Albrecht von Wallenstein in Prague and Güstrow (Czech Republic, Germany)

Albrecht von Wallenstein, born in 1583, was a Bohemian military leader and politician. During the Thirty Years' War he fought alongside the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand II and became the supreme commander of the armies of the Habsburg Monarchy. He later fell in disgrace and was assassinated in Eger in 1634 with the emperor's approval. After the death he was immortalised by various plays and pieces of literature including Friedrich Schiller's trilogy of plays "Wallenstein".

Wallenstein commissioned the construction of the Wallenstein Palace. It is the first monumental secular Baroque building in Prague and remained in the Wallenstein family until 1945. After World War II the palace became Czechoslovak state property and now houses the Czech Senate.

14.10.2016

In compensation for Wallenstein's help and money he gained as a reward from the Emperor the Duchies of Mecklenburg, whose hereditary dukes suffered expulsion for having helped the Danish king. This awarding of a major territory to someone of the lower nobility shocked the high-born rulers of many other German states. Güstrow Palace became the residence of Wallenstein between 1628 and 1630.

950 years Minsk (Belarus)

Minsk was first mentioned in 1067 and in 1499 it got town privileges. Under Russian rule in the 19th century the city became a railway and manufacturing hub. In 1919 it became the capital of the Belorussian SSR, one of the founding republics of the Soviet Union. Since 1991 is Minsk the capital of Belarus and the administrative centre of the Commonwealth of Independent States. 

In 2014 it hosted the IIHF World Championship and in 2019 it will host the European Games. In 2017 Minsk celebrates the 950th anniversary of its first written reference.

Die Weser, the Dawn of German Shipbuilding (Germany)

Die Weser was the first steam ship constructed by a German shipbuilder. It was launched on 31st December 1816 and commissioned in May 1817. Until it was decommissioned in 1833, it connected Bremen and Brake. 

To commemorate 200 years since the launching of Die Weser a special stamp was issued in Germany on 8th December 2016.

An Insight in Ancient Roman Life (Italy)

Pompeii was a flourishing ancient Roman town with a complex water system, an amphitheatre, a gymnasium and a port. In 79 AD the town was destroyed during an eruption of Mount Vesuvius and was buried under tons of ash. Pliny the Younger described the catastrophe in a letter. 

In 1599 Pompeii was rediscovered and since the 18th century it has been progressively excavated and made accessible to the public. It provides an extraordinarily detailed insight into the life of the city, as its artefacts were preserved for centuries due to the lack of air and moisture. 

Pompeii is today one of the most visited sights of Italy. The Archaeological Areas of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Torre Annunziata are since 1997 on the UNESCO World Heritage List.