I am engineer and specialized in nuclear power plants safety. My main hobby is the collection of classic stamps: the Britsh Empire, many independent states, the German Empire and the KK Austria-Hungary monarchy, with emphasis on quality cancellations. I have developped databases for this purpose (help in identification of post offices, for ex all offices in 1867 in the Empire of Austria). 13 May 2012 - 20 Oct 2013 - 2 March 2019

My grandfather was a landscape painter, and this reflects in the way I compose pictures.

I am autopatrolled since 1 November 2012.

I have studied the concept of thesaurus in order to manage documentation softwares. Hence my interest in the categories and links between them. I try to apply those concepts in the Wikimedia art media, architecture categories. I work a lot in identifying more precise, defined categories. For example, many do not distinguish between door, gate, doorway, portal.. normal, if those words are not defined!

Another issue is the reluctance of some to accept that parent categories are not needed once more specific ones are created, with very strong links (like for locations).

I have a problem with the invasive category ;; by city: undefined (should be by location), biased (all available views are rarely repeated under this cat), redundant (location is already stated in basic cat), in violation with the needed hierarchy by location, etc (2016).

I fully share the beliefs of User: Herzi Pinki, slightly adapted hereafter:

Love your photos
Categorization is added value
Photos should be inspired by nature and culture and beauty
Do the selection of images at home and upload only the very few images selected
There is no good reason to upload an average image of yours or from some suitable source, if there is already a lot of similar images on the same topic. This holds even more for low quality images.
Do not use categories for the obvious, but search the most specific properties only

.. from my experience:

Refrain from overcategorization: does the new cat have an encyclopedic interest (postmarks by date ...)? Do I not recreate a parallel structure (Stamps versus Postage stamps; Paintings versus Oil paintings; Women versus Females; Statues versus Sculptures etc..)?

Just to illustrate the user page, in July 2011 in good company (Bavaria). Where is the fool?

This user has been on Wikimedia Commons for
12 years, 6 months and 16 days

This user has a page on the English Wikipedia.

Click here to view all my uploads to Commons

Philatelic Galleries created

Since December 2014, I am also very active on the Stamps of the World (SOTW) wiki.

See http://stampsoftheworld.co.uk/wiki/Stamps_of_the_World Details in User:Jacquesverlaeken/Gallery pages of stamps

Praised for good work on the stamps of Austria-Hungary. Best greetings from Lower Austria in 2017.

Locations Galleries created

In chronological order mainly

Kellergassen
Corkscrew expansion with structure

Germany

St.Laurentius (Dattenfeld) (North Rhine-Westphalia)
Marienkirche (Freyburg, Unstrut) (Saxony-Anhalt) in 2014
Upper Rhine in art
Saarlouis (Saarland)

Gelnhausen in Hesse, expansion 2020
Bensheim-Zell in Hesse, 2023

Baden-Württemberg

Schloss Ludwigsburg (Württemberg)
Ladenburg A town established by the Roman Empire on the Neckar (Baden)
Oberderdingen at town at the old border, 2020
Stadtkirche St. Marien (Gengenbach), a church transformed in a modern style before 1906, 2021
Baroque sculptures in Schlossgarten Schwetzingen, a castle park full of surprizes, 2021
Monuments and buildings in the Schwetzingen garden
Horb am Neckar 2022

Bavaria

Neunburg vorm Wald (Upper Palatinate)
Marienmünster (Dießen), Altars (Upper Bavaria)
Bad Bayersoien (Upper Bavaria)
Vilshofen an der Donau (Lower Bavaria) 2019
Klingenberg am Main (Lower Franconia) 2020
Scheinfeld (Middle Franconia) was rudimentary 2023
Schloss Schwarzenberg Castle above Scheinfeld
Asam-Basilika, Altenmarkt-Osterhofen, Lower Bavaria 2024

Rhineland-Palatinate

Braubach in 2016
Rhodt unter Rietburg Wine village in Palatinate
Hauenstein (Pfalz) A village in the rocky Palatinate
Herxheim am Berg Wine village in the Palatinate,in 2018
Osterspai near Boppard
Linz am Rhein, right bank opposite of Remagen
Mehren (Westerwald)
Die Kirche Unserer Lieben Frau zu Oberwesel in 2017
Guntersblum with its unique Kellerweg 2019
Landau in der Pfalz 2020 expansion (was absolutely rudimentary)
Oppenheim in Rheinhessen, 2023
St. Katharinen (Oppenheim)
St. Bartholomäus (Oppenheim)
Maikammer Wine village in Palatinate, 2024
Traben-Trarbach Beauty on the Moselle, 2024

Saxony

Radebeul in search for a façade among hundreds of images/subcats!
Radebeul-Niederlössnitz not found here
Radebeul-Oberlössnitz Endlich gefunden! Villa Franziska
Radebeul-Serkowitz more villas ...

