PAUL von LETTOW-VORBECK Exhibit
PAUL von LETTOW-VORBECK:
The Events and Times that Molded the Man
SYNOPSIS
REVISION: For those who might have seen this exhibit in some former state it has been totally revised, condensed, remounted and augmented with new materials throughout. The suggestions of previous juries have been greatly appreciated and resulted in this improved exhibit.
Scope:
This is a seven frame display exhibit depicting the life of the German General, Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, and unlike many display exhibits it spans nearly a century of philatelic and world history. The exhibit highlights the life of this extraordinary individual from his birth in Saarlouis in 1870 to his death in 1964. In addition to being a soldier he was: an activist for the return of a colonial empire; cautious in dealings with the Nazi regime; an author; and, a politician serving in the Reichstag. He was best known as the brilliant commander and master of guerilla tactics in German East Africa during WW I.
Development:
Every attempt has been made, through extensive research, to accurately depict events and details of Vorbeck’s life. The exhibit provides a series of thematic vignettes referencing the times, places and events that influenced his life. Materials used for the exhibit include period items representing postal history or other philatelic material, post cards, photographs, newspaper, book and periodical clippings, and other non-philatelic material appropriate to the story. The materials chosen thematically relate to an event, time or place which influenced his life; in some cases there is a direct relation of material to Vorbeck. However, material directly related to Vorbeck is rare as most resides in archives, museums or private collections. The exhibit is divided into five chapters as follows:
Chapter 1: 1870-1900, The Training of a Soldier (22 pages)
Birth in Saarlouis; Military Training; Early Military Experience.
Chapter 2: 1901-1914, The Molding of a Commander (26 pages)
The Hottentot and Herero Rebellions; Befriending of Jan Smuts; Command Assignments in Germany; Command in German Kamerun; German East Africa Command.
Chapter 3: 1915-1917, Vorbeck’s Role in WW I – The German East Africa Front (29 pages)
Relevance of GEA; Early Victories; Salvage of the Königsberg; Resourcefulness; Battles with Jan Smuts; Receiving the Pour le Mérite; Airship L-59; Evading the British and Allies.
Chapter 4: 1918-1927, Armistice and Return to Germany (17 pages)
Armistice; The New Germany; Colonial Activist; German Inflation.
Chapter 5: 1928-1964, The Third Reich and Postwar Years (18 pages)
Politics and the Nazis; Bremen; World War II; Final Years; Epilogue.
All items are matted in maroon and important items are double matted with maroon and white being described with bold font;certified items are designated by the symbol ©.
Balance:
As noted above the chapters are fairly well balanced. The key to any display exhibit is to judiciously use non-philatelic material allowing the majority of the story to be carried by philatelic items. The APS judging manual does not give specific guidance other than not to overwhelm the philatelic aspects of the exhibit. Previous juries have questioned the amount of non-philatelic material. To mitigate the necessity for judges to count actual material the following metrics should be useful. Out of 112 pages there are only 9 pages or 8% which have no philatelic material, 29 pages (26%), are purely philatelic, and the remaining 74 pages (66%), have both philatelic and non-philatelic items on the same page. There are a total of 407 elements in the exhibit, of which 142 or 35% are non-philatelic; the remaining 265 elements or 65% are philatelic. Accordingly, the exhibit clearly allows philatelic material to carry the story.
Condition:
A large amount of the material for this exhibit came from war zones often in tropical climates. Accordingly, covers and other items will show the normal stains, foxing and abuse expected of such usage. However, wherever possible the best material has been included.
Rarity and Difficulty of Acquisition.
Material directly related to Vorbeck is rarely found as most that remains are in archives or private collections. Much of the material, both philatelic and non-philatelic, is difficult to find owing to the limited time periods of use and the limited quantities available. Additionally the exhibit spans nearly a century thus requiring additional challenge in finding items to properly document numerous historical events and places. I have purposely tried to find not only important examples of the period, place or event but also rare items which are designated by the aforementioned double matting. The showing of the Wuga provision issue has raised some comments; however, it was commissioned by the Governor of GEA, Dr. Schnee and follows several pages of other examples of the resourcefulness of the Germans in difficult times, from minting coins from salvaged armaments to using hand stamped prepaid franks when stamps were in short supply. The Wuga issue is as much a part of this story as any of these. To reiterate, the exhibit is about the times, places, people and events that Vorbeck experienced and that influenced his life.
GPS Meeting at the APS Virtual Stamp Show
GPS Annual Meeting to be held at the APS Virtual Stamp Show
With the APS making time available the GPS had decided to host an annual meeting for members to ask questions to the Board of Directors and its officers.
The meeting will be August 22, 2020 at 3pm EST. More information to follow.
To register for the Virtual Stamp Show please visit the APS Website Registration Page
GPS Speakers at APS Virtual Stamp Show
Come join your fellow Germany Philatelic Society Members at the APS Virtual Stamp Show. We have four members that will be presenting some of their topics during this time. Please head over to www.stamps.org and register for the show there.
