From left to right, José Ramón Moreno, Giancarlo Morolli, Nicos Rangos, Alfred Kunz, Bojan Bračič, Birthe King and Ari Muhonen
Minutes of the annual FEPA Board Meeting
Lisbon March 16th 2019
Attendees: Jose Ramon Moreno, President, Giancarlo Morolli, Vice-President, Bojan Bračič, Secretary, Alfred Kunz, Treasurer, Birthe King, Ari Muhonen and Nicos Rangos, Directors.
Pedro Vaz Pereira welcomed all attendees on behalf of Portuguese Federation of Philately and wished a successful work.
Jose Ramon Moreno welcomed all the present Board members to the last meeting as FEPA President. He pointed out the great collaboration of the members doing a fantastic work and in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere all the time.
AGENDA
1 FEPA Awards. Report from GM
1.1 – Sometimes problems occurred because there are more good candidates for FEPA medal but under regulations medal can receive only one in each category. Mr Morolli will prepare a proposition on how to improve this with some changes of the awards guidelines. The idea is that proposal for one person may be prolonged to next two years.
After a report from Giancarlo Morolli and a brief discussion, because all received candidateswere of high quality, the following decisions have been taken:
Pedro Marcal Vaz Pereira, Portugal will receive the FEPA Medal for Outstanding Services in Philately.
Modesto Fraguas Herrera, Spanish Post, will receive the FEPA Medal for Outstanding Support to Philately from outside of it.
FEPA Medal for Exceptional Philatelic Study goes to Karoly Szücs; Hungary for the book Fiscal Philately of Hungary.
Certificates as finalists were awarded to (in alphabetical order of the countries):
Carlo Doria (Italy) as project coordinator of La Filatelia tematica racconta la Grande Guerra
Jeffrey Stone – Kaj Hellman (United Kingdom) for Agathon Faberge – Portrait of a Philatelist
Hans Vogels (Poland) for The Polish Post in the Free City Danzig 1920-1939. Part IV
Heinz Wewer (Germany) for Abgereist, ohne Angabe der Adresse
The FEPA Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding activities for the promotion of philately 2018 is awarded to (in alphabetical order of the countries):
– Associazione Italiana Storia Postale (AISP). Italy
– Stavanger Filatelist-Klub (SFK), Norway
– National Club of Collectors of the Registration Labels and Stamps, Poland
– The Philatelic Society of Ljubljana, Slovenia
All books are were donated to the Library of the Portuguese Philatelic Federation.
The FEPA board found out that some bigger federations (unions or associations) didn’t presented candidacies to awarding their clubs and societies.
2 – Review of the FEPA Golden Pin presented to Presidents of our members Federations, Associations or Unions and those to be presented along 2019.
All 16 Presidents of National Philatelic Federations, Unions or Association present at the FEPA Congress 2018 in Prague received their FEPA Golden Pin there. Others are receiving it in different FEPA events of their choice.
The historical Archive of FEPA will be keeping in premises of Royal Philatelic Society London.
3 – Provisional information about the 2018 FEPA Finances.
Treasurer Mr Kunz reported that present situation in FEPA finances is still improving and we hope that such situation will continue. For the FEPA Congress should be prepared report with reasons why the situation is so positive now. Fortunately some members of the FEPA board are making “donations” to the FEPA – not asking for refund of the cost of philatelic trips representing FEPA. The question is what will be with such system in the future.
Alfred Kunz received the congratulations and gratitude of the Board for the accuracy to which he keeps the FEPA accounts.
4 – FEPA Website.
Ari Muhonen reported that everything is settled in everything goes smoothly. Statistics shows that web site has more and more visitors. In 2018 editor Jose Ramon Moreno posted 108 news on it.
5 – FEPA News Magazine.
Jose Ramon Moreno explained procedure how FEPA News Magazine spring up. After the FEPA Congress in November 2019 FEPA News Magazine will get new editor so all of us most thinking about this changes, because we wish the same efficiency for the magazine also in future.
Bojan Bračič offer his help in printing and distribution of the magazine also in future although he will not be member of the FEPA board any more. Bojan Bračič was warmly thanked.
6 – FEPA Picture Postcard Regulations adopted by the FIP
FEPA Regulation for Picture Postcard exhibits have been adopted by FIP as experimental class for the time being. For this reasons we will wait with comments before suggested changes of the regulations. Mrs Birthe King is dealing with the O.C. of LONDON 2020 in order to have a new Seminar there of the Picture Postcard.
