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 Eckart Dissen, who wrote a book ”The Issues of Czechoslovakia for 1939 / 1940 New York World´s Fair“ .

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