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S U P S C R I P T I O N M A G A Z I N E F O R C O L L E C T O R S O F G R E E N L A N D S TA M P S • V O L . 1 2 • n O . 2 • A P R I L 2 0 0 7

Polar Year 2007 p. 2-3

Contemporary Art p. 4-6

Stamp of the Year p. 7

PARCEL POST Stamp Centenary p. 8

Northerly Oasis p. 10-11

Postman For a Day p. 13

The International Polar Year POST Greenland co-ordinator of joint stamp issue and souvenir folder On Thursday, March 1st, The International Polar Year was officially launched with ceremonies in Copenhagen, Paris and other venues around the world. The International Polar Year is going to be the largest multi-national research initiative since 1957 and will span over two years until March 2009. Several thousand researchers from over 60 countries will be involved

in a number of scientific projects with a focus on the Arctic in the first year and hence on Antarctica. The abbreviation for the International Polar Year is IPY. To promote and spread knowledge about the research activities within the IPY, 8 arctic countries decided to issue a stamp series with IPY themes and motifs. This joint stamp project was initiated and co-ordinated by POST Greenland and has resulted in a special souvenir folder, the IPY-book. The book was released on 22nd February and describes selected IPY projects and contains all 8 souvenir sheets of the participating countries.

The following countries have joined the issue: Canada, Finland, Denmark, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and the USA. The stamps feature a wide range of arctic phenomena and

HRH the Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark is presented with a copy of the IPY-stamp book by former Philatelic Manager, Søren Rose.

Photo: Jette Bang.

The IPY book can be ordered from POST Greenland, Filatelia: Item No. 01303030.

DKK 178.00. Until 15th July 2007 you can also order first day covers and maxi cards with the IPY stamps from our 15th January issue.

on Stamps research activities, which each of the countries is involved in during the IPY and beyond. The IPY book is multilingual with an English translation of all texts, which emphasises the international character of IPY. IPY project leader Mr. Søren Rose, our former Philatelic Manager, represented POST Greenland at the opening event in Copenhagen, where he presented the book to the international audience and presented HRH the Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, patron of the IPY in Denmark and Greenland, with a copy of the book.

For more information and news on IPY, as well as images of all 8 souvenir sheets, log on to the Danish Polar Center’s official IPY website www.ipy.dk.

The themes featured on POST Greenlands IPY stamps are ice-core drilling and urbanisation. The stamp G381, denominated DKK 7,50, shows scientists conducting ice-core drilling on the ice cap. The other stamp focuses on humans, with a family of three generations in front of Nuuk’s cultural centre, Katuaq.

New series:

50 Years of Greenlandic Stamps

Contemporary Greenlandic Art

Jens Rosing

POST Greenland’s stamp policy says, among other things”… to issue small images of Greenland’s nature, history, culture and society. And these small images shall, over time, reflect the development our society has experienced”. The creators of these images, the unique Greenlandic artists, are all lividly and vitally contributing to the realisation of this policy.

Consequently, POST Greenland is very proud to launch this new series entitled “Contemporary Greenlandic Art”. The series is expected to run for a couple of years since we have so many promising and creative artists in Greenland.

The first three stamps in the series are created by Jens Rosing, Anne-Birthe Hove and Linda Riber Sørensen.

Each by themselves, they represent three different generations of Greenlandic artists.

And each of them has created a different number of stamps for POST Greenland: Jens Rosing more than 130, Anne-Birthe Hove sixteen, while the stamp designed

by Linda Riber Sørensen is her third Greenlandic stamp work. At the same time, the three artists each have their own line of approach to art and to Greenland.

At POST Greenland we hope this stamp series will provide interesting glimpses of the variety, which the Greenlandic artists create and represent through their works.

More than 130 stamps in half a century: No other Greenlandic artist has created stamp designs for POST Greenland for so many years, and to such an extent, as Jens Rosing. To many collectors, Jens Rosing almost has become synonymous with Greenlandic stamps, an area on which he has left a significant mark through his work. “The Grand Old Man”, who turned 80 years in 2005, made his stamp debut back in 1957. Since then Jens Rosing has created many stamps depicting especially mythological themes, the Greenlandic fauna, Arctic Vikings, and many other interesting themes. POST Greenland has specifically asked Jens Rosing to create the motif for a last stamp, as a gesture for his lifelong artistic commitment as the fantastic painter, story-teller and person he is.

It is not visual art alone, which Jens Rosing is so acclaimed and popular for. For instance, he has also written about his experiences as a reindeer guard in Northern Norway, in the book “Den dragende flok” (1954), which formed his debut work as an author. He also wrote three books on the Arctic Vikings, the Norsemen who settled in Greenland. Moreover, he has collected – and retold – legends and stories from Greenland.

