Postage stamps from 1955 issued by the GDR Deutsche Post

Stamp pads 1955
International day of liberation from fascism Michel block number 11	150th anniversary of Friedrich Schiller Michel's death, block number 12
60th anniversary of Friedrich Engels Michel's death, block number 13

The postage stamp year 1955 of the Deutsche Post of the German Democratic Republic comprises 46  special stamps and 3  stamp blocks , the stamps of which were also issued as individual values. A special stamp was issued with a surcharge . Two blocks of stamps were sold at a selling price above their face value, with a total hammer price of 40 pfennigs .

Since this year of stamps, most stamp sets have generally had one value and almost all block issues have been printed in significantly reduced editions. These so-called values ​​in small numbers were generally only available in limited quantities at the post office counters upon presentation of a collector's card to the Deutsche Post for GDR citizens . In this brand year, their circulation was 750,000. Most of the block editions had already been subject to the tax limit since 1954 .

The issuance plan also comprised another six values ​​of the five-year plan continuous series, two of which (Mi. 453 and 455) and one value of the old series (Mi. 406) were also sold in a stamp booklet for 2  DM in March . This first stamp booklet of the Deutsche Post of the GDR contained three stamp booklet sheets with a total of six values ​​of 5 Pf., Seven values ​​of 10 Pf. And five values ​​of 20 Pf.

With one exception (Mi. 449, overprint mark ), the values ​​were all printed on paper with the watermark No. 2 (GDR and Posthorn ).

A total of 49 motifs were issued. Of these, eleven also appeared as a cut edition on stamp pads; There were three motifs with different postage.

The validity of the special stamps ended uniformly on December 31, 1956; only for the two trimmed Karl Marx blocks the postal validity expired on June 30, 1955, since the original block issue was from 1953 and the GDR Post did not consider these stamps to be a new issue. The definitive stamps were valid until December 31, 1962; The 20 Pf value (Mi. 455) could only be used until May 31, 1962.

particularities

Special stamps

This year saw a significant increase in the volume of issue. The award of the Leipziger Messe already in the 5th year with two values ​​has now been extended to both trade fairs (spring and autumn). The dominance of policy-related issues continued: Social democratic and communist leaders of the German labor movement, the 10th anniversary of liberation from fascism and the initiation of land reform, and the 60th anniversary of Friedrich Engels' death were extensively honored with stamps and, in some cases, blocs. Issues in the field of culture and art were u. a. the 150th anniversary of Friedrich Schiller's death, the reconstruction of war-torn buildings in the GDR and the return of the paintings from the Dresden Gemäldegalerie, which were initially confiscated after the end of the war , by the USSR.

When the remainder of the Karl Marx block pairs from 1953 were returned from the postage stamp distribution offices to the dispatch office in Berlin, a large number of the perforated blocks were damaged. The post office then trimmed the block edges to a margin of 5 mm and sold the trimmed stamp blocks via the collector's counter of the main post office W 8 in the Französische Straße in Berlin at the nominal price without surcharge. This was a unique event in the history of Deutsche Post in the GDR.

Definitive stamps

The new edition of the permanent series from 1953 was necessary due to the postage reductions and the resulting changes in value.

List of issues and motives

Legend

• Image: An edited image of the brand mentioned. The ratio of the size of the stamps to each other is shown approximately to scale in this article.
• Description: A brief description of the motif and / or the reason for the issue. In the case of issued series or blocks , the descriptions that belong together are indented with a marker.
• Value: The face value of the individual stamp in pfennigs . A "+" means that it is an additional stamp (= postage value + donation).
• Issue Date: The date this stamp was first sold.
• Valid To: The date on which the validity ended.
• Edition: As far as known, the number of this edition offered for sale is given here.
• Design: As far as is known, it is stated here who designed this brand.
• Mi.-No .: This stamp is listed in the Michel catalog under the corresponding number.

