(ah-polarphilatlie) The German research icebreaker “Polarstern” was commissioned in 1982. Since then, it has been used for supply and research voyages to the German Neumayer Station in Antarctica in winter and for ventures in the Arctic in summer. The MOSAiC expedition from September 2019 to October 2020, during which Polarstern froze in the Arctic Ocean and drifted around 3400 kilometres through the Arctic, attracted a lot of attention.

The Polarstern’s 40th anniversary will be honoured by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Polarphilatelie e.V. im BdPh by issuing five stamps individually with motifs of the ship and a special postmark, which will be available on Saturday, 27 May 2023 at IBRA 2023 in Essen. The photos for the stamps were taken by Dirk Peter, Leipzig and Dr Volker Strecke, Altötting, both of whom have already wintered at Neumayer Station.

Polarstern is of particular interest to polar philatelists as it has an on-board post office.

The stamps individually can be purchased from 25 to 28 May at the stand of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Polarphilatelie at IBRA 2023 in Essen. However, it is also possible to order them by post from now on via the managing director of the working group.

Contact: Andreas Hoehne, Am Steinacker 9, 86925 Fuchstal.
E-mail: Hoehne.Fuchstal@t-online.de

The price per sheet of ten stamps is 13 euros, plus a one-off postage and shipping charge of 2 euros domestically and 4 euros abroad.