ผมสะสมดวงตราไปรษณียากร เพราะผม เห็นว่ารูปภาพในดวงตราไปรษณียากร มีความสวยงามและน่าสนใจ
I collect stamps because as a child I like the picture and design of the stamps as I found it very attractive and interesting.
Prakob Chirakiti, FIP President, Thailand

Collecting stamps and mail unites my lifelong interests of history, geography, and genealogy. Sharing my research through writing and presentations connects me with other collectors, further enriching my experiences.
Cheryl Ganz, President American Philatelic Society APS, USA

Ich sammle Briefmarken, weil Briefmarken echt toll sind.
I collect stamps because stamps are really great.
Myrna Casanova, Beginner, Switzerland

In unserer schnelllebigen Welt macht es Sinn, sich in eine „kleine, eigene Welt“ zurückziehen und Abstand vom Alltag finden. Philatelie ist für mich „kleine Zeitreise“ und Faszination pur.
In our fast-paced world, it makes sense to retreat into a "little world of our own" and find distance from everyday life. For me, philately is a "little journey through time" and pure fascination.
Klaus Weis, Präsident German Postal History Society, Germany

डाक टिकट संग्रह एक मजेदार और व्यसनी शौक है जो जीवन विज्ञान, इतिहास, भूगोल, कला और राजनीति और कई अन्य विषयों की पड़ताल करता है। यह एक चिकित्सीय गतिविधि है, एक बहुत बड़ा स्ट्रेस बस्टर है, और समान विचारधारा वाले लोगों से मिलने और क्लबों और समाजों में शामिल होने का अवसर है।
Stamp collecting is a fun and addictive hobby that explores biology, history, geography, art, politics and many other subjects. It is a therapeutic activity, a great stress reliever and an opportunity to meet like-minded people and join clubs and societies.
Vijay Wadhwa, Thematic collector and exports for birds on stamps, India

De diversiteit aan aardrijkskunde en geschiedkundige onderwerpen en de kennis die ik daar van opstak, hebben er voor gezorgd at ik voor die vakken op school eigenlijk weinig of niet moest studeren. Rond mijn vijftiende levensjaar is de interesse voor wereldwijde postgeschiedenis ontstaan.
The diversity of geography and history subjects and the knowledge I gained from them ensured that I actually had to study little or nothing for those subjects in school. Around the age of fifteen, an interest in global postal history developed.
Paul Wijnants, Postal Historian, Belgium

Weil Briefmarken und Briefe für mich auch immer eine Reise sind - in vergangene Jahrhunderte und an faszinierende Orte. Papierne Geschichte, die ich selbst besitzen kann.
Because stamps and letters are also always a journey for me - into past centuries and to fascinating places. Paper history that I can own myself.
Peter Hornung, Investigative Journalist, Germany/India

Zuerst waren es die bunten Bilder und Motive die mich interessierten und die „süchtig“ machten. Später entstand meine Leidenschaft, Briefmarken der USA zu sammeln. Hier kann ich wunderbar die Begeisterung für Geschichte und Philatelie vereinen.
At first, it was the colourful pictures and motifs that interested me and made me "addicted". Later, I developed a passion for collecting stamps of the USA. Here I can wonderfully combine my enthusiasm for history and philately.
Peter Kühlhorn, President of the USA/Canada Study Group, Germany

Philately -especially postal history –is an insight into history. We can see the small traces, the impact on individuals, on communication, and on daily life in the larger movements of history. Wars, technical innovation, natural disasters, and political change are all reflected in letters and their transmission from place to place. To be a postal historian is to be given an inside track into the undercurrents of history. What a privilege...
Chris King, Signatory of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelist RDP, UK

La philatélie est un hobby passionnant. Il permet de voyager en restant chez soi, d’apprendre énormément de choses que ce soit en histoire ou en géographie, sans compter les techniques de fabrication, oblitérations… D’un courrier qui peut sembler banal, on peut apprendre de nombreuses informations intéressantes. C’est cet esprit de recherche et de découverte qui me plaît dans la philatélie.
Philately is a fascinating hobby. It allows you to travel while staying at home, to learn a lot of things about history or geography, not to mention the techniques of manufacture, cancellations... From a piece of mail that may seem banal, you can learn a lot of interesting information. It is this spirit of research and discovery that I like about philately.
Sebastien Delcampe, Founder & CEO, Auctions Delcampe.net, Belgium

