The Szekula Family of Stamp Dealers

This website is dedicated to the Hungarian born stamp dealers Béla, Géza, Eugen and Frank Szekula. Each one of them ran his own stamp business with emphasis on international stamp trade, most likely driven by money rather than the love of stamps. All four assumed Swiss nationality and were at one time based in Lucerne. Especially Béla’s creative business ideas provoked more than one philatelic scandal during his career. However, the history of philately would arguably be poorer without the Szekula brothers.

© 2018–2022            Contributors: Max Brack — Albert Little — David Rossall — Bob Medland

Hermann Wiederhold

 
Ocean Stamp advertisement
Spring offer: 500 st. for CHF 2.50
(Berner Schulblatt 1936/1937)
Hermann Alexander Paul Wiederhold, son of Paul Ernst Hermann Wiederhold and Hermeline Wilhelmine Dölling Harmsen, was born in Hamburg on April 2, 1881. On November 15, 1906 Hermann Wiederhold married Mathilde Christine Müller at Gießen, Hesse, Germany. Working for Béla in Budapest since at least 1905 he became his closest comrade-in-arms for the next three decades, and an officer with Prokura in both Béla’s own company as well as the Cosmophilatelist A.G. founded in 1931. When Béla left the Cosmophilatelist A.G. in April 1935 business continued under this name for a couple more months, but in January 1936 the company was re-branded as Ocean Stamp Ltd. with Wiederhold as director — a position he would hold for the next twelve years. Finally having his own stamp company must have meant a lot to him: Even after Ocean Stamp Ltd. was liquidated in January 1948 the address books of Lucerne continued to state his occupation as director of Ocean Stamp up to the 1960s. Hermann Wiederhold died in Lucerne on February 3, 1967.


Postcard — April 30, 1936

Sent on April 30, 1936 by Ocean Stamp Ltd. to Bäretswil.

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Scans provided by David Rossall.


Cover — June 30, 1936

In January 1936, several months after Béla had resigned from the board, the Cosmophilatelist A.G. Luzern was renamed to „Ozean“ Briefmarken AG. Twelve years later, in January 1948, the company was liquidated.

Registered cover sent on June 30, 1936 from Ringsted, Denmark to Ocean Stamp Ltd. in Lucerne.
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Cover — July 17, 1936

Sent on July 17, 1936, from Berlin, Germany, to Ocean Stamp Ltd. in Lucerne.

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Scan provided by David Rossall.


Cover — October 9, 1936

Sent on October 9, 1936, from Wormerveer, Netherlands, to Ocean Stamp Ltd. in Lucerne.

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Scan provided by David Rossall.


Cover — November 17, 1936

Printed matter sent on November 17, 1936 by Ocean Stamp Ltd. to Reykjavik, Iceland.

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Cover — May 4, 1937

Sent on May 4, 1937 from Chaumont, Haute-Marne, France to Ocean Stamp Ltd. in Lucerne.

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Postcard — May 18, 1937

Sent on May 18, 1937 from Budapest, Hungary to Lucerne.

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Cover — June 3, 1937

Sent registered on June 3, 1937 from Lucerne to Basel and, after being unclaimed for 10 days, returned to sender.

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Cover — June 30, 1937

Registered cover sent on June 30, 1937 from Château-Salins, France to Ocean Stamp Ltd. in Lucerne.

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Cover — July 12, 1937

Sent on July 12, 1937 from Zurich to Ocean Stamp Ltd. in Lucerne.

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Cover — August 30, 1937

Registered cover sent on August 30, 1937 from Trmice, Czechoslovakia, to Ocean Stamp Ltd. in Lucerne.

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Postcard — June 9, 1938

Sent on June 9, 1938 from stamp dealer Karl Klemenc in Innsbruck, occupied Austria, to his friend Hermann Wiederhold in Lucerne.

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Cover — November 10, 1938

Sent on November 10, 1938 by Ocean Stamp Ltd. to Wenatchee, Washinton, USA.

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Cover — April 11, 1939

Sent on April 11, 1939 by Ocean Stamp Ltd. to Brooklyn, New York City, USA.

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Cover — May 24, 1939

Sent on May 24, 1939 from Brønderslev, Denmark, to Ocean Stamp Ltd. in Lucerne.

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Cover — August 3, 1939

Sent registered on August 3, 1939, from Lucerne to Toulon, France.

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Cover — November 5, 1939

Sent registered on November 5, 1939 from Budapest, Hungary to Ocean Stamp Ltd. in Lucerne.

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Cover — December 1, 1939

Sent on December 1, 1939 by Ocean Stamp Ltd. to Sliedrecht, Netherlands.

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Cover — January 10, 1941

Sent registered on January 10, 1941, from Zagreb, Yugoslavia (today Croatia), to Lucerne.

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Postcard — April 26, 1941

Sent on April 26, 1941 by Ocean Stamp Ltd. to Nesbyen, Norway.

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Scans provided by David Rossall.


Cover — May 28, 1942

Censored cover sent on May 28, 1942 from Barcelona, Spain, to Ocean Stamp Ltd. in Lucerne.

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Cover — September 26, 1942

Sent on September 26, 1942 by Ocean Stamp Ltd. to Tremezzo, Italy.

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Scan provided by Max Brack.


Cover — July 13, 1944

Sent registered on July 13, 1944, from Schaan, Liechtenstein, to Lucerne.

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Scans provided by Max Brack.


Cover — December 5, 1950

Sent on December 5, 1950 by Hermann Wiederhold to Mishawaka, Indiana, USA.

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