His interest in art, and his devotion, can be traced back to his ancestors. The early Rosings are wellknown in Greenland for their accomplishments within arts and crafts. Jens Rosing has passed this

by Ilka Gerken

artistic heritage on to his daughter Ina, who has also contributed to Greenlandic stamp art, among others the series “Edible Plants in Greenland” and the commemorative G380, “West Nordic Council – Hydro Power”, issued in January. (to be continued p. 9)

Son of author, clergyman and painter Otto Rosing Married to Dagny Rosing Children: Aslak, Øyvind, Minik and Ina 1925 Born in Ilulissat (28th July) 1944 Lower secondary school leaving examination in Denmark 1944-46 Employment at Royal Greenland Trading Company 1947-1948 Academy of free and mercantile art 1948-1950 Art Academy’s painter school 1952 Married to Dagny Nielsen 1954 Debut in book form - ”Den dragende flok” (memoirs) 1957 First stamp designed for the Greenlandic postal administration 1976-1978 Head of Greenland’s National Museum in Nuuk 1979 The Danish Authors’ Association’s Specialist Literature Award 1985 Greenland Home Rule Culture Award 1989 The State’s Art Fund, lifelong performance 1999 Greenland Home Rule Decoration given for meritorious services 2004 Gurli and Charles Haugbøll-Award – the specialist literature group of the Danish Authors’ Association

01100384 Contemporary Art I/1 DKK 3.00 Issue date: 21.05.2007 8 stamps per sheet Size: double E – horizontal Artist: Jens Rosing Outside measurements: 101 x 43.26 mm Printing method: Offset Paper: TR8 Stamp Paper PVA

by Ilka Gerken af Ilka Gerken

Born 1951 in Aasiaat

Anne-Birthe Hove

Education Copenhagen Art Academy

For over 30 years Anne-Birthe Hove has worked as an all-round and highly acclaimed graphic designer and painter. On numerous trips to all parts of the world she has gained new inspiration to her art. Anne-Birthe Hove is a brilliant artist, functionally and theoretically.

She represents the artistic currents that followed in the wake of the introduction of Home Rule in Greenland in 1979. One of her sources for artistic inspiration is the father of Greenlandic pictorial art, “Aron of Kangeq” (1822-1869).

In this way, the efforts of different artists merge in Anne-Birthe Hove’s performances. In her artworks she comments on ideals, both on the archaeological finds from the Dorset culture, and on the colleagues of her own time.

Anne-Birthe Hove usually creates her paintings using several transparent layers, which is also evident in her new art stamp, her sixteenth stamp work for POST Greenland, which is issued on 21st May. Her earlier stamp works included among others the complete stamp series “Cultural Heritage”.

Nature and the past are themes, which AnneBirthe Hove often works on. But she rarely approaches these themes directly. Instead, she produces icons of them, e.g. the returning reindeer hunter, an umiaq (Inuit women’s boat), a tent, or contemporary blocks of flats.

In one of her more recent series, Nuuk’s natural landmark and the artist’s daily view, Mount Sermitsiaq, is repeated in a range of varieties, some in combination with a declaration such as “Look!” or “Listen!”, with an eye or an ear glued on top, or fragments of something that could be an exercise about a trip, written below or right above the picture of the mountain. It is the reflection on the very experience of nature, which occupies Anne-Birthe Hove rather than the experience itself.

Her latest project was a decorating work, and Anne-Birthe recalls it being a big challenge since she worked in several metres length. “As a graphic designer I am used to working in much smaller scales”, she says. Designing stamps is at the very end of this scale. However, a stamp also needs to grab the viewers’ attention over a certain distance.

01100385 Contemporary Art I/2 Value: DKK 8.50 Issue date: 21.05.2007 20 stamps per sheet Size: E – horizontal Artist: Anne-Birthe Hove Outside measurements: 50.50 x 43.26 mm Printing method: Offset Paper: TR8 Stamp Paper PVA

School of Graphics 1980-82, lecturer: Prof. Dan Sterup-Hansen School of Art Pedagogy 1982-84, lecturer: Prof. Helge Bertram Grants and Awards National Art Fund of Denmark 1976, 1991 and 2001 Greenland Home Rule Governments Artist in Residence Legate, 1996 and 1997 Legate in Memory of Hans Lynge, 1997 National Art Fund Artist in Residence Legate 2001 Travel Legate of Anne Marie Telmanyi née Carl-Nielsens Fond, 2002 One-woman exhibitions "Fra trykkerens værksted" (From the Printmaker's Workshop) Gallery Admiralgade, Copenhagen, 1985 Qaqortoq Museum, 2002 Selected Group exhibitions "Inuit Nunaat", 1979-80 "Biennale der Ostseeländer" Kunsthalle, Rostock 1981 "Spiegel van het Verlegen" Armersfoort, Holland 1988-89 "De passé en present" Det Danske Hus, Paris, 1989 Arts from the Arctic, 1993 The Flying Kayak 1994 Grafikersymposium, Tórshavn, the Faroe Islands, 1995 920 Millibars, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Greenland, 1995 Nordgrafia, Gotlands Konst Museum, Sweden, 1996 Aassuutit, Sophienholm, Copenhagen, 1996 Højlys og Dybtryk, Fotogravure i Norden, Brandts Klædefabrik, Odense, 1997 Guest artist with The Colorists (Koloristerne), 1997 Kunst aus Grönland, Kiel, 1998 Nordisk Grafiktriennal III, Reykjavik, 1998 KIMIK's Fall exhibition, Nuuk, 1998 KIMIK's Fall exhibition, Nuuk, 1999 KIMIK's Spring exhibtion, Nuuk. 2001 AHOLKAHESTEN A, Gudhjem Museum, 2001 Danish Organization of Artist Associations, 2002 Guest artist with artist association The Colorists (Koloristerne), 2002 Koloristerne, 2003