The following is a list of our speakers and topics:
| Date | Time (EST) | Presenter | Topic |
| 8/20/20 | 2:30-3:30 | W. David Ripley, III | Last Issue of General Government |
| 8/18/20 | 5-6pm | Michael H Wilhelm | Review of History of Gottschee through Stamps and Postmarks-Germany Occupation of Laibach |
| 8/21/20 | 3-4pm | Doug Cochrane | Zusammundrucke Reklame |
| 8/21/20 | 3-4pm | Chris Kolker | Overview of Heligoland |
| 8/22/20 | 3pm | GPS General Meeting |
To register for the event please go to the APS Website and register
Call for Speakers
We are looking for knowledgeable people who can passionately and effectively share their subject matter expertise, real life experiences, tools and knowledge with our members. With the advancements of digital technology we wish to provide our members with information on a regular basis.
If you are capable of providing information regarding Germany Philatelic then submit your information and we will be in contact regarding scheduling a digital meeting.
If you are interested in being a speaker, please email germanyphilatelicsociety@gmail.com. You must submit a copy of your biography and the idea(s) of the information you wish to present and the reasons why.
Virtual Stamp Discussion Group – August 15, 2020 at 2PM EST
Come join us and interact with fellow stamp collectors. We will be presenting questions and seeking answers to some questions you may have regarding your Germany Stamps. We are asking for people to register for this event and a link to it as the date approaches will be sent to you.
Send your questions with scanned images to germanyphilatelicsociety@gmail.com and also register through the form below so we can contact you regarding the event. We are limited to 100 participants so please register below:
Use Amazon Smile to give back to the GPS
The Germany Philatelic Society is an approved Amazon Smile charity option. Now, by clicking the link below, you can select the GPS as your charity of choice for this free program. Once you clicked this link, a portion of your purchase from Amazon will be credited to the GPS as a donation. The program costs you nothing and does not increase the price of what you purchase. It’s free for you and it all adds up for the GPS.
You may be asking, what is AmazonSmile?
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic way for you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop, at no cost to you. When you shop at smile.amazon.com, you’ll find the exact same low prices, vast selection and convenient shopping experience as Amazon.com, with the added bonus that Amazon will donate a portion of the purchase price to your favorite charitable organization. You can choose from nearly one million organizations to support.
How do I shop at AmazonSmile?
To shop at AmazonSmile simply go to smile.amazon.com from the web browser on your computer or mobile device. You may also want to add a bookmark to smile.amazon.com to make it even easier to return and start your shopping at AmazonSmile.
Which products on AmazonSmile are eligible for charitable donations?
Tens of millions of products on AmazonSmile are eligible for donations. You will see eligible products marked “Eligible for AmazonSmile donation” on their product detail pages. Recurring Subscribe-and-Save purchases and subscription renewals are not currently eligible.
Can I use my existing Amazon.com account on AmazonSmile?
Yes, you use the same account on Amazon.com and AmazonSmile. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or baby registry, and other account settings are also the same.
How much of my purchase does Amazon donate?
The AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price from your eligible AmazonSmile purchases. The purchase price is the amount paid for the item minus any rebates and excluding shipping & handling, gift-wrapping fees, taxes, or service charges. From time to time, we may offer special, limited time promotions that increase the donation amount on one or more products or services or provide for additional donations to charitable organizations. Special terms and restrictions may apply. Please see the relevant promotion for complete details.
How can I learn more about AmazonSmile?
Please see complete AmazonSmile program details here.
Online Store Opens
Are you ready to join or want to renew your membership? Visit the online store and you will be able to rapidly pay for your membership.
In the near future, we will also be making available the various items we sell at the online store. So visit again and see what we have available.
GPS Virtual Stamp Exhibit Show
The Germany Philatelic Society is pleased to announce a first-of-its-kind stamp exhibition. Due to the COVID pandemic, it has become impossible for philatelic exhibitions to continue in their traditional form.
However, the Germany Philatelic Society (GPS) has an innovative solution. This competition, using American Philatelic Society (APS) guidelines, begins now and will be accepting entries through September 14, 2020. Although not WSP-certified, APS-certified judges will take place with GPS medals given.
Our basic rules:
- All entries must have a Germany-related theme
- Submissions can begin now and will be accepted until midnight, September 14, 2020.
- Entries will cost $5.00/frame for members of the Germany Philatelic Society, and $8.00/frame for non-members. Non-members can join in order to defray costs and enjoy the benefits of membership.
- Entrants will be required to submit a synopsis for their exhibit.
- Judging will take place beginning September 15 by APS-trained judges. Awards will be given!
- Entries will be displayed prominently on our website in early October for 1 to 2 weeks.
More information or to submit an entry, go to:
https://stampshow.germanyphilatelicsocietyusa.org/
Let’s make this a real turning point in the history of philately!