Der Klassiker: begonnen als Schuljunge, schon damals mit dem Blick auf geographische Aspekte: bunte, große Schmetterling aus Burundi, da hat man schon einmal den Weltatlas in die Hand genommen und geschaut, wo das eigentlich liegt.
The classic: started as a schoolboy, even then with an eye for geographical aspects: colourful, large butterflies from Burundi, you already took the world atlas in your hand and looked to see where that actually was.
Klaus Weis, Präsident German Postal History Society, Germany

Começámos a coleccionar selos aos doze anos de idade, quando vivíamos em Cabo Verde. A nossa inspiração eram os colegas de escola e os filatelistas locais mais avançados. Nessa altura, o objectivo era coleccionar selos do maior número possível de países.
We started collecting stamps at the age of twelve when we lived in Cape Verde. Our inspiration were schoolmates and advanced local philatelists. At that time, the goal was to collect stamps from as many countries as possible.
Luiz Barreiros and Eduardo Barreiros, exhibitors and book authors, Portugal

We were 19 siblings living in Italy when I was 14. We received letters every week. I became intrigued by the stamps. About age 15 I read about a local stamp club in the newspaper and started attending a meetings. I learned about albums, catalogs, hinges, etc. and became hooked, and built up a collection of Italian Republic stamps. About age 18, I sold it all, and pivoted to postal stationery of the world, which is still my interest.
Wayne Menuz, Postal Stationary maniac, USA

Ik verzamel al sinds zijn achtste jaar postzegels. Mijn in Nederlands-Indië in de oorlog omgekomen grootvader was ook een verwoed verzamelaar (deelnemer NABA Zürich 1934) en oma stimuleerde mij dat ook te gaan doen. De interesse in de maritieme geschiedenis van Nederland en de Nederlands-Indische roots brachten mij tot het verzamelen van brieven verzonden naar Nederlands-Indië (het huidige Indonesië).
I have been collecting stamps since I was eight years old. My grandfather, who was killed in the Dutch East Indies during the war, was also an avid collector (participant in NABA Zurich 1934), and my grandmother encouraged me to do the same. My interest in the maritime history of the Netherlands and in the roots of the Dutch East Indies led me to collect letters sent to the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia).
Gerard van Welie, Secretary of the Dutch Academy of Philately, Netherlands

મને આ સુંદર શોખનો પરિચય મારા પિતાએ કરાવ્યો હતો અને તેમણે મને માત્ર ફિલેટલિસ્ટ જ બનાવ્યો ન હતો, પરંતુ મને સંશોધનમાં પ્રેરણા પણ આપી હતી.
I was introduced to this wonderful hobby by my father, and he not only made me a philatelist but also inspired me to research.
Markand Dave, Philatelic Entrepreneur, Gujarat/India

ผมเริ่มสะสมดวงตราไปรษณียากรตั้งแต่สมัยยังเด็ก โดยได้เห็นคุณแม่และพี่พี่สะสม รวมทั้งเพื่อนเพื่อนนักเรียนก็สะสมด้วยเช่นเดียวกัน ตลอดจนเพื่อนนักเรียนก็สะสมและมีการแลกเปลี่ยนกัน.
I started collecting stamps as a boy because my mother and older brothers also collected stamps. My classmates also collected stamps and we sometimes exchanged our duplicates.
Prakob Chirakiti, FIP President, Thailand

Mit acht Jahren, das ist fast fünfzig Jahre her. Weil ich bei unserer Nachbarin eine Sammlung sah und darin Briefmarken aus dem Golfstaat Katar.
When I was eight years old, that was almost fifty years ago. Because I saw a collection at our neighbour's and it contained stamps from the Gulf state of Qatar.
Peter Hornung, Investigative Journalist and Expert on British Royal Household Mail, Germany/India

Mit neun Jahren habe ich mit dem Sammeln begonnen. Ich entdeckte ein kleines Briefmarkenalbum meines Vaters mit Bund-Marken, und damit fing alles an. Meine Eltern unterstützten mich in jeglicher Form darin. Nach vielen Jahren des Sammelns diverser Sammelgebiete, traf ich 2002 einen Sammler, der mich von der ersten Sekunde an mit seinen Sammelgebieten und Wissen begeisterte und faszinierte. Er wurde ein sehr guter Freund, Ratgeber, Förderer und Mentor.
I started collecting when I was nine years old. I discovered a small stamp album of my father's with German stamps, and that's where it all began. My parents supported me in any way they could. After many years of collecting in various fields, I met a collector in 2002 who inspired and fascinated me from the first second on with his collecting fields and knowledge. He became a very good friend, advisor, supporter and mentor.
Peter Kühlhorn, President of the USA/Canada Study Group, Germany

