COVER N. 420 - SERBIA

Postmark: Niš 18111 01.03.2024 

Posted on the 1st March; received on the 8th March 2024

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Phantom, that restless wanderer, was in Serbia, it seems and he enrolled the help of a local collector to ship out a bunch of covers, so thanks a lot to Dejan and Alex, for this welcome addition to the collection.

- In an era when every bit of information is enconded in 0s and 1s, being as volatile as electrons are, the need to keep an everlasting memory of things is ever more relevant. National archives fulfil this mission and either in physic or in electronic form they make sure that the past will forever be available for present or future enquirers, be it researchers, students, legislators, lawyers, or any other user who might have the need to investigate it.

Acknowledging this necessity, the Education Ministry of  the People's Republic of Serbia, one of the six republics that integrated Yugoslavia, established the Historic Archive of Niš  on the 24th April 1948.

75 years past that date, the Archive maintains its function as a repository of memory and is Serbia's second most important such archive, after the Archive of Belgrade.

The building in which it is housed is located within the compound of the fortress of Niš, of Ottoman Turkish  origin, built in the early decades of the 18th century.

It's main entrance features on the stamp issued on 24APR2023 a part of a two 48 dinar stamp set dedicated to Niš historical buildings anniversaries. As such, the stamp celebrates the 75 years of existence of the Historic archives, its companion stamp being dedicated to the tercentenary of the fortress in which it is housed.

- The theme for the CEPT Europa common issue of 2011 was "Forests". The Serbian issue, dating of 05MAY2022, comprised two stamps (33 and 66 Dinar) with images of a conifer forest, a forest type which can easily be found in the country. the 66 dinar stamp was used on the cover.

Postage is completed with a 16 dinar franking label.

The stamps were cancelled in the city of Niš.