by Ilka Gerken

Linda Riber Sørensen Linda Riber Sørensen is regarded one of the leading young Greenlandic artists who takes Greenlandic art one step further, using references from Greenland’s mythology, legends and tradition. Not surprisingly, Linda Riber made her stamp debut with two designs on the topic “Mythology - Mythical beings”, forming the second part in our current series “Nordic Mythology” issued in 2006. The new art stamp is her third stamp work for POST Greenland.

Greenland is what moves Linda Riber’s heart as a pictorial artist, and she has a yearning for expressing her Greenlandic relations through her artwork. She aims to combine past, present and thoughts about the future in a mixture of portraits, abstractions and symbols of the Arctic people.

Linda Riber’s ambition of combing tradition with contemporary life is a way of recognising her own culture as well as embracing new values and thereby shed light on them in connection with present-day Greenland. According to Linda Riber, the pictorial expressions are most the important elements, as well as illustrating and protecting the Greenlandic soul. Many changes

01100386 Contemporary Art I/3 Value: DKK 10.50 Issue date: 21.05.2007 20 stamps per sheet Size: E – horizontal Artist: Linda Riber Sørensen Outside measurements: 50.50 x 43.26 mm Printing method: Offset Paper: TR8 Stamp Paper PVA

are taking place, and the artist is concerned about in which direction Greenland is heading. Dignity and pride in the original Inuit people, combined with a search for present-day Greenland are often subjects, which are presented in her exhibitions.

In Linda Riber’s universe, vitality is characteristic for the Inuit over time, and vitality will also be essential for Greenland’s future. In her eyes, vitality is not only crucial for a human’s survival, but also for its happiness and meaning of life.

As a contrast to Jens Rosing and Anne-Birthe Hove, who both went to art school at the beginning of their respective careers, Linda Riber Sørensen is a self-taught artist. She is a qualified ergotherapist who went on a study-leave to attend art school as late as 2000. For the past seven years, working as an artist has been Linda Riber’s part-time occupation. Despite her relatively short creative period some of Linda’s artworks have already been exhibited internationally. As a result she contributed to the travelling exhibition Nutaaliorneq (New Beginnings), which has been shown in the USA, Sweden, France, Germany, the Baltics and Belgium.

One-woman Exhibitions The Greenlandic House, Odense 2007 Sturehof, Stockholm 2005 Katuaq, Greenland’s Cultural Centre 2005 Gallery of Arts and Handicraft, Svendborg 2003 Greenland’s National Museum and Archive, Nuuk 2002 Greenland Home Rule administration, Nuuk 2002 Dahl Gallery, Randers 2001 Several art associations: Fåborg District 2006, Haderslev District 2006, Ringe District 2004, Fight Cancer 2004, Toll and Tax Svendborg 2003, Vejle Fiord Centre 2002, Mac Baren Svendborg 2002, Funen’s County Newspaper 2001, Svendborg District 2000.

Born 1967 in Maniitsoq Daughter to a Greenlandic mother and a Danish father.

Raised and settled in Denmark Since 1992, a qualified ergotherapist. Took studyleave in 2000 to attend art school.

Has since then been a part-time pictorial artist.

Member of The Danish Artists’ Union, BKF. Group Exhibitions Katuaq, Greenland’s House of Culture, ”The Red Snowmobile” 2006.

Nordatlantens Brygge, Copenhagen ”The Red Snowmobile” 2005 Gudenå House, Bjerringbro 2005 SAK, ”Greenland Over Time” Svendborg, 2004 Guest at ”South Funen’s Art and Handicraft” Svendborg, 2003, 2004 and 2006 Guest at ” South Funen’s Artists at SAK” Svendborg, 2003 Contemporary Greenlandic Art, travelling exhibition in Denmark, arranged by The Union of Danish Art Associations SAK 2001-2003 Special exhibition on contemporary Greenlandic Art and Handicraft, Egns Museum Færgegaarden, Jægerspris 2001.

Nutaaliorneq (New Beginnings), represented Greenland at HM the Queen Margrethe’s state visit to Belgium 2002, arranged by Greenland’s Representation. ”Nutaaliorneq” has been exhibited at the following places: Natural History Museum, Smithsonian Institution – Washington DC, 2005 Gaaltije, Saami Culture Institute, Östersund, Sweden 2004 The Danish House, Paris 2004 GEOMAR, Kiel, Germany 2003 History Museum, University of Tartu, Estonia 2003 City Gallery, Kothla-Järve, Estonia 2002 The Gallery of the Artist`s Association, Riga, Latvia 2002 Haus Gallery, Tallinn, Estonia 2002 St. Gery, Brussels 2002 Miscellaneous Two stamps in the series Nordic Mythology, POST Greenland 2006.

Funds from Greenland’s Home Rule for the journey to and stay at Katuaq in connection with the exhibition in 2005.

