We're back to Karl Marx Allee the onetime showcase of East Germany. In those days it was still known as Stalin Allee and it was the grand boulevard for those that lived in East Berlin, with lots of fancy specialty shops. Most of them are gone now, but the facade of this old stamp collecting shop remains - a relic of the past. For more signs, visit Signs, Signs.
kind of a dying collectible.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many people collect stamps these days.
ReplyDeleteOne wonders if a new use can be found for the place.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the former GDR's stamps were beautiful. 'Twas an attempt to make the country attractive IMO.
ReplyDeleteVery nostalgic.
ReplyDeleteIt's always so interesting to see these reminders of past times Hal, stamp collecting used to be big.. I guess with most people using email these days eventually it'll die out altogether, such a shame really.
ReplyDeletewow, that's so interesting! i don't know if i told you this before but my great grandfather came from berlin...his name was maximillian von wille. i'm wondering if there are many "von wille"s there? i'm having trouble finding much on him here. they changed his name to wille over here.
ReplyDeleteAn old fashioned sign...
ReplyDeleteThis is fascinating! Don't hear much about stamp collecting these days. I had several collections as a youth but was never ardent about it. I wonder what happened to those books?
ReplyDeleteVery interesting, as has been this entire series you've shown. I can imagine how grand it must have looked back in its day.
ReplyDelete~Lindy
I'm with the other comments. This has to be a dying hobby.
ReplyDeleteA great piece of heritage.
ReplyDeleteI like how the sign fits perfectly over the window and door.
ReplyDeleteI used to collect stamps with my Dad when I was a kid. It is sad to think its a dying hobby. A sign for the times.....
ReplyDeleteOkay, I'll be the odd one out - I still (or more correctly, again) collect stamps! There are a few of us around,
ReplyDeleteand I just bought myself an old stamp album from Value Village with nice gold lettering on the cover - Briefmarken! I was so excited to find it.
DeleteThat's a funny coincidence!
DeleteI visited East Germany during the communist era and have been back since and it's interesting to see how much has changed but how much has stayed the same in some places. I actually found it quite disorientating going back to some places.
ReplyDeleteHow strange that a stamp shop would sustain a viable trade at any time. Maybe because of limited mobility in east Berlin it may have had a following. Love all those windows and reflections.
ReplyDeleteThis shop was considered a luxury shop during the DDR times. Only people with cash money could shop here. It's no longer open today, but they've left the facade and sign up.
DeleteThanks for the translation! I was clueless (well that's not new).
ReplyDeleteTom The Backroads Traveller