7 – Implementation of the FEPA SREV for Literature into the FIP.
Giancarlo Morolli explained benefits and problems at using new FEPA SREV for Literature Class.
Mr. Morolli presented a comprehensive and excellent “Philatelic Literature Report”.
Longer time as 10 years should be the limit for multi-volumes works.
Birthe King suggested that organizer of the exhibit should offer also one frame for display different data and details about exhibit in literature class.
8 – Incorporation to the FEPA Regulations the content of the motion on Modern Philately approved at the Congress in Prague
The FEPA Congress 2018 approved changes in the FEPA Regulations of Modern Philately. The Board has to include these changes in the Website and to inform the FEPA members with the Documents to be sent for the 2019 Congress.
9 –Matters to be followed as agreed at the Congress in Prague
Seminars for Youth philately as it was in Tampere – thinking where and when. Again Mrs Birthe King is very kindly dealing with the O.C. of LONDON 2020 in order to have a new Youth Seminar there.
FEPA President will send a letter to all FEPA members to prepare report of best practise in their countries and present it during the London 2020.
Seminar about printing techniques at printing Picture Postcards already promised in Prague 2018 can be realised at OSTROPA 2010 in Berlin.
10 – Review of the future FEPA Events with FEPA recognition.
Year 2019
Slovenija 2019, 28th – 31th March; Kamnik
Juvenia 2019 (Spain, France, Cuba), Burgos, Spain, 7th – 11th May
Nordia 2019, Sarpsborg, 23st – 25th August
Atlantic – Alpe Adria, Viana do Castelo, Portugal, 1st – 6th October
Bulgaria, Plovdiv, 17th – 20th October; Provisional FEPA Patronage – no further information
Ovebria 2019, Neustadt; Austria, 18th – 20th October
11 – Coordination of the FEPA Flags for the FEPA Exhibitions.
Bojan Bračič: Slovenia 2019, Plovdiv, Verona (Peter Suhadolc)
Birthe King: Nordia
Jose Ramon Moreno: Juvenia, Atlantic-Alpe Adria, Exfilna, FEPA Congress
Ari Muhonen: Nordia
Alfred Kunz: Ӧvebria, Multilaterale
12 – FEPA Congress and Elections of part of the Board at “MonacoPhil 2019”
At the next FEPA Congress part of the FEPA Board be change: President and Secretary can’t be candidates having finished their terms. It is also on election one Director. So, we are looking for the candidates for mentioned positions. FEPA members are welcome to send proposals to the FEPA secretary till the 29th of August (three months prior to the next Congress) at the latest.
All FEPA members will be informed of the details for the elections by e-mail, by the FEPA Website and in the printed magazine “FEPA News”.
13 – Next Year Board Meeting
Will be decided after the election of new FEPA Board members
14 – Any other matters
The Portuguese Philatelic Federation sent comments to the Regulation for Picture Postcards Exhibits.
As regulations was adopted from FIP short time ago, we recommended to wait a little with such comments.
Have been received a kind request for FEPA Recognition of an International Exhibition, from a member of another Continental Federation. According to the FEPA FREGEX, FEPA can give recognition, support or patronage only to its members. FEPA President will send mentioned explanation to the federation non FEPA member that asked for the FEPA Recognition.
Bojan Bračič
FEPA Secretary
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Pedro Vaz Pereira, President of the Portufuese Federation of Philately and Mr. Rui Alves, member of the PFP Board meet the members of the FEPA Board
https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/boar-meeting-lisbon-1-e1558264151510.jpg165220José Ramón Morenohttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngJosé Ramón Moreno2019-05-19 13:56:302019-05-19 18:03:26Minutes of the 2019 annual FEPA Board Meeting
There has been some misunderstanding about the use of Picture Postcards in Open Philately, both among judges and often questions for clarification in seminars.
I thought it might be useful to ask the Bernard Jimenez, FIP Board member and Chairman of the Working Group who drew up the Open Philately Guidelines. He replied very clearly: “Picture postcards are non-philatelic material and count as such on Open philately.”
To summarise, an Open Philately exhibit must have at lest 50% philatelic material, which includes any item that is permitted in any other class or category, while the non-philatelic material may include up to 50%.