Resources from the Ministry of Culture for the journey to and stay in Washington DC 2005 in connection to the exhibition and event during the Greenlandic Culture Festival ”Cool Arctic, Hot Greenland”, Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution.

GLA Travelling scholarship, 2002 Literature: Featured in ”Grønlandske Nutidskunstnere” (Greenlandic Contemporary Artists), issued by the Danish-Greenlandic Culture Fund in 2004.

by Holger Amelung, Customer Service & Marketing Manager

Greenlandic Stamp of the Year Election sets New Record Additional value stamp featuring Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary voted best Greenlandic stamp 2006 The polls for the best Greenlandic stamp 2006 closed on March 1st 2007 with a record in number of votes.

The polls opened in November 2006 during the big stamp exhibition Frimærker i Forum in Copenhagen. During the following months more than 4200 votes were cast. The poll was announced in the media, such as the Greenlandic national newspapers Sermitsiaq and AG, local radio stations in Nuuk and Sisimiut, as well as in TELE POST’s customer’s magazines TP On-Line and Greenland Collector. And many voted online on www.stamps.gl.

A total of 18 stamps were on the ballot, with a wide variety of themes, most of them designed by Greenlandic artists. The overall winner stamp was G359, which features a photograph of Crown Prince Frederik alongside Crown Princess Mary, dressed in

beautiful Greenlandic national costumes.

The photograph was taken by Knud Josefsen during the royal couple’s 2004 visit in Greenland. The stamp was layouted by Dorit Olsen from Nuuk. The winning stamp emphasises, in a beautiful manner, the close relations between Greenland and the Danish Royal Family.

DKK 0.50 for each stamp sold go to charity projects for the benefit of children in Greenland. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess are very engaged in these projects.

Stamp G360 was the runner up in the poll.

This stamp was issued to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first EUROPA-stamp and features a reproduction of our awardwinning EUROPA-stamp of 2004. Third place went to the stamp G371, which features a beautiful engraved portrait in honour of the German polar researcher Alfred Wegener’s achievements and expeditions in Greenland.

The stamp was engraved by Martin Mörck.

From all votes cast the winner of the main prize of 10,000 Danish Kroner was drawn.

The Mayor of Ammassalik Community, Mr. Vittus Mikaelsen, drew the lucky winner and

Mayor for Ammassalik Community, Vittus Mikaelsen, has just drawn the name of the lucky winner of the main prize of 10,000 Kroner.

Customer Service & Marketing Manager Holger Amelung to the left. Photo: Judithe Ignatiussen.

the ten winners of consolation prizes. The winner, a citizen of Nuuk, received the cheque during a special ceremony, which took place in March.

POST Greenland would like to congratulate all winners and would like to thank everyone for their interest and the many votes.

Result of the poll Place 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

17.

18.

Total votes

G-No. G359 G360 G371 G358 G362 G370 G372 G375 G361 G368 G364 G365 G376 G369 G366 G363 G373 G367

Votes 1674 627 391 286 205 178 168 125 97 96 86 66 58 41 32 31 29 11 4201

% 39.8 14.9 9.3 6.8 4.9 4.2 4.0 3.0 2.3 2.3 2.0 1.6 1.4 1.0 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.3 100.0

The PARCEL POST Stamps

by Kenneth Liedtke In 2005, on the occasion of the centenary of the historic PARCEL POST stamps, POST Greenland launched a series of three high value stamps, and a PARCEL POST book on the subject.

The stamp series is now completed with a souvenir sheet, containing all three PARCEL POST stamps. The anniversary stamps are issued as a replacement for the corresponding high values issued 1990 – 1992, which are close to being sold out. The first stamp of the anniversary series was issued on 31 October 2005, a reproduction of the original 10 Øre

This is the special souvenir sheet, which will be issued to round off the centenary of the historic PARCEL POST stamps.

The souvenir sheet contains all three anniversary stamps from the series 2005 – 2007.

The souvenir sheet is inserted a handy, white mount card.

On the back of the card you will find a brief report on the original PARCEL POST stamps.

stamp from 1905. This first anniversary stamp was denominated DKK 50.00. On the day of issue the book, “100th Anniversary of PARCEL POST Stamps in Greenland”, was also released.

It deals with the unique historic circumstances, which led to the introduction of PARCEL POST stamps in 1905. Several historic pictures and details are presented, among others the fact that the original PARCEL POST stamps formed a vital piece in the puzzle of the politics concerning Greenland’s future at that time.

The second anniversary stamp, denominated DKK 25.00, was issued on 16 January 2006, a reproduction of the original 5 Øre stamp.

The last centenary stamp is denominated DKK

01106374 PARCEL POST Souvenir Sheet – 100th Anniversary III Value: DKK 175.00 Issue date: 21.05.2007 Printing method: Offset Paper: TR8 Stamp Paper PVA

100.00. It is a reproduction of the original 20 Øre stamp from 1915, which, at that time, was the highest value PARCEL POST stamp. The new 100 Kroner stamp will be issued on 21 May, along with the souvenir sheet containing all three anniversary PARCEL POST stamps.