Special stamps
image	description	value	Issue date (1955)	Date of Expiry	Edition	draft	Mi. -No.
	Leipzig Spring Fair 1955 Trade fair pavilion of the USSR on the site of the Technical Fair	20th	21st of February	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Erich Gruner	447
	Chinese exhibition pavilion on the site of the technical fair	35	21st of February	December 31, 1956	1,000,000	Erich Gruner	448
	Help for the flood victims The original stamp without imprint from 1954 has the Michel number 431. Reservoir with a number printed on it	20 + 5	February 25	December 31, 1956	2,500,000	Kurt Eigler	449
	International Women's Day Three women of different skin color, demonstration	10	1st March	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Erich Gruner	450
	Three women of different skin color, demonstration	20th	1st March	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Erich Gruner	451
	International Conference of Public Service Workers in the World Trade Union Confederation (WGB) Demonstration, flag of the World Trade Union Confederation	10	March, 15	December 31, 1956	5,000,000	Erich Gruner	452
	International Day of Liberation from Fascism This and the following stamp were also issued together as a cut stamp pad. (Mi. No. 459 B-460 B). Cenotaph at the Brandenburg (Havel) cemetery	10	9th April	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Kurt Eigler	459 A
	Cenotaph at the Brandenburg (Havel) cemetery	20th	9th April	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Kurt Eigler	460 A
The Michel number 461 was not assigned							461
The Michel number 462 was not assigned							462
	10th anniversary of liberation from fascism Cenotaph for the fallen soldiers of the Red Army in Berlin-Treptow	20th	April 15th	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Kurt Eigler	463
	150th anniversary of Friedrich Schiller's death These and the following two stamps were also issued together as a cut stamp pad. (Mi. No. 464 B-466 B). Friedrich Schiller after a painting by Gerhard von Kügelgen , open book	5	April, 30th	December 31, 1956	750,000	Kurt Eigler	464 A
	Friedrich Schiller	10	April, 30th	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Helmut Götze	465 A
	Friedrich Schiller	20th	April, 30th	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Engelbert schooner	466 A
The Michel number 467 was not assigned							467
The Michel number 468 was not assigned							468
The Michel number 469 was not assigned							469
	VIII. International Long Distance Cycling for Peace Racing cyclist , coat of arms of Prague , Berlin, Warsaw	10	April, 30th	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Bruno Petersen	470
	Racing cyclist, coat of arms of Prague, Berlin, Warsaw	20th	April, 30th	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Bruno Petersen	471
	Leader of the German labor movement Co-founder of the KPD , Karl Liebknecht , rally	5	20th June	December 31, 1956	4,000,000	Kurt Eigler, Bruno Petersen	472
	SPD leader August Bebel , assembly	10	20th June	December 31, 1956	4,000,000	Kurt Eigler, Bruno Petersen	473
	Writer and politician Franz Mehring , front page of the Leipziger Volkszeitung	15th	20th June	December 31, 1956	750,000	Kurt Eigler, Bruno Petersen	474
	KPD leader Ernst Thälmann in front of dock workers	20th	20th June	December 31, 1956	5,000,000	Kurt Eigler, Bruno Petersen	475
	KPD politician Clara Zetkin , meeting	25th	20th June	December 31, 1956	2,000,000	Kurt Eigler, Bruno Petersen	476
	SPD leader Wilhelm Liebknecht , courtroom	40	20th June	December 31, 1956	2,000,000	Kurt Eigler, Bruno Petersen	477
	Co-founder of the KPD, Rosa Luxemburg , rally	60	20th June	December 31, 1956	4,000,000	Kurt Eigler, Bruno Petersen	478
	Leipzig Autumn Fair 1955 Products of the optical industry, exhibition halls 2 and 3	10	29th August	December 31, 1956	6,000,000	Erich Gruner	479
	Ceramic products, entrance to the Mädlerpassage	20th	29th August	December 31, 1956	6,000,000	Erich Gruner	480
	10 years of land reform Presentation of the deed of ownership	5	September 3	December 31, 1956	750,000	Bruno Petersen	481
	Establishment of a new farmer's settlement	10	September 3	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Bruno Petersen	482
	Combine harvester in action	20th	September 3	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Bruno Petersen	483
	10 years of popular solidarity Man with offering bowl and sign of people's solidarity in front of hemispheres	10	October 10th	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Paul Hohler, Franz Schreiber	484
