This is a famous stamp issued by Monaco in 1947, showing FDR with his stamp collection. Note the design error - his hand at the right has five fingers plus a thumb !
1st central stamp-exhibition of the "Betriebsarbeitsgemeinschaften" Philatlie in Berlin.Issued Oct.30th,1954.Print: 500.000. The "Betriebsarbeitsgemeinschaften" or BAG was the central organization of stamp-clubs in the DDR (GDR). Stamp collecting was organized on a company-level. Such social activities in companies fostered the "we-feeling" of employees. One has to remember that all companies were "volkseigen" (owned by the people).So the workers were kind of self-employed. At least in theory.In the West it was called: state-owned. In West-Germany big companies,like Volkswagen,were state-owned. Later they were privatized and became joint-stock companies. One of the last privatized ones was the Deutsche Bundespost,after splitted into three parts,Telecom,Post-Bank and "Yellow" Post,now Deutsche Post AG. A very successful worldwide enterprise with more than 500.000 employees,less than half of them in Germany.
The stamp of the souvenir sheet,shown above,was issued earliar, on Oct.23rd,1954,commemorating the 1954 Stamp Day. Print was 3 millions. An interesting stamp in several aspects: The inscription of the banner reads: Für Frieden-Einheit-Freiheit. i.e. for peace-unity-freedom.The two buildings on the background stand for unity.Cologne cathedreal in the FRG (West-Germnay) and the Battle-of-the-Nations Monument in Leipzig GDR (East-Germany). At the time achieving unity (on communist terms) played an important part in the policy of the GDR. Interesting is also the "stamp on the stamp". Such a stamp never existed.However,the design resembles the type of regulars shown below: "Workers unite,shaking hands and holding the german national flag" (At the time both german states still had the same national flag)