For further details, please see the FIP website with the brief, easily accessible 3-page guidelines. https://www.f-i-p.ch/regulations/
Birthe King
https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/1919-peace-parade-Trenowath-Bros-@-109-110-KL-in-Old-Picture-Postcards-1-e1558040430846.jpg144220José Ramón Morenohttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngJosé Ramón Moreno2019-05-17 00:01:112019-05-25 22:04:40The Use of Picture Postcards in Open Philately
THE IMPERIAL FAMILIES OF HABSBURGS VERY LOVED OF BUTTERFLIES
Vladimir Kachan, Belarus
One of the most beautiful creatures to grace the earth is the butterfly. These tiny little flying creatures are known for their beautiful vibrant colours and we all just can’t take our eyes off them! Gardens and their butterflies were much loved by the Imperial Families of Habsburgs.
The Habsburgs were elected Emperors from 1438 to 1916. In the age of divine monarchs, kings and emperors such as the Habsburgs claimed that God himself had ordained them to rule with unquestioned authority. The Habsburgs were one of a handful of royal families who ruled nearly all of Europe until World War I. The Habsburgs ruled as Holy Roman Emperors, and they had some fancy jewels to prove it.
The Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia Rudolf II (1552–1612) was one of the most important patrons of art from the House of Habsburg (Figure 1 – stamp of Czechoslovakia 1983 with Emperor Rudolf II). Politics was not a great interest of his. Instead he was familiar with a number of languages and was devoted to art and science, including natural history. He was a passionate and enthusiastic collector and he spared no pains in acquiring objects that fired his imagination. Emperor Rudolph II collected everything in the world, but in addition to his other curious interests, he was a passionate collector of butterflies (Figure 2 – stamp of Czech Republic 1997 with Emperor Rudolf II and butterfly). He resided in the castle of Prague where his collection took the shape of a Kunstkamera, a chamber of curiosities that reflected the richness and diversity of the universe in microcosm. Paintings and decorative arts were displayed alongside scientific instruments and exotic animal specimens. Rudolph could spend hours in rapt contemplation of his pictures, sculptures, natural history specimens and curios. The whole collection constituted a microcosmos in which things from earth, sea and air (minerals, plants and animals), naturalia, were displayed together with things made by man, artificialia. The naturalia included many exotic, odd and fantastic items. The study of these items was considered the best way into an understanding of Nature’s secrets. The collection also included hundreds of species of various butterflies of amazing beauty. A botanical and zoological garden were also part of the collection, with live animals supplementing all the skeletons and taxidermic (stuffed) creatures. This comprehensive collection was also intended to symbolise the power of the Emperor. Control over the microcosmos collection would indicate his omnipotence over his empire, the macrocosmos. The collection was part of a political manifestation. It was very famous, and the Emperor’s guests often arrived in Prague bringing precious gifts in the hope of being allowed to see it. But by no means all of them were granted admittance to the Arts-and-Curiosity Cabinet (Kunstkamera) during Rudolph’s own lifetime. However in 1648, during the Thirty Years’ War in Europe the Prague castle Hradcany was looted by the Swedes and most of the values of the Swedes were taken, and a unique collection of Rudolph’s butterflies, as superfluous, was simply thrown out.
Francis I (Franz Stefan von Lorraine 1708 – 1765) was Holy Roman Emperor in 1745-1765 and Grand Duke of Tuscany (Figure 3 – post card of Austria 1930 with Emperor Francis I). Emperor had great interest in the natural sciences. He loved botany, cataloging plants and flowers and catching butterflies. He liked collecting butterflies, more pleasing in the pursuit than in the pinning down (Figure 4 – stamp of Austria 2005 with butterfly). The zoo and botanical garden were not the only expensive pursuits of Emperor Francis I. In 1750 he had bought one of the greatest collections of natural history objects known in Europe. It consisted of about 30 000 specimens of minerals, shells, crustaceans and butterflies.
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (1717 – 1780) was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg (Figure 5 – stamp of Austria 1908 with Empress Maria Theresa). She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma. By marriage, she was Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Holy Roman Empress, wife of Emperor Francis I. Maria Theresa understood the importance of her public persona and was able to simultaneously evoke both esteem and affection from her subjects. She ruled from Vienna. Schonbrunn Palace was the imperial summer residence and became a glamorous focus of court life. Butterflies feature in the vivid murals in Schonbrunn Palace commissioned by Empress Maria Theresa and painted by the famous 18th-century Bohemian ornamentalist painter Johann Wenzel Bergl. Following the death of Franz I his collection of natural history objects was developed by Maria Theresa. Her Empress cabinet of natural history had graced very expensive Morpho butterflies (Figure 6 – stamp of Brazil 1971 with Blue Morpho butterfly) with beautiful shiny blue wings, which have always been prized by extremely wealthy collectors.
