Souvenir sheets issued in 1939 – 1940 to support Czechoslovak
participation in EXPO in New York
A lot of collectors knows the souv. sheets, but only few of them
know their history . On the days of their issuance they were prohibited in
Protectorate Bohemia and Moravia as well as in Slovak Republic, because they
commemorated Czechoslovakia and the country should be forgotten as per wishes
of Nazis governing the territory of former Czechoslovakia. After 1945 the souv.
sheets were not widely collected, because majority of collectors was influenced
by phil. journals saying the issue is a private one done to earn money from
average collectors. And when the Communist period of Czechoslovak history
started in 1948, it was ”the best kept secret” that such sheets exist, because
they were connected with people, which the new regime hated .
On other side there exist collectors interested in the material
saying that the sheets have been issued to promote right thing, that means
presentation of Czechoslovakia at the moment, when the country was occupied by
Nazis and that the issue has been approved by Czechoslovak exile authorities.
So, someone loves the sheets and someone hates them !
To make you more friendly with the souv. sheets, you will find here
few articles about them. This presentation was caused by my Dutch friend
I don ´t want to make the presentation as ultimate source of
information about the issue and to change someone ´s opinion on them, the final
decision about their acceptance must be done by the visitor. Enjoy this tour !
Back to history - memories of a young man
Review
of book of Mr. Dissen (in German) - Buchbesprechung in der deutschen Sprache
What knew Americans about Czechoslovakia in 1939 ?
Czechoslovak participation at New York World´s Fair in New
York 1939 - 1940