	60th anniversary of Friedrich Engels' death These and the following five stamps were also issued together as a cut stamp pad. (Mi. No. 485 B-490 B). Friedrich Engels and Karl Marx in the General Council of the First International in 1864	5	November 7th	December 31, 1956	5,000,000	Theo Thomas	485 A
	Karl Marx and Friedrich Engles drafting the " Communist Manifesto "	10	November 7th	December 31, 1956	5,000,000	Theo Thomas	486 A
	Friedrich Engels as editor of the Neue Rheinische Zeitung	15th	November 7th	December 31, 1956	2,000,000	Theo Thomas	487 A
	Friedrich Engels, publicist , socialist	20th	November 7th	December 31, 1956	6,000,000	Theo Thomas	488 A
	Friedrich Engels, portrait of a youth	30th	November 7th	December 31, 1956	750,000	Theo Thomas	489 A
	Friedrich Engels as a participant in the barricade fighting in 1848	70	November 7th	December 31, 1956	2,000,000	Theo Thomas	490 A
	Restored historical buildings Magdeburg Cathedral	5	14th November	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Kurt Eigler	491
	German State Opera in Berlin	10	14th November	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Kurt Eigler	492
	Old Town Hall in Leipzig	15th	14th November	December 31, 1956	2,000,000	Kurt Eigler	493
	Red City Hall in Berlin	20th	14th November	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Kurt Eigler	494
	Erfurt Cathedral	30th	14th November	December 31, 1956	750,000	Kurt Eigler	495
	Dresdner Zwinger , Wallpavillon	40	14th November	December 31, 1956	2,000,000	Kurt Eigler	496
	400th anniversary of Georg Agricola's death Half-length portrait of the doctor , humanist and mineralogist	10	21st November	December 31, 1956	3,000,000	Kurt Eigler	497
	Paintings from the Dresden Gemäldegalerie returned from the USSR (I) "Portrait of a Young Man" by Albrecht Dürer	5	15th December	December 31, 1956	4,000,000	Erich Gruner	504
	“ The Chocolate Girl ” by Jean Etienne Liotard	10	15th December	December 31, 1956	4,000,000	Erich Gruner	505
	"Portrait of a Boy" by Pinturicchio	15th	15th December	December 31, 1956	750,000	Erich Gruner	506
	“ Self-Portrait ” with Saskia von Rembrandt	20th	15th December	December 31, 1956	4,000,000	Erich Gruner	507
	“ Girl reading a letter at the window ” by Jan Vermeer van Delft	40	15th December	December 31, 1956	2,000,000	Erich Gruner	508
	"The Sistine Madonna " by Raffael	70	15th December	December 31, 1956	2,000,000	Erich Gruner	509
Definitive stamps
image	description	value	Issue date (1955)	Date of Expiry	Edition	draft	Mi. -No.
	Definitive series: five-year plan (IV) , printing: VEB Deutsche Wertpapierdruckerei (DWD) , watermark No. 2 (GDR and post horn), perforation K 13:12 1/2 Workers exchange experiences	10	22nd of January	December 31, 1962	unknown	Erich Gruner	453
	Steel smelter, smelter	15th	15th of August	December 31, 1962	unknown	Erich Gruner	454
	Stalinallee (Berlin)	20th	22nd of January	May 31, 1962	unknown	Erich Gruner	455
	Dresden Zwinger ( Kronentor ).	40	22nd of January	December 31, 1962	unknown	Erich Gruner	456
	Ocean-going ship on pile	50	22nd of January	December 31, 1962	unknown	Erich Gruner	457
	Family in front of the skyscraper on Weberwiese (Berlin)	70	15th of August	December 31, 1962	unknown	Erich Gruner	458

Trimmed stamp pads

• 

  Trimmed block 8A "Karl Marx Year 1953"
  (date of issue: March 10, 1955)

• 

  Trimmed block 9A "Karl Marx Year 1953"
  (Issue date: March 10, 1955)

Remarks

1. ↑ Two further editions appeared in 1957 (II) and 1959 (III).
2. ↑ The flood of the Elbe in the summer of 1954 ( Memento of the original from June 26, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. see also: Medal for fighting the flood disaster in July 1954 
   
3. ↑ ^{a b} See also the page Dresden buildings on German postage stamps .

literature

• Michel catalog Germany Special 1999 , Munich, Schwaneberger Verlag 1999, ISBN 3-87858-132-7
• Peter Fischer u. a .: GDR universal catalog. Berlin, transpress publishing house for transport 1986, ISBN 3-344-00001-2

See also

• Stamp pads of the German Post of the GDR
• Postage stamps from 1955 issued by the Deutsche Bundespost
• Postage stamps from 1955 issued by the Deutsche Bundespost Berlin
• Stamp year 1955 of the Saar Protectorate

Web links

Commons : Postage stamps of the Federal Republic, Berlin and the GDR from 1955  - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Commons : Postage stamps from other countries 1955  - Collection of images, videos and audio files