Dream. The four stamps in the souvenir sheet depicts scenes from four of his most famous ballads, and a portrait of János Arany himself is shown on the souvenir sheet itself. The stamps are denominated at 120 Ft, and on two of the four stamps, there is a surcharge of 75 Ft. This surcharge goes to support Youth Philately, and it continues the Hungarian tradition of supporting this cause. The sheet can be found in our catalogue. |