Francis II (1768 – 1835) was the last Holy Roman emperor (1792–1806) and, as Francis I, emperor of Austria (1804–35) (Figure 7 – stamp of Austria 1908 with Emperor Francis I); he was also, as Francis, king of Hungary (1792–1830) and king of Bohemia (1792–1836). Emperor was known as the “Flower Emperor” because of his love for gardening and exotic plants. Emperor Francis I, who had a great interest in nature and the natural sciences, added a new “animal cabinet” with exotic butterflies and other insects to the collection of natural history. Francis І understood that his subjects had to live not only politics and geopolitics. Since the future emperor was born in Florence (the capital of Renaissance), he appreciated art. He had an idea to create an art museum and a natural history museum in Vienna. The latter one was founded much later, but Emperor’s personal collections of rocks and butterflies, herbarium were the basis of its exhibits. For development of collection of natural history Emperor Francis I sent a group of renowned researchers to South America in 1817. These scientists collected a huge number of items during the expedition, including many tropical butterflies (Figure 8 – set stamps of Brazil 1979 with butterflies), and sent many of them back to Vienna.
Maximilian I (Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph Maria; 1832 – 1867) was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire (as one of the Habsburg family) (Figure 9 – stamp of Mexico 1866 with Emperor Maximilian I). After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy as its commander, he accepted an offer, conditional on a national plebiscite in his favour, by Napoleon III of France to rule Mexico. Emperor Maximilian I had a weird vision – Mexico would be the center of an empire that ultimately would stretch down through Central America, all the way to Argentina. But he did like butterflies and birds. Of the Mexican hummingbird, he said, “It is breath and sun,” named “huitzihlihuitl” … the Aztec word for “pure spirit.” “It is the only bird capable of flying backward,” he reports. Emperor Maximilian I was naturalist. Flying things attracted him and Maximilian collected butterflies (Figure 10 – stamp of Mexico 2005 with butterflies). Maximilian famously caught butterflies instead of attending to his crumbling empire. Maximilian’s “botanizing” and collecting butterflies was recorded by many sources close to him, including his wife Carlota.
Austro-Hungarian Emperor Francis Joseph I (1830-1916) was the last emperor from Habsburg dynasty (Figure 11 – stamp of Austria 2016 with Emperor Francis Joseph I). He reigned his empire for 68 years – from 1848, when the Spring of Nations began in Europe, until his death in 1916. The empire outlived him only by two years. Emperor Francis Joseph I wanted a place to enjoy the peace and solitude of exotic nature without having to venture far, therefore Emperor commissioned the construction of the Palm House in 1882. Architect Franz Segenschmid had his hands full: with a length of 111 meters, 2,500 square meters in area and 4,900 square meters of glass. The Palm House included various exotic plants and many species of butterflies. The Palm House in the Emperor palace park at Schonbrunn is the largest of its kind on the European continent (Figure 12 – stamp of United Nations/Vienna 1998 with Palm House). So Emperor had a glass greenhouse built at the corner of his palace court garden and filled it with butterflies.
In the mid-19th century, there was much interest in information on the natural sciences, and the encouragement of this interest was a concern of Emperor Francis Joseph I. On April 29, 1876, Emperor Francis Joseph I signed the document certifying the Natural History Court Museum and in the presence of the Emperor, the new Imperial Royal Natural History Court Museum was inaugurated on August 10, 1889 (Figure 13 – stamp of Austria 1983 with illustration of the building of the Natural History Museum in Vienna). The Lepidoptera-collection of the Museum of Natural History in Vienna (Figure 14 – special cancel of Austria 1999 with Museum of Natural History in Vienna and butterfly) represents one of the largest collections of butterflies and moths of the world. About 3.5 million mounted specimens and some hundred thousand papered samples are housed in nearly 11.000 drawers. The collection includes an estimated 40.000 type specimens which in fact are the most valuable representatives of species diversity.
Nature is a beautiful work of art created by God and butterflies are its ornaments. Let this tiny cute little creature fly and spread their colours across the world.