01100374 PARCEL POST Stamps – 100th Anniversary III Value: DKK 100.00 Issue date: 21.05.2007 20 stamps per sheet Size: E – horizontal Artist: Gerhard Heilmann Outside measurements: 50.50 mm x 43.26 mm Printing method: Offset Paper: TR8 Stamp Paper PVA

This exclusive Jubilee Book of 64 richly illustrated pages can be ordered as item no. 01303024.

Price: DKK 400.00 (incl. 1 mint DKK 50.00 stamp + 1 mint DKK 175.00 souvenir sheet).

Buy the book – and get the DKK 50.00 stamp and the new DKK 175.00 souvenir sheet for free!

If you have bought the PARCEL POST book from us, without the souvenir sheet, and you wish to receive a free copy of this souvenir sheet, please forward proof of your book purchase, e.g. copy of the invoice. Then we will make sure you receive a free copy of this new DKK 175.00 souvenir sheet.

EXCLUSIVE JUBILEE BOOK on the centenary of the PARCEL POST stamps While other countries are celebrating the 150th anniversary of the introduction of their stamps these years, Greenland in 2005 celebrated the 100th anniversary of the PARCEL POST stamps, first issued in 1905.

Stamps were introduced for practical and economical reasons but, with the issue of the PARCEL POST stamp in Greenland, much more was at stake, as it played a part in the political events regarding Greenland, whose future was being shaped during those years.

POST Greenland is celebrating the 100th anniversary with a stamp issue in three parts.

The first stamp was issued on 31 October 2005, and the second stamp in the series was issued on 16 January 2006. The third and final stamps in the series will be issued on 21 May, along with a special souvenir sheet containing all three stamps.

In connection with this jubilee, POST Greenland has also released an exclusive Jubilee Book, containing the first stamp de-

nominated DKK 50.00, and the new DKK 175.00 souvenir sheet, with space to insert the two other stamps in the series.

The author of the book is Flemming Petersen, Greenland stamp collector and President of the Frederiksberg (in Copenhagen) Philatelic Society. Flemming draws on his enormous knowledge of both history and stamps. The result is an extremely interesting account in text and illustrations.

A short extract from the book:

(Jens Rosing, continued from p. 4) From a postal administration’s viewpoint, it is essential to cooperate with artists who understand the tiny format, demanding greater and different competence from the artist in the creative process than ordinary painting. And like no one else, Jens Rosing has had the skills to profit from the tiny format to bring out precisely what Greenlandic stamps are supposed to reflect: Greenland’s culture, nature, history and present. The design of his last stamp, to be issued on 21st May, reflects in a classical way this extraordinary ability.

On top of this new art stamp Jens Rosing literally sets his mark on the whole series, since he has also created the design in the first day cancellation. With his permission, POST Greenland uses Jens Rosing’s private wax seal signature, depicting the Sun, the Cresent, a human and a Great Northern Diver as symbols. It is said that the Great Northern Diver provided us humans with language and songs, enabling us to interpret and tell about the world. No one but Jens Rosing has been gifted with the art of telling the world about Greenland, literarily as well as artistically.

“Collectors of letter and parcel post to and from Greenland divide their collections into several politically determined periods of time, which among other things appear from the text of the cancellations. These texts are changed concurrently with the Danish territory of Greenland gradually expanding to finally covering the whole island.”

Text: Prof. Dr. Friedhelm Thiedig, 1964 – 1996 geologist at Hamburg and Münster universities, polar researcher in Spitsbergen, Northern Greenland and North Victoria Land (Antarctica).

Translation from German: Holger Amelung

The Northernmost Oasis on Earth The destination of our geological expedition was located at 83.5° North and 38.5° West: The northernmost coastline of Greenland. No other land mass on earth is situated further north.

After years of geological field work on Spitsbergen we had come to the conclusion that the massive land folds and shifts on the west coast of Spitsbergen had to be the result of a collision with Greenland about 50 million years ago, when Spitsbergen was still located north of Greenland. The goal of the CASE 2 Expedition* was to prove this theory.

It took seven years of preparation and the help of Germany’s Federal Institute of Geological Science & Natural Resources and Denmark & Greenland’s Geological Survey (GEUS) to set up this expedition.

Finally, our team was able to land on the former military airbase “Station Nord” (81.5°) in a Hercules cargo aircraft. From here we travelled another 400 km in a Twin Otter before finally reaching Cape Kane and Cape Washington by helicopter.

This extremely remote and uninhabited peninsula in Johannes V. Jensen Land is very hard to get to, because passage to the Northern coast of Greenland is blocked by thick field ice. So far, only a few people have ever set foot in this area. In the southern part of Peary Land ice and snow is melting during the two summer months.

In the northern part, however, there are

*) Correlation of Alpine Structural Events in Spitsbergen and Greenland

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glaciers. Some of these ice masses are referred to as elephant foot glaciers, because this is what they look like. We landed in the Nornegæst Valley, the northernmost westeast stretching valley, sheltered from the ice-covered, windy North Polar Sea by up to 2,000 meter high mountains.

