Permanent series: Women of German History - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 1989 - 250 Pfennig

With »Women of German History« the Deutsche Bundespost replaces the series »Industry and Technology« begun in 1975/76. The new series is intended to help raise awareness of women's achievements in society. The new stamps will be published simultaneously and with the same motifs in the issues »Deutsche Bundespost« and »Deutsche Bundespost Berlin«. It has become decisive for the work and fate of Queen Louise that her short life fell into a time of spiritual and political upheaval. After carefree childhood, she came in early youth in touch with the big time events. In the fall of 1792 the Darmstadt court had to flee to Central Germany from the advancing French Revolutionary troops. On the return journey she met the Prussian Crown Prince Friedrich Wilhelm in Frankfurt. In April 1793 the betrothal took place in Darmstadt, the wedding took place in Berlin in 1793. Already as Crown Princess, and especially since 1797 as Queen, she acquired all-round sympathy through the grace of her appearance and the warm-hearted friendliness of her nature. She sought fulfillment of her happiness in her circle of duties as wife and mother. Only the military catastrophe of Prussia in 1806 assigned her a role which brought her closer to the great political decisions of the epoch and through which she, as it were, outgrew herself. The devastating defeat of Jena and Auerstedt also affected the personal skills of the royal couple. Luise escorted the king fleeing the troops of Napoleon to Memel in the extreme eastern corner of the monarchy. In the desperate situation of state and government, the queen has overcome self-conquest, personally confronting the man who haunted her with his hatred, because he wrongly considered her the instigator of the Prussian declaration of war against France, and in which she herself was the embodiment of all evil saw. In July 1807, the famous meeting took place in Tilsit, where she asked Napoleon for more favorable terms of peace for the defeated Prussians. Although this petition was in vain, the dignity and the firmness of its appearance forced the emperor to respect and astonishment. The reorganization of the Prussian state in the course of the following years from Königsberg in the sign of the Stein-Hardenberg reforms pursued the queen with strong inner sympathy. Although it did not belong to the party of the so-called reformers, it nevertheless encouraged and encouraged them through its role model. She has repeatedly roused the irreconcilable king out of his deep depression, and has radiated her trust in a future turn of fortune, supported by faith in God, to her environment. Here lies the deeper reason for her true popularity, which she had received from the Hohenzollernhaus like no other queen, and continued beyond her early death. As one of the most sympathetic female figures in German history, she lives on in our memory today. (Text: Professor Dr. Stephan Skalweit, Bonn)