Titanic 100 years

The date 15 April 1912 is highly associated with the ocean-going steamship Titanic that struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton on her way to New York City and sank in the Atlantic Ocean.

The wreck of Titanic is worldwide known and a number of movies has been filmed and novels written about the tragic event when 1517 persons lost their lives. Commemorating that 100 years have passed since this catastrophe, Åland Post presents a stamp in April 2012 on the theme Titanic 100 years. 

A total of 2207 persons were on board the Titanic, 231 of whom were of Nordic descent. Many were emigrating to America, seeking their fortune in a new country. Three of the passengers came from Åland. None of the three Ålanders survived when the ship struck an iceberg and sank. One of them was Ivar Berglund from Sund. Born on 24 June 1890, he was 21 years old. Before boarding in Southampton, he sent a postcard to his family. The message was written in some type of coded Swedish, since he had spelled the words backwards.

The translated message reads: “Seeing that I have time now I must tell you that I’m here in Southampton now on Whit Monday. ‘N’ tomorrow I will see the eye-doctor ‘n’ Wednesday I will board this boat on the other side. So that I will be in New York before next Monday. My journey has gone fine all the way. Although I have been alone… I’m now at the hotel where they play just like at Gröna Lund in Stockholm. Give my regards to everyone, brother”.”

Technical Details

Issue Date: 16.04.2012

Designer: Cecilia Mattsson

Printer: Joh. Enschedé Stamps

Process: 4-colour offset

Colours: 4-colour offset

Size: 25 x 36 mm

Values: €1.80