It's Monday morning. Some people may find it difficult to start the week, but not Carsten Hirsch: he is in a good mood as he sits at his desk in the Bethel stamp centre in Bielefeld. A pile of stamp blocks lies in front of him. The 42-year-old picks up the top one with three contiguous stamps and meticulously inspects the reverse. "I'm checking whether the stamps are broken," he explains and immediately finds what he's looking for. "There's no more glue here." He points to a tiny dot that is barely visible to the naked eye. He carefully removes the faulty stamp and throws it into a basket, which already contains stamps with broken teeth or discolouration.
This year, Carsten Hirsch has been working at the Bethel stamp centre for 20 years. What he likes about his job is that there is no pressure and he can work at his own pace. "When my concentration wanes, I sit down in the break area and have a rest." Around 125 people with disabilities are employed at the Bethel stamp centre. They receive donated items, sort the stamps and prepare them for sale. The proceeds go towards diaconal work.