Due to our experiences in Spitsbergen we expected colder conditions this far north, and we had brought warm clothing. On the 9th of July 1994, a foggy day with snow sleet, we left Station Nord in a Twin Otter, to travel the 350 km to our first camp in the Nornegæst Valley. To our surprise we landed next to a green meadow and a small lake, surrounded by blooming cotton grass.

The first thing we noted at the landing site was wolf tracks, and next we saw tracks from polar fox with its white tail. Due to the risk of polar bear encounters we set up

the crew tent right next to the lake, while our 17 sleeping tents were spread out. I had just entered my tent when I noticed something moving under my tent floor: We had set up our camp right on top of a subsurface channel system of a lemming population. We spent the following week at a field camp at the northern coast where we experienced the polar weather conditions we had expected: Fog, snow and ice. At Cape Kane we succeeded in finding proof of our theory on the origin of the tectonic shifts and the links to Spitsbergen.

Back in the main camp we were once again surprised by the mild, summery conditions and the variety of flora in our valley. I was especially thrilled to discover a range of plants with which I was familiar from Spitsbergen, such as the Spitsbergen Poppy (Papaver dahlianum), Purple Saxifraga (Saxifraga oppositifolia), a mountain meadow with Yellow Buttercup (Ranunculus sp.), Purple Blooming Woolly Lousewort (Pedicularis dasyantha), and many others. Moreover, there were plants completely unknown in Spitsbergen, such as the wonderful Dwarf Fireweed (Chamaenerion latifolium) and the Arctic Willow (Salix arctica).

Twice I observed different butterflies, disbelieved of what I saw, since I had never expected to see any this far north.

On some days, with the midnight sun shining, it was so warm we would work with our sleeves turned up. In my tent I measured 32° Celsius (89.6 F°), but at the same time giant midge swarms were a regular pest by the beautiful lake nearby.

During our geological work I once observed white wolves, small herds of musk oxen and arctic hares whose pups are grey, just like their

Central European relatives.

After we had moved to our next camp, some 100 km further east, we were caught in a severe snow storm that damaged several tents and interrupted our work noticeably. At that time we longed for our magical oasis in the Nornegæst Valley – it was no fata morgana.

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Anniversary Reply Coupon from UPU In 2007 we celebrate the centenary of the International Reply Coupon. On this occasion the Universal Postal Union has issued an anniversary edition of the reply coupon. This coupon equals the size and design of the regular reply coupon, except for a script slogan in the design reading ”100 ans 1907-2007”.

The anniversary coupon went on sale on 1st February 2007. It is sold alongside the regular reply coupon, and the sales price and the postal value are identical.

International anniversary reply coupon Item No. 01510004 Sales price: DKK 12.50 (postal value: DKK 8.00)

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New Chinese Award to POST Greenland For the second consecutive year a Greenlandic stamp has received a fine award in China.

The prize was awarded by the “Organization Committee of the Annual Best Foreign Stamp Poll”. By the end of 2006 the committee held their fifth annual meeting in Beijing where several foreign stamps were awarded prizes in different categories.

Our stamp G347 “Ilulissat Icefjord – World Heritage” received a high distinction in the category “Best participant”. The stamp had previously been voted the “2005 Greenlandic Stamp of the Year” by the Greenland collectors.

POST Greenland is very honoured to receive this special award from China.

Large photo: The lucky winner after the boat trip to Kapisillit.

Upper right: Andreas Boeckh delivers mail by scooter in the streets of Nuuk.

Lower right: Distributing letters to post office boxes at TELEPOST Centre, Nuuk.

Postman for a Day – in Greenland

by Kenneth Liedtke On the 12th of December 2006 the TELEPOST Centre in Nuuk greeted a special guest: Andreas Boeckh of Germany. Andreas was accompanied by his good friend, Thomas, and Fabian Raphael, a journalist from the German broadcasting company WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk). The radio station, with a daily audience of over a million listeners, had launched a campaign called Winter Wishes, according to which the listeners were encouraged to send e-mails with their most unconventional wishes. Andreas won, his wish being postman in Greenland for a day. Starting from Cologne the winner embarked on a long journey via Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq,

Photos: Harry Holm.

West Greenland, and then by a small aircraft down to Greenland’s capital, Nuuk, a town of 15,000 inhabitants. At the airport Harry Holm, department manager at Nuuk’s TELEPOST Centre, was waiting for the visitors.

After a warm welcome they headed for the TELE-POST Centre in downtown Nuuk, where Andreas was off to a good start, sorting letters to post office boxes and settlements.

Afterwards, he went to deliver post along with a local postman – with temperatures around minus 17°C (1.4°F)! Next day, Andreas sailed onboard the local vessel to Kapisillit, a settlement with 80 people. The settlement is located approx. 60 km north east of Nuuk, and it took about two hours to get there. The locals had been informed about Andreas’ arrival, and

they were waiting for him on the quay. Andreas was presented with a calendar and a pair of seal skin slippers as a welcome gift. Andreas also brought a few gifts to Kapisillit. He had baked Christmas cookies for the occasion, and he brought a snow storm globe with a miniature of Cologne’s cathedral. Andreas did not have to distribute letters in Kapisillit, though. All the post was simply delivered to the local convenient store where the inhabitants normally collect their post themselves. After returning to Nuuk Andreas sorted letters before his work as a postman for a day was over. On Thursday 14th of December, Andreas returned home to Cologne. His trip to Greenland had been a great experience, and he hopes to return to Greenland one day as a tourist.

