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Castles on Postage Stamps
Castles have always signified a time of the past and reflect the significant history of the countries in which they are built. Postage stamps have captured the allure in their depictions of different castles from various nations. Kronberg Castle in Elsinore, north of Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark has featured prominently on Danish stamp. It was represented in 1985 to celebrate its four hundredth anniversary. This stamp features the castle, seen from Sweden, across the Oresund. Prior to this release, Kronberg was featured in a series of stamps issued in 1920, at the occasion of the reuniting of Southern Jutland with Denmark after the 1864 war with Germany. Originally issued in red, it was re-issued in 1921 in green colour. In 1969, the castle was represented from a completely different angle, when approaching Elsinore from the south. This stamp was a commemorative of the fiftieth anniversary of the Danish organization ‘ Dansk Samvirke’, which works for a close network between Danish commercial companies abroad. The British playwright, William Shakespeare, used the castle as the setting for his world famous play Hamlet which is still performed open air each summer in the inner courtyard of the castle, attracting thousands of tourists. Ghana tourists must have been amongst the public.
In 1994, Ghana issued a set of nine stamps for the Pan African Theatre Festival, containing theatre castles around the world, Denmark included. The Ghana stamp features a distinct aerial view of Kronberg castle showing the inner courtyard clearly. The blue water in the background is Oresund, the narrow strait which separates Denmark and Sweden.
Germany released stamps featuring the castles of Augustburg and Falkenlust at Bruhl in 1997. Set in an idyllic garden landscape, Augustburg Castle, the sumptuous residence of the prince-archbishops of Cologne, and the Falkenlust hunting lodge, a small rural folly, are amongst the earliest examples of Rococo architecture in 18th century Germany. In 1966, the German Democratic Republic issued stamps depicting Wartburg Castle. Germany followed suit in 2001 with stamps showing Wartburg Castle blending superbly into its forest surroundings. Sometimes regarded as the ‘ideal castle’, it contains some original sections from the feudal period but the outline it acquired in the 19th century reconstitution is a splendid evocation of what this fortress may have been at the peak of its military power.
In 1969, Great Britain issued a commemorative set of five stamps for the occasion of the investiture of His Royal Highness, the Prince of Wales. Three of the stamps show different views of Caernarfon Castle including the King’s Gate, the Eagle Tower and Queen Eleanor’s Gate. This castle was designed for King Edward I and built between 1283 and 1289. Another stamp, issued in 1978, depicts Caernarfon Castle. This stamp was released to celebrate British Architecture in Historic buildings.With the emergence of the independent state of Czechoslovakia following World War I, the first stamp for the new state showed an image of Hradcany Castle. This castle, situated on the slope of a mountain near the river dominates the city of Prague. Traditionally, it had been the seat of Czech rulers and was, therefore, ideal to represent regained independence.
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