The Archive for Philately in Bonn and the Museum of Communication in Frankfurt have conceived an exhibition especially for IBRA on the theme of "Germania: Brand and Myth", which will show an extensive compilation of stamps and stamp designs as well as essays and proofs related to Germania. The Museum has published a comprehensive online presentation on Germania to accompany it: https://www.mfk-frankfurt.de/germania-ibra-2023/
Almost all of them are unique specimens from the Bonn Archive for Philately, where the entire philatelic collection of the Museum Foundation Post and Telecommunications is brought together. The head of the Archive for Philately in Bonn, Dr. Andreas Hahn, is in charge of the exhibition. The stamps with the Germania motif appeared in several issues from 1900 onwards. They were designed by Paul Eduard Waldraff and were personally selected by Kaiser Wilhelm II. The higher marks, which also belong to the Germania series, were not designed by him, but probably by other designers of the Reichsdruckerei, where he was also employed. The exhibition in the Treasury is not only devoted to the philatelic aspects of the stamps, but also deals with the background stories and myths that had developed around the stamps and their motif. A concluding section will draw special attention to this connection between philately and contemporary history.
During IBRA, there will be a presentation of a book on the Germania exhibition. Thus, visitors to the treasury can continue to deal with this topic after IBRA.
Finally, it should be mentioned that never before has a specially designed show by a museum been shown at a philatelic event. And the exhibits shown on the Germania stamp issues, which are among the best-known German stamp issues, contain almost exclusively unique items or pieces that could not be acquired by private collectors. So two more reasons why a visit to the Treasury should be a "must".
Original sketch by Paul Eduard Waldraff for the design of the Germania stamp. In addition, a Germania stamp at the top left
at 10 Pfennig (Michel number 56b) is shown.
From the possession of the Archiv für Philatelie,
Bonn (Museum Foundation Post and Telecommunications)
