FEPA Certificate of Appreciation 2025
Hamburger Verein für Briefmarkenkunde, Hamburg (Germany)
There was great interest at the founding meeting of the Hamburg Stamp Collectors’ Association in September 1885, when 43 people joined the new organisation. In 1925, the association hosted the German Philatelists’ Day and increasingly developed into a centre for organised philately. By the 1940s, it had up to 600 registered members.
Research and literature have been central to the association’s activities for 140 years. For this reason, a comprehensive library was built up over the decades. Largely destroyed during the Second World War, it was later gradually rebuilt and relocated to the Hamburg State Library. In 1971, an independent philatelic library was established, where many association members have since worked on a voluntary basis.
At the same time, documents relating to Hamburg’s postal history from 1700 to the present day were collected. This postal history collection remains the property of the association.
Today, the association is distinguished by the diversity of its members and their collecting interests. The Ship Mail Working Group, which supports fellow collectors as an affiliated organisation, is also noteworthy. The association regularly organises philatelic excursions and events. One of the highlights was hosting the 118th Philatelists’ Day in 2025 to mark the association’s 140th anniversary, an especially memorable occasion due to the exchange with other philatelic associations.