The Author is ready to help for philatelists in creating of philatelic exhibits on butterflies and moths. His address: Vladimir Kachan, street Kulibina 9-49, Minsk-52, BY-220052, Republic of Belarus, E-mail: vladimirkachan@mail.ru
Figures 1, 2, 3
Figures 4, 5,6
Figures 7, 8
Figures 9, 10, 11
Figures 12, 13
Figure 14
https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/Photo-Vladimir-Kachan-2-e1557932775770.jpg180127José Ramón Morenohttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngJosé Ramón Moreno2019-05-15 18:01:242019-05-15 18:08:40The Imperial Families of Habsburgs very loved of Butterflies
Minutes of the 2019 annual FEPA Board Meeting
From left to right, José Ramón Moreno, Giancarlo Morolli, Nicos Rangos, Alfred Kunz, Bojan Bračič, Birthe King and Ari Muhonen
Minutes of the annual FEPA Board Meeting
Lisbon March 16th 2019
Attendees: Jose Ramon Moreno, President, Giancarlo Morolli, Vice-President, Bojan Bračič, Secretary, Alfred Kunz, Treasurer, Birthe King, Ari Muhonen and Nicos Rangos, Directors.
Pedro Vaz Pereira welcomed all attendees on behalf of Portuguese Federation of Philately and wished a successful work.
Jose Ramon Moreno welcomed all the present Board members to the last meeting as FEPA President. He pointed out the great collaboration of the members doing a fantastic work and in a friendly and pleasant atmosphere all the time.
AGENDA
1 FEPA Awards. Report from GM
1.1 – Sometimes problems occurred because there are more good candidates for FEPA medal but under regulations medal can receive only one in each category. Mr Morolli will prepare a proposition on how to improve this with some changes of the awards guidelines. The idea is that proposal for one person may be prolonged to next two years.
After a report from Giancarlo Morolli and a brief discussion, because all received candidates were of high quality, the following decisions have been taken:
Certificates as finalists were awarded to (in alphabetical order of the countries):
Carlo Doria (Italy) as project coordinator of La Filatelia tematica racconta la Grande Guerra
Jeffrey Stone – Kaj Hellman (United Kingdom) for Agathon Faberge – Portrait of a Philatelist
Hans Vogels (Poland) for The Polish Post in the Free City Danzig 1920-1939. Part IV
Heinz Wewer (Germany) for Abgereist, ohne Angabe der Adresse
The FEPA Certificate of Appreciation for outstanding activities for the promotion of philately 2018 is awarded to (in alphabetical order of the countries):
– Associazione Italiana Storia Postale (AISP). Italy
– Stavanger Filatelist-Klub (SFK), Norway
– National Club of Collectors of the Registration Labels and Stamps, Poland
– The Philatelic Society of Ljubljana, Slovenia
All books are were donated to the Library of the Portuguese Philatelic Federation.
The FEPA board found out that some bigger federations (unions or associations) didn’t presented candidacies to awarding their clubs and societies.
2 – Review of the FEPA Golden Pin presented to Presidents of our members Federations, Associations or Unions and those to be presented along 2019.
All 16 Presidents of National Philatelic Federations, Unions or Association present at the FEPA Congress 2018 in Prague received their FEPA Golden Pin there. Others are receiving it in different FEPA events of their choice.
The historical Archive of FEPA will be keeping in premises of Royal Philatelic Society London.
3 – Provisional information about the 2018 FEPA Finances.
Treasurer Mr Kunz reported that present situation in FEPA finances is still improving and we hope that such situation will continue. For the FEPA Congress should be prepared report with reasons why the situation is so positive now. Fortunately some members of the FEPA board are making “donations” to the FEPA – not asking for refund of the cost of philatelic trips representing FEPA. The question is what will be with such system in the future.
Alfred Kunz received the congratulations and gratitude of the Board for the accuracy to which he keeps the FEPA accounts.
4 – FEPA Website.
Ari Muhonen reported that everything is settled in everything goes smoothly. Statistics shows that web site has more and more visitors. In 2018 editor Jose Ramon Moreno posted 108 news on it.
5 – FEPA News Magazine.
Jose Ramon Moreno explained procedure how FEPA News Magazine spring up. After the FEPA Congress in November 2019 FEPA News Magazine will get new editor so all of us most thinking about this changes, because we wish the same efficiency for the magazine also in future.
Bojan Bračič offer his help in printing and distribution of the magazine also in future although he will not be member of the FEPA board any more. Bojan Bračič was warmly thanked.
6 – FEPA Picture Postcard Regulations adopted by the FIP
FEPA Regulation for Picture Postcard exhibits have been adopted by FIP as experimental class for the time being. For this reasons we will wait with comments before suggested changes of the regulations. Mrs Birthe King is dealing with the O.C. of LONDON 2020 in order to have a new Seminar there of the Picture Postcard.
7 – Implementation of the FEPA SREV for Literature into the FIP.
Giancarlo Morolli explained benefits and problems at using new FEPA SREV for Literature Class.
