The Szekula Family of Stamp Dealers

This website is dedicated to the Hungarian born stamp dealers Béla, Géza, Eugen and Frank Szekula. After moving to Switzerland each one of them opened his own stamp business with emphasis on international stamp trade. All four were probably rather driven by money than by the love for stamps, and 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 family.

© 2018–2020            Contributors: Max Brack — Albert Little — David Rossall

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.

Cover — June 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 — November 1936

Printed matter sent on November 17, 1936 by “Ocean” Stamp Ltd. to Reykjavik, Island.

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Cover — May 1937

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

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Cover — June 1937

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

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Cover — July 1937

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

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Cover — August 1937

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

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Cover — November 1938

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

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Cover — April 1939

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

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Cover — May 1939

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

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Cover — November 1939

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

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Cover — December 1939

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

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Cover — May 1942

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

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Cover — September 1942

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

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Scan provided by Max Brack.

Cover — December 1950

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

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