Austria

Gallery Freistadt (Upper Austria) (Upper Austria)
Stein (Krems) (Lower Austria)
Reichenau an der Rax (Lower Austria)
Hadersdorf-Kammern am Kamp, Lower Austria
Gurgler Kamm (Ötztaler Alps)
Turracher Höhe (Styria-Carinthia border, contributions)
Dom zu Gurk - Vorhalle (Carinthia)
Stift Neuberg an der Mürz (Styria)

Czech Republic

Kratochvíle castle (Bohemia)
Country baroque (Selské baroko) vernacular architecture in the České Budějovice District, and the 6 other Districts of South Bohemian Region
Záboří (České Budějovice District) (České Budejovice District)
Holašovice (vernacular architecture)
Mělník (Bohemia)
Hranice (Přerov District) (Moravia)
Teplice nad Bečvou (Moravia)
Kroměříži Flower Garden (Moravia)
Prachatice (South Bohemia)

Belgium

Oleye (Liège)

Slovenia

Žiče Charterhouse (2015)
Bistra Castle and Charterhouse (2018)

Switzerland

Croatia

Zagreb Cathedral (2016)
Trogir (2016)

One of the most complex:

Diocletian's Palace (Split) (2016)

Substantial contributions

Diez (Rhineland-Palatinate)
Église Ste Croix (Kaysersberg) (Alsace) in 2014
Kamnik (Slovenia) in 2015
Škofja Loka (Slovenia)
Bartholomäberg (Vorarlberg)
Rätikon (mountain range)
Split (Croatia) in 2016
Rhine completely restructured for Germany
Rüdesheim am Rhein (Hesse)
Fulda Cathedral (Hesse)
Wolfratshausen (Upper Bavaria)
Dom zu Gurk (Carinthia)
Wieskirche (Pfaffenwinkel, Upper Bavaria)
Guldental, Germany (Palatinate) in 2017)
Oberkirch (Baden)
Berg im Drautal (Carinthia) in 2018
Lohr am Main (Bavaria)

Selected pictures by region

This is a gallery of files created by Jacquesverlaeken.

Quality images candidates

There is always something missing from a technocratic point of view, despite the beauty of the images.

Belgium

A canal may be a nice place to work ...
A last knife grinder (2009)

Germany

Taben-Rodt and Sarre

The (very attractive) image on the 70 years of Germany Republic in Hauenstein has been - unfortunately - deleted (lack of convincing FoP).

Baden-Württemberg

Les bateliers de la Neckar! Hauling men in 2011
Ferry between Hesse and B-W in 2019. Rare on the Neckar!

Karlsruhe Region

North-west, mainly in Historical Grand Duchy of Baden. Calmbach was in the Kingdom of Württemberg.

Angelbachtal (Rhein-Neckar Kreis)
Angelbachtal, 2 cultures!
Historical vitriol (iron) mine in Schriesheim (Rhein-Neckar Kreis)
Portal in Ladenburg (Rhein-Neckar Kreis)
Restaurant Stern Hirsch in Gernsbach, in 2017.
Oberderdingen, Landkreis Karlruhe, in 2020.
On the Katzentalbahn, north of Bruchsal in 2021.
Group sculpture in the Schwetzingen parc, 2021.
Difficult to arrive in Bad Wildbad with so may closed roads, Calmbach 2022

Freiburg Region

South-west, mainly in Historical Grand Duchy of Baden.

