Famous Women

Starting in 1986 Germany,West-Germany at the time,issued a defintive series,titled
"Women in the history of Germany".The last stamps in of this series were issued in 2003.
Till 1989 same stamps with an additional insription "Berlin" were issued in Berlin.
Both series were valid for postage in (West-)Germany and (West-)Berlin,
from July 1990 in the former DDR (GDR) as well.
In my opinion one of the best german defintive series ever.
As far as I own them,I will show them,(West-)Germany only,in chronological order.




50 Pfg. Christine Teusch 1888-1968 (politician),issued Nov.13th,1986
80 Pfg. Clara Schumann 1819-1896 (pianist,composer and wife of Robert
Schumann),issued Nov.13th,1986
40 Pfg. Maria Sibylla Merian 1647-1717 (scientific painter of flowers and
insects),issued Sept.17th,1987

 

I did not know Marie Nasemann.Probably because I am too long out of
Germany.The Wikipedia article is more about her acting and other activities,
than modelling,what seems to be a matter of her past.No mentioning,
that she might be popular in the US.
A Marilyn-stamp,german style:

issued Oct.11th,2001 (from a set of 5);

 

Don,
the last issue of West-Berlin is from Sept.27th,1990.All Berlin stamps remained
valid till Dec.31st,1991.
Stamps of the DDR (GDR) in "Mark der DDR" remained valid till Oct.2nd,1990.
Stamps of the DDR in DM (West) issued from July 1st 1990 till Oct.2nd 1990
remained valid till Dec.31st,1991.
The DDR joined the Bundesrepublik Deutschland (GFR) on Oct.3rd,1990,what
is usually called re-unifucation of Germany.

Werner

 

60 Pfg. Dorothea Exleben 1715-1762 was the first woman in Germany,who
obtained a doctorate in medicine. At the time woman were not allowed
to study in universities.She send a petition to Frederic the Great,who
gave order in 1741 to the university of Halle,to let her do a doctorate.
It took till 1899 before women in Germany could study medicine in full.
Stamp issued Sept.17th,1987.

120 Pfg. Elizabeth Selbert 1896-1986 (lawyer and politician),
issued Nov.6th,1987.

10 Pfg. Paula Modersohn-Becker 1876-1907 (expressionistic painter),
issued April 14th,1988.

 

stamps issued May 5th,1988
20 Pfg. Cilli Aussem 1909-1963 (tennis player);she was the first german
women to win the French Open and Wimbledon in 1931.

130 Pfg.Lise Meitner 1878-1968 (physicist);she worked together with
Otto Hahn on the nuclear fission.
When she had to immigrate to Sweden in 1938,because she was
jewish,Hahn kept close contact with her and she was the first to
know,when Hahn and Strasser succeeded with the Uran-fission.
She published the theoretical explanation for Hahn´s achievement.
During the war the US-Government invited her to the US,to take
part into the development of an atomic bomb,what she resolutly
turned down.
After the war Hahn got the Nobel Prize,Meitner and Strasser did not.
One of the many bad judgements of the Nobel-Committee !

 

all three issued Nov.10th,1988

100 Pfg. Therese Giehse 1898-1975 (born as Therese Gift,character actress).Because of jewish descent,she had to flee from Germany
in 1933.After staying in different countries,- she even married to get
an english passport -,she finally went to Zürich,where she played at
the "Schauspielhaus" for more than four decades.She was a leading
german actress and several plays were written for her by the best authors,like Brecht or Dürrematt.

170 Pfg. Hannah Arendt 1908-1975,(philosopher and political scientist)
also of jewish descent,fled Germany in 1933.She lived in different countries,
before fleeing from the advancing Germans from France to the USA in 1940.
Jewishness was very important to her,but she was critical to Zionism.
In the mid 1950s she obtained the US-citizenship and lived there till her death.

240 Pfg. Mathilde Franziska Anneke 1817-1884 (women rights activist and author) left Germany for the USA in 1849,after the failed revolution of 1848.
She was aquainted with Karl Marx,Friederich Engels,Ferdinand Lasalle and
other workers- and women-rights activists.In America was active as an abolitionist and women rights author.

 

350 Pfg. Hedwig Dransfeld 1871-1925 (politician,women´s rights activist),
issued Nov.10th,1988

500 Pfg. Alice Salomon 1872-1948 (sociology educationalist,women´s
rights activist),issued Jan 12th,1989

5 Pfg. Emma Ihrer 1857-1911 (politician and trade union activist),issued Feb.6th,1989

 

180 Pfg. Lotte Lehmann 1888-1976 was a very successful opera singer.
In protest against the Nazi-rule, she left Germany to live in the USA.
Issued July 13th,1989.

250 Pfg. Luise von Preußen 1776-1810,popular and adored queen of Prussia
in the time of the Napoleonic Wars.She was regarded as a very beautiful woman,even by Napoleon as he wrote in a letter to Josephine.
Issued July 13th,1989.

140 Pfg. Cecilie Vogt 1875-1962 pioneer of neurology.Born in France she married the german neurologist Oskar Vogt with whoem she worked
together till his death in 1959.She was nominated thirteen times for
the Nobel Prize for Medicine,but never got it.