Mr. Morolli presented a comprehensive and excellent “Philatelic Literature Report”.
Longer time as 10 years should be the limit for multi-volumes works.
Birthe King suggested that organizer of the exhibit should offer also one frame for display different data and details about exhibit in literature class.
8 – Incorporation to the FEPA Regulations the content of the motion on Modern Philately approved at the Congress in Prague
The FEPA Congress 2018 approved changes in the FEPA Regulations of Modern Philately. The Board has to include these changes in the Website and to inform the FEPA members with the Documents to be sent for the 2019 Congress.
9 – Matters to be followed as agreed at the Congress in Prague
Seminars for Youth philately as it was in Tampere – thinking where and when. Again Mrs Birthe King is very kindly dealing with the O.C. of LONDON 2020 in order to have a new Youth Seminar there.
FEPA President will send a letter to all FEPA members to prepare report of best practise in their countries and present it during the London 2020.
Seminar about printing techniques at printing Picture Postcards already promised in Prague 2018 can be realised at OSTROPA 2010 in Berlin.
10 – Review of the future FEPA Events with FEPA recognition.
Year 2019
Slovenija 2019, 28th – 31th March; Kamnik
Juvenia 2019 (Spain, France, Cuba), Burgos, Spain, 7th – 11th May
Nordia 2019, Sarpsborg, 23st – 25th August
Atlantic – Alpe Adria, Viana do Castelo, Portugal, 1st – 6th October
Bulgaria, Plovdiv, 17th – 20th October; Provisional FEPA Patronage – no further information
Ovebria 2019, Neustadt; Austria, 18th – 20th October
Exfilna, (Spain, Czech Republic, Germany) Santander, Spain 5th – 11th November
Multilaterale, Luxembourg 8th – 10th November
ECTP, Verona, Italy 22nd – 24th November
Monacophil 28th – 30th November – with FEPA Congress
Year 2020
London 2020, 2nd – 9th May
Ostropa, Berlin 25th – 29th June
Balkanfila 2020, Bucharest 17th -20th September
Ӧvebria 2020, St. Polten 2nd – 4th October
Year 2021
IBRA, Essen 6th – 9th May
Multilaterala, St. Polten 24th – 26th September
NOTOS 21, Athens 19th – 22nd November; FEPA Patronage
11 – Coordination of the FEPA Flags for the FEPA Exhibitions.
Bojan Bračič: Slovenia 2019, Plovdiv, Verona (Peter Suhadolc)
Birthe King: Nordia
Jose Ramon Moreno: Juvenia, Atlantic-Alpe Adria, Exfilna, FEPA Congress
Ari Muhonen: Nordia
Alfred Kunz: Ӧvebria, Multilaterale
12 – FEPA Congress and Elections of part of the Board at “MonacoPhil 2019”
At the next FEPA Congress part of the FEPA Board be change: President and Secretary can’t be candidates having finished their terms. It is also on election one Director. So, we are looking for the candidates for mentioned positions. FEPA members are welcome to send proposals to the FEPA secretary till the 29th of August (three months prior to the next Congress) at the latest.
All FEPA members will be informed of the details for the elections by e-mail, by the FEPA Website and in the printed magazine “FEPA News”.
13 – Next Year Board Meeting
Will be decided after the election of new FEPA Board members
14 – Any other matters
The Portuguese Philatelic Federation sent comments to the Regulation for Picture Postcards Exhibits.
As regulations was adopted from FIP short time ago, we recommended to wait a little with such comments.
Have been received a kind request for FEPA Recognition of an International Exhibition, from a member of another Continental Federation. According to the FEPA FREGEX, FEPA can give recognition, support or patronage only to its members. FEPA President will send mentioned explanation to the federation non FEPA member that asked for the FEPA Recognition.
Bojan Bračič
FEPA Secretary
At the end of the meeting, Mr. Pedro Vaz Pereira, President of the Portufuese Federation of Philately and Mr. Rui Alves, member of the PFP Board meet the members of the FEPA Board
The Use of Picture Postcards in Open Philately
There has been some misunderstanding about the use of Picture Postcards in Open Philately, both among judges and often questions for clarification in seminars.
I thought it might be useful to ask the Bernard Jimenez, FIP Board member and Chairman of the Working Group who drew up the Open Philately Guidelines. He replied very clearly: “Picture postcards are non-philatelic material and count as such on Open philately.”
To summarise, an Open Philately exhibit must have at lest 50% philatelic material, which includes any item that is permitted in any other class or category, while the non-philatelic material may include up to 50%.