Am Anfang ganz klassisch, postfrische Marken im Steckalbum. Die Geschichte dahinter ist: ein Verwandter war leidenschaftlicher Briefmarkensammler. In den Schulferien lud er mich immer wieder ein, seine Marken anzuschauen. Er erklärte mir Wasserzeichen und Zähnungsarten, verschiedene Farben und Druckverfahren. Ich wurde mit dem „Virus Philatelie“ infiziert, welches mich bis heute nicht loslässt.
The beginning was very classic: mint stamps in a scrapbook. The story behind it is: a relative was a passionate stamp collector. During the school holidays he always invited me to look at his stamps. He explained watermarks and perforation types, different colours and printing processes to me. I was infected with the "philately virus", which has not let go of me to this day.
Frank Blechschmidt, Member of the Board of the German Philatelic Association BDPh, Germany

Als ich 7 Jahre alt war, mit Hilfe meiner Eltern meine erste Sammlung aufgebaut. Ich habe die Sammlung vor nunmehr ungefähr 8 Jahren sogar in Luxemburg in einer nationalen Wettbewerbsausstellung zeigen dürfen und habe dort einen Pokal erhalten. Darüber habe ich mich sehr gefreut und es hat mich motiviert weiterzumachen. Da mein Vater Thurn-und-Taxis Sammler ist, habe ich mich auch dafür interessiert und in den letzten Jahren ein eigenes Exponat aufgebaut.
When I was 7 years old, I built up my first collection with the help of my parents. About 8 years ago, I was even allowed to show the collection in Luxembourg in a national competition exhibition and received a cup there. I was very happy about that and it motivated me to continue. As my father is a Thurn-and-Taxis collector, I have also taken an interest in this and have built up my own exhibit over the last few years.
Julian Fischer, young collector and Thurn-and-Taxis expert, Germany

Ich bin Mitte der achtziger Jahre mit dem Sammeln angefangen, bis zu dem Zeitpunkt habe ich mich nicht für Briefmarken interessiert. Mein Mann ist Sammler seit seiner Jugend und hat mich infiziert. Er besuchte viele Briefmarkenveranstaltungen und Messen und ich begleitete ihn. Mit der Zeit war es mit zu langweilig, ihm beim Wühlen in den Kisten und Alben zuzuschauen. Ich begann, Marken mit Katzenmotiven zu sammeln. Dadurch hat mich das Virus gepackt und ich bin mit einer Feuerwehrsammlung angefangen, die ich mittlerweile auch ausstelle. Um auch etwas Abwechslung in meine Sammelgebiete zu bringen, habe ich vor einigen Jahren mit einer Ländersammlung über Zypern begonnen. Auch diese Sammlung stelle ich mittlerweile aus.
I started collecting in the mid-eighties, until then I was not interested in stamps. My husband has been a collector since his youth and infected me. He attended many stamp events and fairs and I accompanied him. In time, I got bored of watching him rummage through boxes and albums. I started collecting stamps with cat motifs. This gave me the virus and I started with a fire brigade collection, which I now also exhibit. To bring some variety into my collecting areas, I started a few years ago with a country collection on Cyprus. I now also exhibit this collection.
Helma Janssen, Deputy Chair of „Frau und Philatelie“, Germany

J’ai commencé à collectionner les timbres vers l’âge de 10 ans. J’étais attiré par ces objets colorés qui permettaient de voyager et de découvrir l’histoire autrement. Comme je suis belge, je me suis mis naturellement à collectionner les timbres à l’effigie des souverains belges. Il m’a semblé logique de commencer par mon pays d’origine. Toutefois, je collectionne aussi d’autres timbres de têtes couronnées d’Europe.
I started collecting stamps when I was about 10 years old. I was attracted by these colourful objects that allowed me to travel and discover history in a different way. As I am Belgian, I naturally started collecting stamps with the effigy of Belgian sovereigns. It seemed logical to start with my country of origin. However, I also collect other stamps of European crowned heads.
Sebastien Delcampe, Founder & CEO, Auctions Delcampe.net, Belgium

