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Commemoratives of 1955

The DDR issued a very large volume of stamps during 1955, but then again, there were a number of significant events to be honored during the year.  There were two issues, including souvenir sheets, designated for Friedrich Schiller Year and Friedrich Engels Year.    The year ended with the introduction of two new thematic annual series of stamps, the first celebrating historical East German buildings and the second celebrating works of art in East German museums.

The year 1955 was also the 10th anniversary of the end of World War II, what the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics referred to as The Great Patriotic War.  This was a very important patriotic holiday for the Soviet Union, and they encouraged their Eastern European allies to commemorate Freedom from Fascism every year, as well.  A DDR stamp and souvenir sheet was issued for this event in 1955, and in later years, a series of pictorial stamps honoring German underground fighters would be introduced.  Over twenty million Soviet citizens (more than the population of many European countries), with most of them being defenseless civilians, lost their lives during the Great Patriotic War, and this was a tragedy that would never be forgotten.



The two DDR pictorial stamps shown above (Mi. #447-48, Sc. #231-32) were issued on February 21, 1955 to publicize the Leipzig (Spring) Fair.

The two designs feature the USSR Pavilion and the China Pavilion at the Leipzig Fair.

The 20 Pf. denomination stamp exists with both horizontal and vertical watermarks.  The stamp with the vertical watermark is scarce.



The DDR stamp shown above (Mi. #452, Sc. #235) was issued on March 15, 1955 for the International Trade Union Conference in April.

The design features
demonstrating workers.



The two DDR stamps shown above (Mi. #459A-60A, Sc. #236-37) were issued on April 9, 1955 for the International Day of Freedom From Fascism.

The design features a Cenotaph at the Soviet War Memorial in Brandenburg an der Havel.  The inscription on the stamp reads "ZUM TODE GEFÜHRT UND SIEHE WIR LEBEN" or paraphrased in English, "OUT OF DEATH, WE HAVE COME TO LIVE".


The
International Day of Freedom From Fascism souvenir sheet shown above (Mi. #459B-60B (Block11), Sc. #237a) sold for 50 Pfennig, with the proceeds being contributed to a fund for the construction of national memorials at Buchenwald, Ravensbruck, and Sachsenhausen, the sites of former concentration camps.



The three stamps shown above (Mi. #464A-66A, Sc. #241-43) were issued on April 30, 1955 to celebrate Schiller Year 1955 and to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Death of the World famous German poet, philosopher, and playwright, Friedrich Schiller (1759-1805).

The 10 Pf. and 20 Pf. denomination stamps exist with horizontal watermarks, and as such, they are very rare.


The Friedrich Schiller Year souvenir sheet is shown above (Mi. #464B-66B (Block 12), Sc. #243a) was issued on April 30, 1955.  This sheet sold for 50 Pfennig.

The quote on the sheet is "Wir wollen sein ein einzig Volk von Brüdern" which translates to "We want to be a single nation of brothers".



The seven stamps shown above (Mi. #472-78, Sc. #244-50) were issued on June 20, 1955 to honor Leaders of the Socialist / Communist Movement.

The leaders, as depicted, are:

  • Karl Liebknecht (1871-1919).
  • August Bebel (1840-1913).
  • Franz Mehring (1846-1919).
  • Ernst Thälmann (1886-1944).
  • Clara Zetkin (1857-1933).
  • Wilhelm Liebknecht (1826-1900).
  • Rosa Luxemburg (1870-1919).



The two pictorial stamps shown above (Mi. #479-80, Sc. #253-54) were issued on August 29, 1955 to publicize the Leipzig (Fall) Fair.

The two designs feature optical goods and the fine china at the Leipzig Fair.



The three stamps shown above (Mi. #481-83, Sc. #255-57) were issued on September 10, 1955 to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Land Reform in the German Democratic Republic.

The designs are as follows:

  • 05 Pf. - Farmer receiving a deed.
  • 10 Pf. - Construction of a new farm community.
  • 20 Pf. - Harvesting wheat.



The six DDR pictorial stamps shown above (Mi. #485A-90A, Sc. #259-64) were issued on November 7, 1955 to celebrate Friedrich Engels Year and to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Death of Friedrich Engels.

The 05 Pf. denomination stamp exists with a horizontal watermark, and as such, it is very scarce.

Friedrich Engels (1820-1895) was a German social scientist, author, political theorist, and philosopher.  Along with Karl Marx (1818-1883), he is considered the founding father of Marxist Theory.

The descriptions of these stamps are as follows:

  • 05 Pf. - Engels at the First International in 1864.
  • 10 Pf. - Engels and Marx writing the Communist Manifesto.
  • 15 Pf. - Engels as a newspaper editor.
  • 20 Pf. - Friedrich Engels.
  • 30 Pf. - Friedrich Engels as a young man.
  • 70 Pf. - Engels on the barricades during the 1848 Revolution.


The souvenir sheet shown above (Mi. #485B-90B (Block 13), Sc. #264a) was issued on November 7, 1955 to celebrate Friedrich Engels Year.   This souvenir sheet is imperforate, and it contains examples of each of the Friedrich Engels commemorative stamps, along with either flags in the side margins.



The six stamps shown above (Mi. #491-96, Sc. #265-70) were issued on November 14, 1955 to showcase Restored Historical German Buildings.

Their descriptions are as follows:

  • 05 Pf. - Magdeburg Cathedral.
  • 10 Pf. - German State Opera House in Berlin.
  • 15 Pf. - Old City Hall in Leipzig.
  • 20 Pf. - City Hall in Berlin.
  • 30 Pf. - Erfurt Cathedral.
  • 40 Pf. - Zwinger in Dresden.



The six painting-themed pictorial stamps shown above (Mi. #504-09, Sc. #272-77) were issued on December 15, 1955 to publicize the Return of Famous Paintings to the Dresden Art Gallery by the Soviet Union.

The descriptions are as follows:

  • 05 Pf. - Portrait of a Young Man by Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528).
  • 10 Pf. - The Chocolate Girl by Jean Etienne Liotard (1702-1789).
  • 15 Pf. - Portrait of a Boy by Pinturicchio (1454-1513).
  • 20 Pf. - Self-Portrait with Saskia by Rembrandt (1606-1669).
  • 40 Pf. - Girl with a Letter by Jan Vermeer (1632-1675).
  • 70 Pf. - Sistine Madonna by Raphael (1483-1520).





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DDR - Commemoratives of 1955





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The re-valued charity stamp shown above (Mi. #449, Sc. #B27) was issued on February 25, 1955 to raise funds for Flood Relief.



The two DDR stamps shown above (Mi. #450-51, Sc. #233-34) were issued on March 1, 1955 to celebrate the 45th Anniversary of International Women's Day.

The design of the two stamps features a representation of women from different countries.



The 20 Pf. denomination stamp shown above (Mi. #463, Sc. #238) was issued on April 15, 1955 for Stamp Day and to commemorate the 10th Anniversary of Freedom From Fascism.

The design features the now famous Memorial to the Fallen Soldiers of the Red Army in Berlin.



The two DDR stamps shown above (Mi. #470-71, Sc. #239-40) were issued on April 30, 1955 to publicize the 8th Warsaw-Berlin-Prague International Bicycle Peace Race.



The 10 Pf. denomination stamp shown above (Mi. #484, Sc. #258) was issued on October 10, 1955 to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of Peoples' Solidarity.



The 10 Pf. denomination stamp shown above (Mi. #497, Sc. #271) was issued on November 21, 1955 to commemorate the 400th Anniversary of the Death of the German scholar, Georgius Agricola (1494-1555).