Many thanks to J. Hegner
for the nice cover and the beautiful postcard
he kindly sent to
World Philatelia
There are two stamps on the cover. The first, on the left, is coming from the three post stamps Definitive Issue "Flowers" (issued 7.7.2005). The second is coming from the three stamps sets "Sports - Charity stamps" (issued 12.04.2012).
Tagetes erecta
Tagetes erecta, the Mexican marigold, also called
Aztec marigold, is a species of the genus Tagetes native to Mexico and Central
America. Despite its being native to the Americas, it is often called African
marigold. In Mexico, this plant is found in the wild in the states of San Luis
Potosí, Chiapas, State of México, Puebla, Sinaloa, Tlaxcala, and Veracruz. This
plant reaches heights of between 50–100 cm (20–39 in). The Aztecs gathered the
wild plant as well as cultivating it for medicinal, ceremonial and decorative
purposes. It is widely cultivated commercially with many cultivars in use as
ornamental plants, and for the cut-flower trade.
UEFA Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Championship, commonly referred
to as Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football
teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 July
2012, was co-hosted for the first time by Poland and Ukraine, and was won by
Spain, who beat Italy 4–0 in the final at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine.
Poland and Ukraine's bid was chosen by UEFA's
Executive Committee in 2007. The two host teams qualified automatically while
the remaining 14 finalists were decided through a qualifying competition,
featuring 51 teams, from August 2010 to November 2011. This was the last
European Championship to employ the 16-team finals format in use since 1996;
from Euro 2016 onward, it will be expanded to 24 finalists. Euro 2012 was
played at eight venues, four in each host country. Five new stadiums were built
for the tournament, and the hosts invested heavily in improving infrastructure
such as railways and roads at UEFA's request. Euro 2012 set attendance records
for the 16-team format, for the highest aggregate attendance (1,440,896) and average
per game (46,481).
Spain became the first team to win two consecutive
European Championships, and also three straight major tournaments (Euro 2008,
2010 World Cup and Euro 2012).
Bremen Roland
Bremen Roland
The Bremen Roland is a statue of Roland, erected in
1404. It stands in the market square (Rathausplatz) of Bremen, Germany, facing
the cathedral, and shows Roland, paladin of the first Holy Roman Emperor
Charlemagne and hero of the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. Roland is shown as
protector of the city: his legendary sword (known in chivalric legend as
Durendal) is unsheathed, and his shield is emblazoned with the two-headed
Imperial eagle.
The standing figure is 5.47 m tall, and stands on a 60
cm rostrum. A supporting column, crowned by a baldachin, brings the combined
height to 10.21 m. The statue was carved in limestone from Elm, and was
commissioned by the city fathers to replace a wooden one burnt in 1366 by
Prince-Archbishop Albert II. It confronts the church as a representation of
city rights opposed to the territorial claims of the prince-archbishop.
Statues of Roland appear in numerous cities of the
former Holy Roman Empire, as emblems of city liberties, Stadtrechte.[1] The
Roland statue at Bremen is the oldest surviving example. From Bremen the symbol
of civic liberty and freedom spread to other cities and has become a symbol of
the new Europe. Since 1973, it is protected by the monument protection act.[2]
In July 2004, along with the town hall, the statue was added to the list of
UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
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The legend
According to legend, Bremen will remain free and
independent for as long as Roland stands watch over the city. For this reason,
it is alleged that a second Roland statue is kept hidden in the town hall's
underground vaults, which can be quickly installed as a substitute, should the
original fall.
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