Bandung Conference and Non-Aligned Movement (Indonesia, Serbia)

In 1955 African and Asian countries came together in Bandung for the Asian African Conference. The conference was organised by Indonesia, Burma, Pakistan, Ceylon and India. Its aims were the strengthening of economic cooperation between Africa and Asia and the rejection of colonialism. 

Most of the participating countries were newly independent. The participating countries were the Kingdom of Afghanistan, Burma, the Kingdom of Cambodia, Ceylon, the People's Republic of China, pre-independent Cyprus, the Republic of Egypt, the Ethiopian Empire, the Gold Coast, India, Indonesia, Iran, the Kingdom of Iraq, Japan, Jordan, the Kingdom of Laos, Lebanon, Liberia, the Kingdom of Libya, the Kingdom of Nepal, the Dominion of Pakistan, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, the Syrian Republic, Sudan, Thailand, Turkey, Yugoslavia, the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, the State of Vietnam and the Mutawakkilite Kingdom of Yemen.

A Second Bandung Conference was held in 2005 and a third in 2015. The conference was an important step toward the Non-Aligned Movement.

The Non-Aligned Movement was founded in Belgrade in 1961. The Non-Aligned Movement refused the forming of power blocs during the Cold War and supported the peaceful coexistence. In 2012 the movement had 120 members.

The Temporary Capital Kaunas (Lithuania)

In 1918 an independent Lithuanian state was formed, but the traditional Lithuanian capital Vilnius was already captured by Polish troops in 1920. So Kaunas became the temporary capital of Lithuania and soon evolved into a new cultural centre of the country. During that time many Lithuanians came back from other European countries with new ideas. Kaunas' time as capital was over when Lithuania joined the Soviet Union in 1940.

The Kaunas of 1919-1940 was awarded the European Heritage Label in 2014.

The Peace of Westphalia (Germany, Poland)

The Peace of Westphalia contains various peace treaty closed in the Town Halls of Münster and Osnabrück in 1648. It ended the Thirty Years' War and the Dutch War of Independence. The previous peace congress was the first congress where nearly all European powers were involved. Owing to the Peace of Westphalia various borders in Europe were shifted, the independence of the Netherlands and Switzerland were recognised and the Catholic and Evangelical confessions were equated.

Due to this event Osnabrück and Münster got the European Heritage Label in 2014.

After the Peace of Westphalia the Protestants of Silesia were also allowed to built three Churches of Peace.

The Church of Peace in Świdnica was constructed between August 1656 and June 1657. It is a timber-framed building as only wood, clay and straw were allowed be used for the construction and not bricks. It also had to be built within one year. Today it is one of the largest timber-framed religious buildings in Europe.

The other two churches were built in Głogów and Jawor. The Churches of Peace in Jawor and Świdnica are since 2001 on the UNESCO World Heritage List, while the one in Głogów burned down in 1758.

The Struve Geodetic Arc (Belarus, Estonia)

The Struve Geodetic Arc runs from the Black Sea to the northern coast of Norway. It was built on the initiative of Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve between 1810 and 1865 and should measure the size and the shape of the earth. The arc is 2820 km long and is a exceptional example for the cooperation of scientists and monarchs of different countries for a scientific aim. It marked an important step in the development of earth sciences and topographic mapping. When it was built, it passed through just two countries, the Union of Sweden-Norway and the Russian Empire, but today it passes through ten countries. 

Since 2005 is the Struve Geodetic Arc a transnational UNESCO World Heritage Site in Belarus, Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Russia, Sweden, Ukraine.

In 2011 Estonia issued a souvenir sheet about the Struve Geodetic Arc. The two stamps in the sheet show Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve and the Tartu Observatory, the first reference point of the arc.

25 years German Unity (Germany)

After the big protests of 1989 and the Fall of the Berlin Wall the last year of the German Democratic Republic began.

On 18 March 1990 the first free elections for the People's Chamber were held. The winning Alliance for Germany planned the fast reunification of Germany. In May the negotiations between the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Democratic Republic, France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the USA began, which resulted in the signing of the Two Plus Four Agreement on 12th September renouncing all rights the victorious powers held in Germany. In July the two German states went in currency, economic and social union. On 23rd August the People's Chamber decided the accession to the Federal Republic of Germany. On 3rd October 1990 East and West Germany finally celebrated the German Reunification after 41 years of division, this date is still today a national holiday in the united Germany.

25 years German Unity: The Protests of 1989 (Germany)

1989 many things changed in the German Democratic Republic. In spring civil rights activists were able to ascertain vote fixing during the local elections. Many protests followed and 1989 became the last year of 40 years Socialist government.

In summer more and more citizens of the GDR tried to left the Eastern bloc via Hungary or West German embassies in Prague, Budapest or Warsaw. 

The Federal Republic of Germany was able to negotiate the departure to West Germany in September, but the refugees had to go by train via the GDR. Some people were also able to jump on the trains and at the Dresden Hauptbahnhof big protests demanded the right of departure.

Also in Leipzig the protests against the Socialist Government became bigger and bigger. Every Monday the demonstrators met.
Of the St. Nicholas Church, which was very important during this "Peaceful Revolt", I got some cards. The first one I got last year with matching stamp about the 20th anniversary (issued 08-10-2009)of the revolt and special postmark about the 25th anniversary. The other two cards I bought when I recently visited Leipzig.

On 4th November 500000 demonstrators met in Berlin and on 9th November a new law allowed the departure from the GDR. Soon the the inner German border was stormed and after a few hours the Berlin Wall fell.
Last year I got two special postmark about this important event and I was also able to get the stamp from the Vatican (issued 28-08-2014).

Tomorrow the third part will follow about the events after the Fall of the Berlin Wall.

Hiroshima, Nagasaki and the End of World War II (Japan)

6th August 1945, 8:16

70 years ago an air plane started from an island in the Pacific Ocean, on board the atomic bomb "Little Boy", its destination the Japanese city Hiroshima. The bomb was dropped shortly after. Between 70000 and 80000 inhabitants of the city were immediately dead, many more died later. 80% of the city were destroyed. It was the first military use of an atomic bomb in the World's History. 

The Genbaku Dome was the only standing structure after the dropping of the nuclear bomb and is still preserved in the same state. Since 1996 is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Three days after the destruction of Hiroshima also Nagasaki was destroyed by an atomic bomb. 50% of the city were destroyed and around 36000 inhabitants died immediately. Japan capitulated some days later. World War II was finally over.

The Nagasaki Peace Park opened in 1955.