For further details, please see the FIP website with the brief, easily accessible 3-page guidelines. https://www.f-i-p.ch/regulations/
Birthe King
The Imperial Families of Habsburgs very loved of Butterflies
THE IMPERIAL FAMILIES OF HABSBURGS VERY LOVED OF BUTTERFLIES
Vladimir Kachan, Belarus
One of the most beautiful creatures to grace the earth is the butterfly. These tiny little flying creatures are known for their beautiful vibrant colours and we all just can’t take our eyes off them! Gardens and their butterflies were much loved by the Imperial Families of Habsburgs.
The Habsburgs were elected Emperors from 1438 to 1916. In the age of divine monarchs, kings and emperors such as the Habsburgs claimed that God himself had ordained them to rule with unquestioned authority. The Habsburgs were one of a handful of royal families who ruled nearly all of Europe until World War I. The Habsburgs ruled as Holy Roman Emperors, and they had some fancy jewels to prove it.
The Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia Rudolf II (1552–1612) was one of the most important patrons of art from the House of Habsburg (Figure 1 – stamp of Czechoslovakia 1983 with Emperor Rudolf II). Politics was not a great interest of his. Instead he was familiar with a number of languages and was devoted to art and science, including natural history. He was a passionate and enthusiastic collector and he spared no pains in acquiring objects that fired his imagination. Emperor Rudolph II collected everything in the world, but in addition to his other curious interests, he was a passionate collector of butterflies (Figure 2 – stamp of Czech Republic 1997 with Emperor Rudolf II and butterfly). He resided in the castle of Prague where his collection took the shape of a Kunstkamera, a chamber of curiosities that reflected the richness and diversity of the universe in microcosm. Paintings and decorative arts were displayed alongside scientific instruments and exotic animal specimens. Rudolph could spend hours in rapt contemplation of his pictures, sculptures, natural history specimens and curios. The whole collection constituted a microcosmos in which things from earth, sea and air (minerals, plants and animals), naturalia, were displayed together with things made by man, artificialia. The naturalia included many exotic, odd and fantastic items. The study of these items was considered the best way into an understanding of Nature’s secrets. The collection also included hundreds of species of various butterflies of amazing beauty. A botanical and zoological garden were also part of the collection, with live animals supplementing all the skeletons and taxidermic (stuffed) creatures. This comprehensive collection was also intended to symbolise the power of the Emperor. Control over the microcosmos collection would indicate his omnipotence over his empire, the macrocosmos. The collection was part of a political manifestation. It was very famous, and the Emperor’s guests often arrived in Prague bringing precious gifts in the hope of being allowed to see it. But by no means all of them were granted admittance to the Arts-and-Curiosity Cabinet (Kunstkamera) during Rudolph’s own lifetime. However in 1648, during the Thirty Years’ War in Europe the Prague castle Hradcany was looted by the Swedes and most of the values of the Swedes were taken, and a unique collection of Rudolph’s butterflies, as superfluous, was simply thrown out.
Francis I (Franz Stefan von Lorraine 1708 – 1765) was Holy Roman Emperor in 1745-1765 and Grand Duke of Tuscany (Figure 3 – post card of Austria 1930 with Emperor Francis I). Emperor had great interest in the natural sciences. He loved botany, cataloging plants and flowers and catching butterflies. He liked collecting butterflies, more pleasing in the pursuit than in the pinning down (Figure 4 – stamp of Austria 2005 with butterfly). The zoo and botanical garden were not the only expensive pursuits of Emperor Francis I. In 1750 he had bought one of the greatest collections of natural history objects known in Europe. It consisted of about 30 000 specimens of minerals, shells, crustaceans and butterflies.
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (1717 – 1780) was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg (Figure 5 – stamp of Austria 1908 with Empress Maria Theresa). She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Transylvania, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma. By marriage, she was Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany and Holy Roman Empress, wife of Emperor Francis I. Maria Theresa understood the importance of her public persona and was able to simultaneously evoke both esteem and affection from her subjects. She ruled from Vienna. Schonbrunn Palace was the imperial summer residence and became a glamorous focus of court life. Butterflies feature in the vivid murals in Schonbrunn Palace commissioned by Empress Maria Theresa and painted by the famous 18th-century Bohemian ornamentalist painter Johann Wenzel Bergl. Following the death of Franz I his collection of natural history objects was developed by Maria Theresa. Her Empress cabinet of natural history had graced very expensive Morpho butterflies (Figure 6 – stamp of Brazil 1971 with Blue Morpho butterfly) with beautiful shiny blue wings, which have always been prized by extremely wealthy collectors.