Sawmill at the Harmersbach, Black Forest in 2000.
Vineyards in Durbach in 2007
Josef II in Further Austria in 1777 (Landkreis Waldshut)
Bridge over the Rhine in Laufenburg (Baden, Landkreis Waldshut)
Ringelbach (Ortenau) vineyards in 2017
Badenweiler Hotel Markgräfler Hof, the charm of Baden Duchy.
The Bollenhut sculpture, emblematic in the Black Forest, 2021
Hasel, a small village before Gersbach, 2022
Landscape with bus stop above Gersbach
Rare sign of a black stork, Kandern
Typical Schwarzwald farmhouse
Schwarzwald house in Präg

Stuttgart Region

North east, mainly in Historical Kingdom of Württemberg

Renaissance art in Wertheim in 2000
Ram on Ottilienberg in 2007
Schaubeck castle, Steinheim an der Murr.
Ludwigsburg (Wurtemberg Palace) in 2013
Schloss Kirchhausen_Deutschorden
Besigheim
Gundelsheim in 2019
Etzlenswenden, between Löwenstein and Beilstein in 2020
Picturesque hotel since 1906 near Altensteig in 2022
Rare stone fence post near Altensteig
Former townhall and inn near Horb , at Weitingen - first image!
Hochdorf, Celtic museum artefact inspired
Excellent Kellerei near Vaihingen

Tübingen Region

South east, mainly in Historical Kingdom of Württemberg

The Neckar in Rottenburg am Neckar in 1996; bridge reconstructed since. Toy?
Langenenslingen in 2007
Landscape south of the Schönbuch, west of Tübingen in 2022

Bavaria

Lower Bavaria (Niederbayern)

Danube in Bogen
Passau south of Inn
Holzkirchen (Passau district) in 2019
Pilgrimage 13m candle sections in Holzkirchen (Ortenburg)
Fountain in Ortenburg Markt
Rare fruits press (mill) in Ortenburg castle
Angels in Maria Altar, Asam-Basilika, Altenmarkt
Angels in Anna altar, Asam-Basilika, Altenmarkt]] 2024
Gold like frogs on a Viechtach place fountain
Dam on the Schwarzer Regen upwards Viechtach
Remarkable sign at Arnbruck
The picturesque Arnbruck
Interior of church in Drachselsried
Turbine Francis (operated 1923-1972) and Höllensteinsee

Middle Franconia (Mittelfranken)

Tauber river in 2012
Rarely illustrated: agricultural anti-pests equipment, 2023
Small gauge railway in the Bad Windsheim Open museum
Surprizing use of a millstone in an old winery (moved from Retzstadt)
High class 1782 portal
Baptismal font at Klosterdorf church

Lower Franconia (Unterfranken)

Veitshöchheim garden in 2000
Brewery in Zeil am Main in 2003
The Main & Erlenbach in 2010
Evening in Klingenberg am Main
The harbour in Klingenberg
St John by Riemenschneider, Iphofen in 2011
Rare wine cellars in Bavaria, 2013
Industry in Karlstadt on the Main in 2013
Portal and CoA in Karlstadt, Hauptstrasse N°42
Karlstadt StAndreas_Michael, Main-Spessart
Karlstadt StAndreas_Rieneckerkapelle
Erlabrunn, Meisnerhof
Fränkische Saale
Schloss Werneck in 2018
Lohr am Main, rare sign

Upper Bavaria - Oberbayern

Burghausen above the Salzach
Steam train at Bayerisch Eisentein in 1995
Open sale of Kürbissen in 2002
Waging am See around the lake in 2009
Chiemsee
Bad Bayersoien lake July 2011 evening
Bad Bayersoien Sculpture & Maypole
Diessen Marienmünster
Wessobrunn Christ 13th c
Wieskirche in 2004 with 18th c altar in sun light

Upper Franconia - Oberfranken

Reliefs in Schloss Fantasie in 2023

Upper Palatinate (Opf)

Busts in the Walhalla in 2005
St John and Salome, fountain in Velburg, 2006
Essing, Altmühltal in 2009
Pilgrimage city in Bad Kötzting
Hafenberg part of Bad Kötzting in 2024
Coat of arms Neunburg vorm Wald
Naab river and Pielenhofen abbey in September 2018
Danube in Regensburg in 2016
Thurn und Taxis castle stable, Regensburg

Swabia (Sc)

House am Kreuz and church in Aach, district Oberallgäu, frontier Bavaria-Vorarlberg.

Hesse

Cultural heritage in Gelnhausen in September 2003
Timber framing and fun in Bensheim (Hessische Bergstrasse) in September 2006
Castle of Diez (Rheinland, Nassau)
Marköbel (Hammersbach) in 2013
Dancing Ladies by Sophie Ryder (Kloster Eberbach)
Rettert, near Katzenelbogen, Rhein-Lahn in April 2015
Fulda garden in April 2016
The Weilburg station and tunnel in 2017, built in 1862. The northern aisle is now a Hotel.
Near Bensheim in 2023.
Gundernhausen church, east of Darmstadt in 2023.