 

300 Pfg. Fanny Hensel 1805-1847.Baptized as Fanny Cäcilie Mendelssohn-Bartholdi.She was a pianist and classical composer.Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdi was her brother.Together they studied music.
Unlike her brother,she was not allowed by her family - her father was a rich banker - to perform professionally or publish her compositions,because this was not "lady-like".Since the 1970th her compositions were partially published.
Issued Aug.10th,1989

Except of the 120 Pfg.-value all stamps of that series up to here,were also issued with the additional inscription "Berlin" in Western-Berlin.
They are sought after and remarkable expensive for modern stamps.
Used stamps of the Berlin series are roughly three times as expensive as
mint ones.

30 Pfg. Käthe Kollwitz 1867-1945 graphic artist,sculptor and painter.She was one of the most important german expressionists.She was political engaged
as a pacifist and socialist.Many of her works carry a politcal message.
Issued Jan.8th,1991

70 Pfg. Elisabeth Boehm 1859-1943,founder of the first professional-rural-housewifes association in Eastern Prussia and Germany.
Issued Jan.8th,1991

 

Don,
I really don´t know.I live here in Paraguay like on another planet.
My latest Michel Germany is the 2002/2003 issue.I might guess that the
440 Pfg. from 1998 could be difficult to find,at least by stamp exchange,
as this was a not often used high value.
Just to show how relative expensive the Berlin values are,here a comparison
of a few selected values.All Michel 2002/2003,prices in Euro:
50 Pfg.(Teusch) FRG mint -.80 used -.30 Berlin mint 2.50 used 3.50
20 Pfg.(Aussem) FRG mint -.20 used -.20 Berlin mint 2.- used 5.-
130 Pfg.(Meitner) FRG mint 2.80 used -.70 Berlin mint 4.50 used 15.-
500 Pfg.(Salomon) FRG mint 6.- used 2,60 Berlin mint 11.- used 44.-
5 Pfg. (Ihrer) FRG mint -.30 used -.20 Berlin mint -.50 used 2.20
300 Pfg. (Hinsel FRG mint 2.50 used 1.- Berlin mint 10.- used 25.-
In general,no german stamps are difficult to aquire,even the expensive ones.
It is just a question of money.

Werner

 

I have to start with stamp of the famous women definitive series,issued Feb.14th,1991 I do not have.

150 Pfg. Sophie Scholl 1921-1943 was a member of the "Weiße Rose" anti-Nazi resistance movement.She was caught in flagranti,when handing out anti-Nazi pamphlets in Munic University on Feb.18th,1943.The chief-justice of the "Volksgerichtshof" Roland Freisler presided the court,what condemned her to death on Feb.22nd.She was excecuted in the evening the same day.
The shown stamp was issued in a souvenir sheet on July 20th,1964


200 Pfg. Bertha von Suttner 1843-1914.She was born as Countess Kinsky in Prague.Herr father,a general,died before she was born at the age of 74.
She became a pacifist,peace activist and author.Her most famous book is
"Die Waffen nieder ! " (english title: Lay down your arms !).
She won as the first woman the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905.For a short while she had been Nobel´s secretary and the peace prize was created by Nobel,
who wanted her to become the first laureate,upon her stimulus.
But she had to wait till 1905.
Stamp issued Feb.14th 1991
400 Pfg. Charlotte von Stein 1742-1827.She was a lady of the court of the duchess Helene Amalie.
She was very cultured and became the confident of Goethe.Goethe´s love
to her is documented by the more than 1700 letters he wrote to her.
Issued Jan.9th,1992
450 Pfg. Hedwig Courths-Maler 1867-1950.She was a prolific writer of novels,mostly love-novels.Not of great literary value but,probably because of that,very successful.She wrote 208 novels,selling more than 80 millions books.
Issued June 11th,1992

 

80 Pfg. Rahel Varnhagenvon Ense 1771-1833 was a writer of romanticism.
More important was her literary salon in Berlin,where many important
people came together for discussions.
She argued for the jewish emancipation,but converted herself to Protestantism.
issued Oct.13th,1994

100 Pfg. Luise Henriette von Oranien 1627-1667.From the dutch wing of
the house of Oranien (Orange), she married Friedrich Wilhelm,prince
elector (Later called "The great Prince Elector") of Brandenburg.
She was close to Friedrich Wilhelm,influencing his politics profoundly.
Friedrich Wilhelm laid the foundation of the Kingdom in Prussia.His son
Friedrich I,took the title of King in Prussia.
issued Oct.13th,1994

100 Pfg. Marlene Dietrich 1901-1992,actress and chansonette.She left Germany,because of the Nazi-rule and settled in the USA.
issued Aug.14th,1997

 

220 Pfg. Marie-Elisabeth Lüders 1878-1966 was a poltician and
women´s rights activist.
She was a member of the Reichstag 1919-1932 and after the war a member
of the parliament of West-Germany,the Bundestag 1953-1961.
Issued Aug 28th,1997.

100 Pfg. Elisabeth Schwarzhaupt 1901-1986 was a judge till 1933,when the Nazi-government did no longer allow woman to be judges.
She was a member of the west-german Bundestag from 1953 till 1967.
From 1961-1966 she was the first woman in Germany (except of the GDR),
who became a Bundesminister (Federal Government Minister for Health).
Issued Oct.16th,1997

300 Pfg. Maria Probst 1902-1967 was a politician from Bavaria,member of
the Bundestag from 1949-1967.
Issued Oct.16th,1997