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News from POST Greenland

Exhibition Cancellations Up until the end of September 2007, POST Greenland will participate in the following stamp exhibitions: • “17. Internationale Briefmarken-Messe”, Essen, Germany, 3rd – 5th May. • “Philatelia”, Cologne, Germany, 20th – 22nd September.

ESSEN

3.-5. MAJ 2007

Special Greenlandic cancellations will be produced for both exhibitions. Envelopes to be cancelled with these special cancellations must be received by POST Greenland, Filatelia, no later than the day before the opening of the respective exhibitions.

POST Greenland will also be represented at: • “Frimærkets Dag”, Esbjerg, Denmark, 1st – 2nd September.

• ”Stamps in Svedala”, Svedala, Sweden, 8th – 9th September.

• “Bofilex”, Borås, Sweden, 14th – 16th September.

NOTE: No special Greenland cancellations will be produced for these three exhibitions.

Read in the next issue of Greenland Collector, no. 3 September 2007: • Joint Issue with La Poste, France • 3 new stamps in the science series • SEPAC-joint issue ”Scenery” • Christmas Stamps and the 2007 Year Pack • Sales figures from the final sale of 31st March • Final sale 30th November • Preview of ”Frimærker i Forum ’07” • Greenland special guest country at Paris fair, November

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Swedish subscriber wins two hand-crafted masks The 2006 winner of POST Greenland’s annual draw among all subscribers is Swedish. Bengt-Göran Gustafson from Falköping won the two beautiful Greenlandic wooden masks, hand-crafted by a local

Tasiilaq artist. The masks have been shipped to the lucky winner and subscriber. POST Greenland would like to congratulate the winner on this beautiful prize.

Following

our final sale of 30th November 2006, we present these sales figures: Item No. 01100340 01100341 01100343 01100344 01100355 01100356 01301110

Title Save the Children Church Law for Greenland 100 yrs.

Navigation IV/1 ‘Dannebrog’ Navigation IV/2 ‘Kista Arctica’ Christmas in Greenland 1/2005 Christmas in Greenland 2/2005 Christmas Stamp Booklet No. 10

DKK 5.25 + 0.50 9.25 5.25 6.00 5.25 6.00 67.50

Issue Date 17.1.2005 17.1.2005 20.6.2005 20.6.2005 31.10.2005 31.10.2005 31.10.2005

Qty. 119,552 217,206 231,359 117,912 122,561 119,811 19,488

Worth

knowing…

Please send your orders / amendments to: POST Greenland, Filatelia P.O. Box 121, 3913 Tasiilaq, GREENLAND Phone: (+45) 70 26 05 50 and (+299) 98 11 55 Fax: (+299) 98 14 32 Email: stamps@tele.gl Any change in name, address and/or subscription must be received by POST Greenland, Filatelia, no later than 5 weeks prior to an issue.

NOTE: Please do not write your order on a giro transfer form as these are processed electronically.

How to pay: On payment - please, make sure you always state your name and your customer number. Your payments can be made by giro to one of the accounts mentioned below, by credit card, by international reply coupons or by cash in Danish Kroner, Euro or US Dollars only. It is no longer possible to pay by cheque.

Giro bank transfer: Denmark: BG Bank A/S, Girostrøget 1, 0800 Høje Taastrup, Account No.: 9541-940 4120 IBAN: DK98 30000009404120, BIC (SWIFT code): DABADKKK Sweden: Postgirot Bank AB (publ), Vasagatan 7, 105 06 Stockholm. Account No.: 41 45-9.

IBAN: SE9795000099602600041459, BIC (SWIFT code): NDEASESS Norway: Postbanken, Kunderegister Bedrift, 0021 Oslo. Account No.: 7878.06.55312.

IBAN: NO44 78780655312, BIC (SWIFT code): DNBANOKK Finland: SAMPO BANK, UNIONINKATU 22, 00075, SAMPO. Account No.: 800016-70617928.

IBAN: Fi2580001670617928, BIC (SWIFT code): PSPBFiHH

The Netherlands: Postbank NV, Account No.: 3487172. IBAN: NL92 PSTB 0003 4871 72, BIC (SWIFT code): PSTBNL21 Switzerland: Postscheckamt, Office de cheques postaux, Ufficio dei conti correnti postali, 4040 Basel. Account No.: 40-6773-5.

IBAN: CH37 0900 0000 4000 6773 5, BIC (SWIFT code): POFiCHBE Germany: Postbank, Niederlassung Hamburg, Überseering 26, 22297 Hamburg.

Account No.: 541414200, BLZ 200 100 20.

IBAN: DE03 2001 0020 0541 414200, BIC (SWIFT code): PBNKDEFF United Kingdom: Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank plc., Bridle Road, Bootle, Merseyside, Liverpool GIR 0AA. Account No.: 358 7118.