Rüdesheim am Rhein - Rheingau

Invitation in 2010
Townhall and Loreley in 2016
Assmannshausen in 2010, with so good rare red wines!

North Rhine-Westphalia

Augustusburg, Brühl (Rheinland) in 2011
The falls of Sieg river
The Nahe river in Oberhausen
Bad Münstereifel in 2009
Sculpture by Wolfgang Kreutter (1981), Bad Laasphe
Oberpleis, Sankt Pankratius
The source of the Ahr, Blankenheim in 2010

Rhineland-Palatinate

Ahr valley

Timber-framing in Insul, May 2010
Vineyards on the rocks near Mayschoss, April 2011. Famous for red wines.
Level crossing and castle in 2013, near Altenahr

Lahn valley

Fun boats and white pedestrian bridge on the Lahn at Bad Ems.
The palace Kurhaus at Bad Ems in 2018.

Mosel valley

The Moselle river with the Merl village, between Bullay and Zell, km 85
Vineyards in Pünderich (Moselle, km 94)
Burg, Moselle, km 99
Trarbach Weisses Turm-, Catholic hurch, km 107 in 2024
Trarbach Mosel Floodgate, rare image
Trarbach Town Hall and Evangelic Church
Ürzig in 2023, km 119
Ürzig, vineyard
Bernkastel, km 130
Bernkastel, Coat of arms
Bernkastel, the railway that stopped in 1962
Lieser, km 133 in 2021

Palatinate - Pfalz

Was a remote province in the Kingdom of Bavaria!

1769 door, Freinsheim in 2000.
Krettnach
Stromberg (Hunsrück) in 2011.
Deidesheim in 2012
Rhodt unter Rietburg, Theresienstrasse
Ebertsheim former paper mill, now a collective residence, 2019
Surprizing field of leeks near the Weinstrasse, east of Landau
Jugendstil reliefs in rare location, Landau, 2020
Venningen gate in 2020
Klingenmünster portal relief, 2021
Maikammer portal deeply repainted, South Wine region, 2024
Rare baroque gable in the region (Maikammer)

Rhine valley (upstream)

Km610 Andernach
Braubach
Spay industry, left side of the Rhine. In background the Marksburg above Braubach.
Km571 Boppard (Rheinland)
Boppard chairlift to Vierseenblick
The Loreley and its romantic tunnels in 2018.
Oberwesel seen from the Heimat 3 scenery
Km550 Oberwesel, Scene for the End of the World (1510)
Km 548 Kaub vineyards in April
Km546 Kaub, Palatinate of Rhine CoA (1485)
Km539 Niederheimbach

Rheinhessen (ex Hesse)

Westerburg, north Taunus, 2017
Fountain with 9 pipes at Wörrstadt, 2019
CoA with the Saint-Lawrence gridiron, 18 th c.
Nierstein villa, eclectic architecture
Winepress houses, Guntersblumer Kellerweg

Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt

Art Deco in Schloss Pillnitz museum in 1994
Steam loco in return from the Brocken, Saxony-Anhalt in 2004.
The Elbe river near the Czech border. The Swiss Saxon cliffs (Saxony)
Naumburg (Saxony-Anhalt)
Naumburg -Steinernes Buch, Max Klinger Villa
Naumburg -Steinernes Buch - Duke
Arms of Coburg (now Bavaria), Jahn Museum
Art Nouveau chandelier at Zeitz Town Hall
Church in Scheibenberg
Freyburg (Unstrut)

Austria

Vorarlberg

Partenen in a May 2010 cloudy day
The closure of road 205 to allow repair of the bridge on the Bregenzer Ache (August 2017).
The Kanisfluh (2044 m) with an impressive cliff, viewed from Mellau.
Wooden bridge on the Bregenzer Ach, after rainy days.
The red locomotive of the Bezau-Schwarzenberg trace (2017).

Tyrol

Ötztaleralpen in 2008
Plansee
Gerlostal
Zillertal in 2018, beware of cows...

