Barbed Wire

The days of early September 1939, 75 years ago, will always be remembered as the beginning of the second World War. The FDC (Germany, 1995) reminds us of the unspeakable atrocities of the concentration camps of that war which ended in 1945 (5th of May in cancellation). The border of the stamp names many of the other camps. The photograph was taken by Margaret Bourke-White, who accompanied Patton's Army when Buchenwald was liberated (I borrowed it from the web).

Struthof concentration camp, close to Natzwiller in the hills of the Alsace in France, was the first camp discovered by allied troops. That was in November 1944, after the Nazis had evacuated it in early September, when they realized it could not be defended from the rapidly advancing US forces. It was one of the worst work camps, 10s of thousands died of starvation and exhaustion. The cancellation marks the 20th anniversary, it is now the 70th. I wasn't able to find any reliable info on the illustrator R. Jean-Pierre; but it may be Jean-Pierre Renouard.

This FDC and stamp were issued in memory of the thousands of prisoners held at Fort Breendonk, close to Antwerp, by Germans during WWII. The Fort was taken over by the allies in September 1944, 70 years ago. The stamp was designed after a sculpture by Idel Lanchelevici, a Russian-born Jew, who managed to survive the war in Belgium (later he lived in France). The drawing is by Jean Van Norten, artist and designer of stamps who was himself honored on a stamp in 1992. The cancellation shows the entrance to the Fort as it can bee seen today.

Hello Primoz, I also have this stamp. These are the famous photos which were most likely used for its design. Fikret Alic and other prisoners are photographed in Trnopolje by a British team of television journalists. You probably know more about this time than most of us at the Stamp Community.

Returning deportees, designed and engraved by Jacques Combet, and issued by France on April 1, 1965 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the repatriation of French people who were deported by the Germans during World War II, Scott No. 1118, Y&T No. 1447.

- nethryk

Not only were the concentration camps for civilians, but also those for prisoners of war surrounded by barbed wire. This semi-postal series was issued for the Prisoner of War relief fund by Austria in 1947. The 35 Gulden stamp can be found on page 42 of the engraver's thread and shows a family reunited; the barbed wire is only faintly visible behind them. The series was designed by S.Jahn and engraved by H.T. Schimek, R. Toth and R. Franke.

Here is an image of a semi-postal (charity) stamp inscribed with the word "Déportation" and depicting a concentration camp with a watch tower, a barbed wire fence, and a prisoner's arms, designed by French artist Jean Bernard Aldebert (1909-1974), engraved by Jacques Combet, and issued by France on March 21, 1964 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Liberation, Scott No. B377, Y&T No. 1407.

- nethryk

Hi Nethryk, Great to have the detail on that one - it's on the card from Struthof above. I shall add a cancellation with a very similar design (April, 1948) which calls attention to the sculpture dedicated to deportees in L'Yonne Auxerre. The sculpture was done by Henri Lagriffoul (1907-1981) - I don't know who designed the cancellation. Lagriffoul also contributed The Heart to the monument at Suresnes.

Hi, Amnesty International has already been posted on page 1, but this FDC adds another stamp. (Thanks Primoz, for keeping the thread going while I was out of town.)

"A Shell Star" by CRW Nevinson (1889-1946) is part of the new set of British stamps commemorating the horrors of the first World War. Nevinson was a pacifist and refused to serve as a soldier but did serve in the medical corps. His paintings became famous for the stark reality with which he depicted what he saw. This particular one seems almost tranquil compared to his other paintings, although it illustrates that even nightime did not bring peace over the barbed wire entanglements.

Another tribute to Amnesty International, Australia (1986). It is a postal stationary envelope and was illustrated by John Spooner. The Dove of Peace succeeds in freeing itself but is then gone, dropping the olive twig.

The 9th of November marks the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, and with it the beginning of the fall of the Iron Curtain. The celebration of lights in balloons! arranged along the path of the wall symbolize the lights of the wall itself, seen in the stamp. In the evening they will be released and the wall will be gone again.