Ostropa 1935

Many collectors of 'the German Empire' stamps have the 'Ostropa 1935' stamp block on their wish list. This block was issued on the occasion of the Osteuropäischen Briefmarken-Ausstellung, which was held at Königsberg Castle in East Prussia. The exhibition took place from June 23 to July 3, 1935. During the exhibition, the blocks were for sale at the price of 1,70 Reichsmark, including an admission ticket. The design of the block was by Professor Dr. Franz Marten. The stamp block was printed in an edition of 162.700 copies using four-color printing. The images on the four stamps were applied in four printing runs, which sometimes resulted in the stamps ending up slightly shifted relative to one another within the block. A watermark was applied to the stamp paper: OSTROPA and 1935, clearly visible. Furthermore, the four stamps also feature a watermark in the shape of a cross, the German Order Cross. Catalogues strongly advised against keeping the 'mint' block. The reason was that the gum used on the block sometimes contained a high concentration of sulfuric acid, causing the stamp paper to turn brown and become damaged. Therefore, it was recommended to remove the original gum. If blocks are offered 'with full gum,' one must bear in mind that the original gum was replaced by a different layer of gum much later. Furthermore, the stamp paper may appear very white, which is also a sign that a bleaching agent may have been used. Untreated blocks can be recognized by the brownish color of the paper where the gum has been removed. The images of the stamps were described as follows: 3 Pfennig: Allenstein Castle with the map of East Prussia in the background. 6 Pfennig: The Tannenberg Memorial with the Imperial Eagle in the background. The monument was erected to commemorate the German soldiers killed during the Battle of Tannenberg in present-day Poland from August 26 to August 31, 1914. 12 Pfennig: Königsberg Castle with the heraldic shield of East Prussia in the background. 25 Pfennig: Heilsberg Castle with an oak leaf in the background. In the temporary post office that was open during the exhibition, various stamps were used to stamp the blocks. The most frequently used stamp featured an adjustable date and time indicator with an image of a knight. Furthermore, two special stamps were used. One with the text Cranz-Rossitten Schiffspost on June 27, 1935, and the other with the text Schiffspost Grosses Moosbruch on June 30, 1935. The impressions must be in black ink. Red and green impressions were not officially applied by the postal service. Also for sale was a sealing stamp featuring an image of the Rominte Hunting Lodge, the former hunting lodge of Emperor Wilhelm II, built of wood in the Norwegian style on the Rominter Heath. Due to the rarity of the block, reprints were produced as facsimiles, both unstamped and stamped with the stamp depicting the knight. The blocks are printed on bright white paper and the watermark is also applied in print. In 1944, during the Second World War, the castle, Königsberger Schloss, was severely damaged by bombing. The castle burned down completely. In 1968, the ruins were blown up and cleared away on the orders of Leonid Brezhnev. Königsberg is now Russian and has been given a new name: Kaliningrad.