IJ'ai commencé la collection de timbres quand j'étais tout enfant. Mais à l'âge adulte, je me suis orienté vers la philatélie polaire. Au cœur de la philatélie polaire se trouvent une fascination et une passion pour les choses polaires qui enchantent de nombreux philatélistes polaires et qui vont au-delà de la philatélie polaire. Mais, bien sûr, ce sont les autres facettes qui rendent la philatélie polaire différente. Il s'agit de son orientation géographique, de l'accent mis sur certains sujets et même de l'acceptation de certains types de documents qui vont au-delà de ce qui est limité dans la philatélie ordinaire.
I started collecting stamps as a child. But as an adult I turned to polar philately.At the heart of polar philately is a fascination and passion for polar things that enchant many polar philatelists and that goes beyond polar philately.But, of course, it is the other facets that make polar philately different. These are its geographical focus, the emphasis on certain subjects and even the acceptance of certain types of material that go beyond what is limited in ordinary philately.
Serge Kahn, Académie de philatélie, France

ผมมาเยี่ยมชมงานแสดงที่เอสเซ้น เพื่อมาชมสิ่งสะสมตราไปรษณียากรที่นำมาแสดง.
I'm visiting IBRA 2023 to enjoy the World-famous exhibits shown in Essen and the German hospitality.
Prakob Chirakiti, FIP President, Thailand

I hope to find new items for my various collections like Indian Feudatory Convention States and British India Postal Stationery.
Sandeep Jaiswal, Expert on Indian Philately, USA

Für uns als junge Sammler ist es aufregend und motivierend unsere Sammlungen als Ergebnis vieler Arbeitsstunden bei einer Weltausstellung in den Rahmen sehen können. Wir freuen uns darauf, andere Philatelisten kennenzulernen.
For us as young collectors, it is exciting and motivating to be able to see our collections in the frame at a world exhibition as the result of many hours of work. We look forward to meeting other philatelists.
Pascal Köhler and Mathias Schäfer, Young Collectors, Germany

オーストリアの切手を集めていて、ヨーロッパの展示会で自分のコレクションを見せたい。IBRAのコミッショナーとして日本代表として参加できることをうれしく思います
I collect Austrian stamps and would like to show my collection at an exhibition in Europe. I am happy to represent Japan as a commissioner at IBRA.
Tamaki Saito, IBRA 2023 National Commissioner, Japan

Ech kommen op d’IBRA well mir do ee Stand mat engem super Ophänkert hun, well ech un engem Ronndeschgespréich deelhuelen, eng Präsentation machen, ee Prais gewonn hun, an mat villen Leit aus Métier Kontakt wärt hun. Also, ech sinn op der IBRA.
I come to IBRA and have a stand with a great presentation, talk to people, give a presentation, win a prize and get in touch with a lot of people from the industry. So I think IBRA is "the place to be" at the weekend.
Emile Espen, Chef de Service, POST Philatelie, Luxembourg

IBRA 2023 wordt een mooie en grote tentoonstelling waar ik hoop veel van anderen te leren en mooie items te vinden.
IBRA 2023 will be a beautiful and big exhibition where I hope to learn a lot from others and find beautiful things.
Patrick Peschke, Young Collector, Netherlands

Judy and I are visiting IBRA because it is the first show of its type for many years. It will be visited by hundreds of people who I know a little bit but would like to know better, and lots whom I don’t know yet. There will be lots of excellent social events which we always enjoy. My only fear is that four days is not long enough.
Peter Cockburn, President Royal Philatelic Society London, UK

Op de IBRA 2023 laat ik een selectie zien van mijn verzameling brieven van en naar Nederlands-Indië. Ik kom al vanaf zowat de eerste beurs 1976 in de Grugahallen naar Essen. Nu met de wereldtentoonstelling erbij wordt het vast een niet te missen fantastisch evenement!
At IBRA 2023 I will be showing a selection from my collection of letters to and from the Dutch East Indies. I've been coming to Essen since the first trade fair in 1976 in the Grugahallen. Now that the World's Fair is added, it's sure to be a fantastic event not to be missed!
Gerard van Welie, Secretary of the Dutch Academy of Philately, Netherlands

Het bezoeken van IBRA2023 of andere internationale filatelistische evenementen zijn voor mij een manier om nieuwe posthistorische kennis op te doen, contacten te onderhouden met gelijkgezinden en om nieuwe mensen te ontmoeten die interesse hebben in postgeschiedenis.
Attending IBRA2023 or other international philatelic events are a way for me to gain new postal history knowledge, maintain contacts with like-minded people and meet new people interested in postal history.
Paul Wijnants, postal historian, Belgium

