Thank you so much @Cassiopheia - that’s really helpful 
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Another question 
what is the size restriction on postcards from Germany? Can you send shaped postcards for the postcard rate as long as they fit within those sizes?
Here are the restrictions:
Unfortunately it’s not allowed to send shaped cards through the postal system without envelopes — some post offices might accept them without, but for the Großbrief rate (1,60€ within Germany, 3,70€ international) which is much more expensive than just putting them into a standard sized envelope.
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You can see the minimum and maximum dimensions in the picture above, but there is another requirement that one needs to be aware of (it’s written there in Germany, but I want to point it out):
The width must be 1.4 times the height at least. Square cards cost a lot more and beware of the Polaroid style cards, they often don’t meet this requirement.
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Hello everyone!
I am looking into visiting Germany in December 2023. Are there any meetups being planned that month? I’d love to make friends with postcrossers and go to christmas markets
Preferably norther Germany
Danke schön!
There are always quite a few Christmas market meetups. But it’s still a bit early, just keep an eye on the German meetup section from October onwards. If you can’t find any announced, come here and ask if someone is willing to organise one (including approx. location)
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More than 700 cards sent to Germany in my PC career, so I should know this … but I have to ask. What are the grammar/spelling rules for why some street names have no space before Str./Weg and others do?
Like:
Examplestr. vs. Example Str.
Exampleweg vs. Example Weg
It seems obvious when the street is named after someone, like Albert-Einstein-Str. (not Albert-Einsteinstr). Does it have to do with the final letter in the preceding word?
I never thought about that.
But as your question made me curious, I tried to find out.
So: It seems that there are rules that the muncipality/ administration should stick to when naming streets. You can find the rules (written in German) here:
https://de.wiktionary.org/wiki/Hilfe:Straßenname
I don’t have the time to translate them. It’s got to do with the kind of word and it’s ending - but the rules are more sophisticated than this short version 
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Though it is not so difficult* for Germans to understand the rules, I realize it is at least for me really hard to translate the rules and exceptions in English 
Street names are written together if the determiner is a noun, a person (single) name or name of a tribe ect. or if it’s a geographical name or adjective that is not declined. - - > Einsteinstrasse, Alpenstrasse, Sauerkrautstrasse, Hugenottenplatz (Strasse = street / Platz = place).
Street names are written separately if the determiner contains several words, is derived from a country name and ends to “-er”, with a preposition in the name or starting with and followed by an adjective or a numeral. - - > Albert-Einstein-Strasse, Berliner Strasse, Im Winkel, Beim Blauen Berg, An den Drei Tannen.
There are some more rules, like “Berliner Strasse” but “Berlinstrasse” and of course there are always exceptions (if the exception is more readable like the rule).
(* I realize now it was good that I learned this years ago in school because just by the several wiki articles it causes a big confusion 
)
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Hallo, greetings from Japan,
Today, I thought of posting this in the German Community to ask you a favour.
Currently, I am looking for one Postcrosser in Germany who can send my two flat and light weight (less than 25 grams) regular-sized postal mails to Russia to two different Postcrossers on behalf of me since we cannot send any postal mails from Japan to Russia now, not even via ship. I will send you a short letter, a bookmark that I made, greetings card for them sent in an envelope first then you send these items to the two Postcrossers in Russia.
Could anyone help me, please?
In return, I would to happy to send you flat and light paper items too, up to 50 grams, like stamped and written Japanese New Year cards with a 2023 Rabbit year stamp, blank postcards, nice envelopes, nice sticker sheets, mini zines that I made, my Mail Art thingy, Japanese mint stamps, Japanese used stamps, and so on. I can show you my offer in a private message if you like. Please do not hesitate 
Could you post under this thread if you can help me, as that would be much easier for me to get back to you ?
Thank you so much in advance!
おはようございます ,
before I offer to help - what I really would like to do - I have also a question:
Do you have permission of both Postcrossers in Russia to share their address with another person?
I ask because of data privacy.
Sharing addresses with other people without the permission of the recipients could be a problem. Like those persons could be angry if you do it.
To be sure, that we both don’t get in trouble, it would be better to ask those Postcrossers first.
If you have the okay, I lend you a helping hand. ^-^
Please send me a private message if you want to reply to me, so we can discuss privately.
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Ohayo gozai masu, thank you for trying to help me 
One Postcrosser has a P.O. Box and he knows a mail from me comes from another Postcrosser in Germany, so there would be no problem.
Another Postcrosser has a home address and the thing is that we only are connected via postal mails, not via e-mails as I do not know her e-mail address. She recently changed her username on Postcrossing and I cannot even send her messages online. We have met in real life once in my city in Japan when she visited Japan, and she is a really nice person and I do not think she will be angry or something as the mail will be sent from another fellow Postcrosser.
I was actutally thinking that perhaps I should ask for help too in Russian Community about her. She lives in St. Petersburg and perhaps I can find someone on Postcrossing who can leave a memo about me written in Russian language in her mailbox at her apartment.
So, for now, I would like to ask you for help about this male member with a P.O. Box.
Message to you will be sent soon.
Thank you so much again!
Hello again,
ah, I see. Than I would really love to help with the Postcrosser who knows that your envelope will come from a german Postcrosser. Works for me. ^-^
I also hope that you can find help in the russian community here in the forum for the second Postcrosser. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. ^-^
Whenever you have time, send me a private message. I hope you have a wonderful day so far.
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I wasn’t sure where on the forum to post this, but in December we’ll be traveling to Köln with my college course to visit the university there and also just be tourists.
Obviously, I’ll be sending at least one postcard from there. Are the postcrossing stamps still available at post offices? Or are they sold out already? And does anyone know of an address of a post office in Köln?
The rate in Germany for international mail is still 95 right? Or has it changed recently?
The stamps are still available and cover the rate for international postcards Not neccessarily all post shops carry them though.
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A post office that has a special philatelic offer might give you a good chance. In Cologne obviously one can be found here: Goethestr. 43, 50858 Köln. Otherwise you might need to visit several post offices (or rather “partner shops” of the German Post) in Cologne in order to find these particular stamps.
You can also order them online via https://shop.deutschepost.de/postcrossing-briefmarke-zu-0-95-eur-10er-bogen, but doing so from a foreign country is not that easy I think. Maybe you’d have to write an individual message and request to have the stamps sent to the Netherlands.
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They may only be ordered via phone in Weiden and the postal fee is extremely high. Not recommended at all! [TALK] In ENGLISH - Visitors Corner - #320 by Cassiopheia
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Hi Mattie07,
How long are you staying in Köln?
You can always order the stamps in the shop from Deutsche Post:
https://shop.deutschepost.de/postcrossing-briefmarke-zu-0-95-eur-10er-bogen
Their delivery is quite fast if you have an address you can send it to. Maybe your hotel allows you to get them shipped there.
If nothing works, let me know and I’ll try to order them for you and send them to you for a swap of some sort.
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Not from abroad as already said some posts earlier.
From abroad you can order by phone, but you have to pay very much for shipment!
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