East Tyrol - Osttirol

Karnische Alpen
Heinfels_Panzendorf_Burg Heinfels
Tyrol heritage house in Kalsertal, near the Grossglockner
Clover in Kals
Isel river south of Matrei

Salzburger Land

Bramberg in 1965, wonderful light and fog!
Same farm in 2018: note the changes in rain guttering and electrical distribution!
Farming at Bramberg in 1965
Dachstein glacier in 1967
Maria Alm and the Steinernes Meer
Mur river near Tamsweg
Farms in Tweng, Taurachtal in 2015
Résistance électrique au musée de plein air à Grossgmain (sud de Salzburg) en 2024
180 kW alternator built by Siemens for the Fürstenbrunn hydroplant in 1912]]

Upper Austria - Oberösterreich

Grein and the Danube
Traunsee
Eggerhaus
Schwarzenberg am Böhmerwald (Bezirk Rohrbach)
Ulrichsberg (Bezirk Rohrbach)
The turquoise lake, Almsee
Almsee
Kremsegg Schloss park in August 2019

Bezirk Freistadt

Elbe -Danube water divide, Ortsteil Mardetschlag
Farm in Leopolschlag
Freistadt citywall

Styria - Steiermark

Sorting to be continued

Church interior at Hohentauern

Northern Styria (Bezirk Bruck-Mürzzuschlag)

Mürz river upstream Mürzzuschlag
Grazer Bergland and Pernegg an der Mur
Stift Neuberg an der Mürz in 2016
Neuberg an der Mürz
Villa and Burg in Thörl in 2019
Art Nouveau in Aflenz
Farm east of Mürzhofen
Pelton wheel in Kapfenberg Kaplan strasse!

Upper Styria (Bezirke Liezen, Murau)

Salza river
Murtalbahn at Stadl
Murtalbahn,
Pürgg, Grimming
Oberwölz in 2009
Wölzer Tauern, Bezirk Murau
Wölzer Tauern, Bezirk Murau
View to the Grimming in August 2018

South-east wine growing region (Vulkanland or Südoststeiermark)

Special clouds above Straden in September 2007
Near Feldbach, Raab river and industry
Schloss Kornberg near Feldbach in 2016
St Anna am Aigen in 2016
Schloss Halbenrain, near Bad Radkersburg
Rosenberg (456 m) vineyards, Straden at 5 km in August 2016
Deutsch Haseldorf, all in one in 2019
Bad Radkersburg wall & 3 towers in 2019

Central Styria (Bezirk Leoben, Graz Umgebung)

Landscape east of Graz in 2013
Baroque gables at Frohnleiten in 2015
Frohnleiten in 2015, north of Graz, on the Mur
Detail frolm the old town hall of Trofaiach in 2019

Carinthia - Kärnten

Berg im Drautal
Upper Gurktal, Beehives.
Turrachersee, on the Styria-Carinthia border
In background, the Karawanks range (Slovenian frontier) at 45 km.
A hidden house with columns and stuc in Spittal an der Drau (& Lieser).
An attractive doll at the Spittal museum.

Lower Austria

Climbing train between Lower Austria and Styria
Göstling an der Ybbs, House heritage in Lower Austria
Hohenruppersdorf
Kematen
Schneeberg (the summit of Lower Austria)

Kremstal - Wachau

Dürnstein, Wachau. Circa 1725 church sculptures.
Rare Art Deco, Gföhl, Krems Land in 2011
Senftenberg, Kremstal, Abandoned vineyards
Stein (Krems an der Donau)

Waldviertel - Kamptal

Kellergasse in Etsdorf (Grafenegg), 2016
Early baroque in Hadersdorf, 2016
Hadersdorf place, 2011
Iron bridge on the Kamp, Stiefern (Schönberg), 2011
Plank am Kamp, 6 km downstream Gars, 2016

Weinviertel

Pulkau, Weinviertel
Grosskrut
Fanfare in Maissau, in 2003

Burgenland

Rust in Burgenland in 2008
Burg Forchtenstein in 2008
Kellergasse, Purbach in Neusiedlersee
1590 Relief of Balthasar Batthyani in Güssing

Italy

St. Lorenzen (Southern Tyrol), Madonna, carver: Pacher

Luxembourg

Rest area in Berchem, largest fuel distribution center in Europe.

Switzerland

Canton du Valais

Eggishorn (Valais Alps)
Rhone valley (Valais Alps)
Rhone valley near Salquenen (Valais Alps)
Aigle - Les Diablerets
Ernen, Fresco dated 1578
Oberalppass 2040 m

Canton des Grisons

Tarasp
Inn Valley (Engadin)
Posterior Rhine valley, Via Mala historical road 13, closed at this 2017 moment.
Confluence of the Anterior and Posterior Rhines (Reichenau).