My first card from Switzerland! (Or actually it was sent through the German postage system, maybe it is because the user lived near the border of Switzerland and Germany, therefore he collected Swiss stamps that were released long long time ago) The postcard shows Stein am Rhein, a town in Switzerland. The town has a well-preserved medieval centre, retaining the ancient street plan. The site of the city wall, and the city gates are preserved. Many of the medieval buildings are painted beautifully. And the river at the middle is the Rhine river.

On the stamp, Helvetia refers to the female national personification of Switzerland. And the Swiss continues to use the name. The full name is Confoederatio Helvetica, which is from Latin. Therefore the abbreviation for Switzerland is CH. The first stamp, seems was really released in 1969. Comptoir Suisse is an event for exhibitiors to showcase their products. And Lausanne is the 5th largest city in Switzerland. This stamp was released to celebrate the 50th anniversity of the event.

And the yellow stamp was released in 1967, seems. It was released because of EFTA – European Free Trade Association. The association was founded in 1960. Switzerland was one of the country which founded the organization. The word “Efta-Handel: Zollfrei” means Duty Free shops. The other words mean similar thing, like EFTA Duty Free products, etc.

The other stamps were also released in 1967. They are from the series, Pro Patria – Water Mills conservation. Pro Patria is an charitable organization in Switzerland. Its purpose is to give meaning to the Swiss national holiday, August 1, by collecting donations to the benefit of social and cultural works of national public interest. And they received donations by selling postage stamps. And these two stamps, seems the content is from Bible. The blue one was titled Joseph on the throne. The green one was titled Proclamation to the shepherds.

And the last one was a German stamp released in 2013. It is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Fehmarnsund Bridge(Fehmarn Sound Bridge). It was declared as an historic monument in 1999.