IBAN: GB69GIRB72000003587118 Luxembourg: Postes et Telecommunications, Division des Postes, Service des Cheques Postaux, Secretariat, 38 Place de la Gare, 1090 Luxembourg.

Account No.: 26606-28.

IBAN: LU18 1111 0266 0628 0000, BIC (SWIFT code): CCPLLULL France: La Poste, Centre Régional des Services Financiers, de la Poste en ile-de-France, 16 rue de Favorites, 75900 Paris.

Account No.: 250.01 F020.

IBAN: FR51 3004 1000 0100 2500 1 F02 022, BIC (SWIFT code): PSSTFRPPPAR Credit cards: VISA, Eurocard/MasterCard, JCB, Dankort.

Cash: Danish Kroner (DKK), Euro (EUR) or US Dollars (USD) only - to be sent by registered mail.

Postal order IRC (IBRS) International reply coupons: value DKK 8.00 each.

One-year deadline for complaints Any complaint concerning stamps or philatelic items purchased from POST Greenland must reach POST Greenland, Filatelia, no later than one year from the last day of the month in which the items were despatched. The date of the postmark, or possibly the invoice, indicates the date of despatch.

Fees for registered letters and parcels despatched from Greenland The fee for registered letters within Greenland or to Europe (including Denmark and the Faroes) is DKK 52.00. E.g.: Postage for a registered letter stamped with DKK 7.50 (max. 20 g) comes to a total of DKK 59.50. For surcharge on mail to overseas countries, see: www.post.gl Net Payment within 30 days Payment of our invoices is to be made within 30 days from the date of the invoice.

Please, note that the registration of your payments will take approximately two weeks or more. Therefore, you may receive an invoice with a balance which does not include your recent payments.

Exchange of Stamps POST Greenland, Filatelia, exchanges only old stamps (stamps no longer on our sales list) into new stamps (stamps on our sales list) at the customer’s choice. No more than 3 exchanges free of charge at maximum DKK 100.00 each, per customer per year. When exceeding a total of 3 x DKK 100.00, POST Greenland, Filatelia, will charge a fee of 45% of the nominal value. The fee of 45% must always be paid in cash and is not payable by other stamps. The maximum annual value of stamps for exchange per customer must not exceed DKK 50,000 in nominal value.

For further information, please contact POST Greenland, Filatelia.

All information on prices, fees etc. is subject to printer’s errors.

Publisher: POST Greenland - Editors: Pertti Frandsen, Chief Editor. Ilka Gerken, Kenneth Liedtke, Holger Amelung, - Layout & Printing: Datagraf - ISSN: 1397-8632 - Cover Photo: Erwin Reinthaler

We are the people you reach, whenever you write, fax, email, or telephone POST Greenland, Filatelia.

We look forward to offering our continued assistance with your philatelic enquiries.

Ilka Gerken Sales Assistant German, English, Danish.

Helene Tukula Trainee Danish, English

Karoline Josvassen Customer Service Greenlandic, Danish

Kristian »Karé« Pivat Assistant Clerk Greenlandic, Danish

Kenneth Liedtke Sales Assistant Danish, English, German

Holger Amelung Customer Service & Marketing Manager German, Danish, English.

Pertti Frandsen Philatelic Manager Danish, English, German

Contemporary Greenlandic Art New souvenir folder and extraordinary FDC’s and maxicards In addition to the first three stamps in the new series, “Contemporary Greenlandic Art”, POST Greenland issues three extraordinary maxicards. Moreover, the FDC’s are bigger than usual, and very beautiful too.

In order to present the artworks in the best possible manner, two of the stamps are issued in the big E-format, and Jens Rosing’s stamp is even printed in a double E-format. The big stamp size is reflected on the matching maxicards and the FDC. Consequently, two of the maxicards measure 148 x 148 mm, while Jens Rosing’s dogsled

design is printed in a double postcard size, 106 x 296 mm. The envelope used for the FDC/1, FDC/4 and FDC/series corresponds with the size of envelope we normally use for FDC/souvenir sheets. In this way there is plenty of space for the big stamps, combined with a beautiful graphic detail from Linda Riber Sørensen's stamp design. We would also like to emphasize the extraordinary first day cancellation. The design is actually Jens Rosing’s wax seal signature, showing the crescent, the sun, a Great Northern Diver and a human being.

Fore more information on the three artists – see the article inside the magazine. Or buy the souvenir folder “Contemporary Greenlandic Art I”, which contains two of each stamp, as well as very informative texts and highly interesting examples of more artworks by the three artists.

FDC/series Contemporary Greenlandic Art. Item No. 01203384 DKK 28.00

Maxicard, Jens Rosing.

Item No. 01401384 DKK 9.00 Maxicard, Anne-Birthe Hove.

Item No. 01401385 DKK 14.50

Maxicard, Linda Riber Sørensen.

Item No. 01401386 DKK 16.50

Item No. 01303031.

DKK 44.00.

For more information on the remaining first day products – see the order form, or log on to www.stamps.gl.

POST Greenland . Filatelia . Phone (+45) 7026 0550 Fax (+45) 98 14 32 . stamps@tele.gl . www.stamps.gl