Francis II (1768 – 1835) was the last Holy Roman emperor (1792–1806) and, as Francis I, emperor of Austria (1804–35) (Figure 7 – stamp of Austria 1908 with Emperor Francis I); he was also, as Francis, king of Hungary (1792–1830) and king of Bohemia (1792–1836). Emperor was known as the “Flower Emperor” because of his love for gardening and exotic plants. Emperor Francis I, who had a great interest in nature and the natural sciences, added a new “animal cabinet” with exotic butterflies and other insects to the collection of natural history. Francis І understood that his subjects had to live not only politics and geopolitics. Since the future emperor was born in Florence (the capital of Renaissance), he appreciated art. He had an idea to create an art museum and a natural history museum in Vienna. The latter one was founded much later, but Emperor’s personal collections of rocks and butterflies, herbarium were the basis of its exhibits. For development of collection of natural history Emperor Francis I sent a group of renowned researchers to South America in 1817. These scientists collected a huge number of items during the expedition, including many tropical butterflies (Figure 8 – set stamps of Brazil 1979 with butterflies), and sent many of them back to Vienna.
Maximilian I (Ferdinand Maximilian Joseph Maria; 1832 – 1867) was the only monarch of the Second Mexican Empire (as one of the Habsburg family) (Figure 9 – stamp of Mexico 1866 with Emperor Maximilian I). After a distinguished career in the Austrian Navy as its commander, he accepted an offer, conditional on a national plebiscite in his favour, by Napoleon III of France to rule Mexico. Emperor Maximilian I had a weird vision – Mexico would be the center of an empire that ultimately would stretch down through Central America, all the way to Argentina. But he did like butterflies and birds. Of the Mexican hummingbird, he said, “It is breath and sun,” named “huitzihlihuitl” … the Aztec word for “pure spirit.” “It is the only bird capable of flying backward,” he reports. Emperor Maximilian I was naturalist. Flying things attracted him and Maximilian collected butterflies (Figure 10 – stamp of Mexico 2005 with butterflies). Maximilian famously caught butterflies instead of attending to his crumbling empire. Maximilian’s “botanizing” and collecting butterflies was recorded by many sources close to him, including his wife Carlota.
Austro-Hungarian Emperor Francis Joseph I (1830-1916) was the last emperor from Habsburg dynasty (Figure 11 – stamp of Austria 2016 with Emperor Francis Joseph I). He reigned his empire for 68 years – from 1848, when the Spring of Nations began in Europe, until his death in 1916. The empire outlived him only by two years. Emperor Francis Joseph I wanted a place to enjoy the peace and solitude of exotic nature without having to venture far, therefore Emperor commissioned the construction of the Palm House in 1882. Architect Franz Segenschmid had his hands full: with a length of 111 meters, 2,500 square meters in area and 4,900 square meters of glass. The Palm House included various exotic plants and many species of butterflies. The Palm House in the Emperor palace park at Schonbrunn is the largest of its kind on the European continent (Figure 12 – stamp of United Nations/Vienna 1998 with Palm House). So Emperor had a glass greenhouse built at the corner of his palace court garden and filled it with butterflies.
In the mid-19th century, there was much interest in information on the natural sciences, and the encouragement of this interest was a concern of Emperor Francis Joseph I. On April 29, 1876, Emperor Francis Joseph I signed the document certifying the Natural History Court Museum and in the presence of the Emperor, the new Imperial Royal Natural History Court Museum was inaugurated on August 10, 1889 (Figure 13 – stamp of Austria 1983 with illustration of the building of the Natural History Museum in Vienna). The Lepidoptera-collection of the Museum of Natural History in Vienna (Figure 14 – special cancel of Austria 1999 with Museum of Natural History in Vienna and butterfly) represents one of the largest collections of butterflies and moths of the world. About 3.5 million mounted specimens and some hundred thousand papered samples are housed in nearly 11.000 drawers. The collection includes an estimated 40.000 type specimens which in fact are the most valuable representatives of species diversity.
Nature is a beautiful work of art created by God and butterflies are its ornaments. Let this tiny cute little creature fly and spread their colours across the world.
The Author is ready to help for philatelists in creating of philatelic exhibits on butterflies and moths. His address: Vladimir Kachan, street Kulibina 9-49, Minsk-52, BY-220052, Republic of Belarus, E-mail: vladimirkachan@mail.ru
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