bread for the World - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 1962 - 20

This special postal stamp owes its origin to a proposal of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany. The brand, whose publication was planned for the year 1961, should support the evangelical Advent collection "Bread for the World". At that time, artists invited to edit drafts had been advised to refer to the early Christian symbols of "breadbasket and fish" or the biblical theme of feeding the five thousand. Bert Jäger has sent in a draft. Reinhart Heinsdorff and Eugen O. Sporer received two proposals, three from Herbert Kern and four from Heinrich Gerl. A representative of the Evangelical Church was involved in the selection. Out of the consideration that the mark should shake up to the service in the work of philanthropy, the draft of Reinhart Heinsdorff was preferred. During the further development of this brand further discussions about the thematic content came about in the circles involved. Among other things, the idea was proposed to represent hands in devout gestures and in connection with ears of corn. Following a second call for proposals in this direction, Prof. Hans Orlowski had two drafts, four each by Herbert Kern and Paul Froitzheim, and four drafts each by Reinhart Heinsdorff and Prof. Eva Schwimmer. Among these sixteen proposals was none who could convince in every way. The Art Council therefore resorted to a solution from the first tender, which is limited to a pure typeface and in which the call "Bread for the World" draws in solemn antique letters over the entire area. This stamp, which was extremely memorable in its self-confession, also received the approval of the Federal Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, who designated it for execution. The large capitals are blind embossed on a slightly structured rust-red ground, on which the value numeral and the text line "Deutsche Bundespost" are set in black. The stamp has been produced by Bundesdruckerei Berlin as two-color offset printing with blind embossing.