હું જાણકાર લોકોને મળવા અને મહાન પ્રદર્શન જોવા માટે IBRAમાં આવું છું. જર્મની વિશ્વના સૌથી મોટા ફિલાટેલિક રાષ્ટ્રોમાંનું એક છે જેમાં મોટી સંખ્યામાં હરાજી ગૃહો છે, જે સ્પષ્ટપણે દર્શાવે છે કે શોખ કેટલો વ્યાપક છે. જર્મનીમાં ફિલેટલી સારી છે અને ત્યાં કાર્યકારી જૂથો, ક્લબો, સેમિનાર અને સાહિત્યની વિશાળ વિવિધતા છે.
I visit IBRA to meet knowledgeable people and see great exhibits. Germany is one of the largest philatelic nations in the world with a large number of auction houses, which clearly shows how widespread the hobby is. Philately in Germany is good and there is a large variety of working groups, associations, seminars and literature.
Markand Dave, Philatelic Entrepreneur, Gujarat/India

Wieso die IBRA besuchen? Weil die IBRA eine Weltausstellung ist, auf der man tolle Sammlungen bestaunen kann. Weil man Sammlerfreunde aus aller Welt trifft und interessante Gespräche führen kann. Weil man auf der angeschlossenen Briefmarkenmesse internationale und nationale Händler mit einem einmaligen Angebot findet. Weil ich mich freue das in Deutschland seit 24 Jahren wieder so ein internationales Event stattfindet.
Why visit IBRA? Because IBRA is a world exhibition where you can marvel at great collections. Because you can meet collector friends from all over the world and have interesting conversations. Because you can find international and national dealers with a unique range of products at the associated stamp fair. Because I am delighted that Germany is once again hosting such an international event for the first time in 24 years.
Frank Blechschmidt, Member of the Board of the German Philatelic Association BDPh and collector of polar mail, Germany

Ich möchte mir an der IBRA andere Sammlungen anschauen und vor allem auch die Händler besuchen, um vielleicht weitere Stücke für meine Sammlung erwerben zu können.
I would like to look at other collections at IBRA and, above all, visit the dealers so that I can perhaps acquire more pieces for my collection.
Julian Fischer, young collector and Thurn-and-Taxis expert, Germany

Who would not want to visit IBRA? Possibly the biggest exhibition in continental Europe for many years, right in the heart of Germany, and the heart of Europe, and attractive to philatelists, collectors and visitors worldwide. An opportunity to meet with old friends and meet new enthusiasts – especially after the miserable Covid years.
Chris King, Signatory of the Roll of Distinguished Philatelist RDP, UK

Die IBRA bietet die Möglichkeit uns mit begeisterten Philatelisten/innen aus dem In- und Ausland
auszutauschen und interessante Gespräche zu führen. Sie zeigt auch den Stellenwert der Briefmarke als beständiges und internationales Kulturgut. Besonders freue ich mich auf die Jugend-Aktivitäten und hoffe, dass damit viele junge Menschen auf der Messe sind, denn Briefmarken verbinden Generationen.
IBRA offers us the opportunity to exchange ideas with enthusiastic philatelists from home and abroad andand to hold interesting discussions. It also shows the value of the stamp as an enduring and international cultural asset. I am particularly looking forward to the youth activities and hope that this will bring many young people to the fair, because stamps connect generations.
Christine Böhmwalder, Head Philately, Post Liechtenstein

We look forward to hearing about your experiences:

Bund Deutscher Philatelisten e.V.
Mildred-Scheel-Str. 2
53175 Bonn
Tel: 0228 / 30858-0
Fax: 0228 / 30858-12
E-Mail:info@bdph.de

Image sources: Bundesministerium für Finanzen, Prakob Chirakiti, Vijay Wadhwa, Cheryl Ganz, Paul Wijnants, Klaus Weis, DASV, Luiz + Eduardo Barreiros, Wayne Menuz, Gerard van Welie, Markand Dave, FIP,Sandeep Jaiswal, Junge Briefmarkenfreunde Bruchsal Hambrücken, Tamaki Saito, POST Philatelie Luxembourg, Patrick Peschke, RSPL, Peter Cockburn, Eric Scherer, Markand Dave