The Belgian Post Group, bpost, revealed its 2016 collection of stamps on Tuesday. Diverse themes and personalities were chosen to appear on stamps next year: the four children of the Royal Family, the Rio Olympic and Paralympic games, the anniversary of Emile Verhaeren’s death, and also the theme of “Religious Tolerance”, illustrated in a photograph by Lieve Blancquaert gathering together the Bishop of Antwerp, the Chief Rabbi of Brussels and an imam.
The stamp showing the four children of the Royal couple completed from a family portrait will appear on March 14th, 2016. A series will also be released upon the occasion of the centenary of the death of Emile Verhaeren, the French language symbolist poet. The artist Gal recreated for the occasion the portrait of the writer from his 1904 poem “Et maintenant?”/“En nu?” The leaf also contains verses specially written for this edition by current and future “National Poets”: Charles Ducal and Laurence Vielle.
A circular sheet of stamps depicting five Olympic disciplines which Belgian athletes will participate in (rowing, sailing, horse riding, athletics and cycling) during the 2016 Rio Olympics will be published on August 22nd, 2016. Three of the five stamps will also celebrate the Paralympic Games. The most remarkable stamp is unquestionably that calling for tolerance with the title “All men are equal, all men are different”, scheduled for release on October 26th, 2016.
The stamp taken from Lieve Blancquaert’s photograph show’s Imam Khalid Benhaddou, Antwerp Bishop Johan Bonny and the Chief Rabbi of Brussels, Albert Guigui, in a pose of reconciliation. In 2016, the Belgian Post will also issue a stamp for the thirtieth anniversary of the hero of the comic book Cédric. A stamp will pay homage to Rik Wouters on the occasion of the centenary of his death, whilst another will illustrate 70 years of the Journal Tintin.
On 24th October 2016, the Belgian Post Group will also pay tribute to ten Nobel Laureates of whom one is François Englert. NATO’s new HQ due to open in Evere next year will also feature on a stamp.
(Source: Belga)
