Germany has joined the clamor to save the tropical rain forest with a semi-postal stamp that will earmark part of public proceeds for protection of the environment.
The 100+50 pfennig semi-postal will be issued June 11 depicting a graphic illustration of a rain forest with the sun in the background and a body of water in the foreground.
German Post said the stamp is being issued to make the public aware of the intensive threat on rain forests by commercial interests. Stripping the forests of timber, scientists say, already has resulted in ecological damage that will be felt both by man and animal.
Besides promoting such public awareness, the surcharge from the sale of the semi-postal will be used for programs to benefit environmental protection by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.
Germany also will issue seven commemoratives on Thursday.
A 450-pfennig Women in History Series stamp will honor Hedwig Courths-Mahler (1867-1950), author of more than 200 novels and perhaps the most successful German woman writer.
The 200th birth anniversary of physicist Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
(1742-1799) will be noted on a 100-pfennig commemorative.
Three 20th century Expressionists – Franz Marc (1880-1916), August Macke
(1887-1914) and Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) – will be honored with reproductions of their paintings on values of 60, 100 and 170 pfennigs.
Finally, two 100-pfennig stamps will be issued with the coats of arms for the states of Berlin and Brandenburg.
