Germany DDR postage stamps year 1988 – Space set

Germany DDR postage stamps year 1988 – Space set MNH

In 1988, the German Democratic Republic (DDR) issued a significant space-themed set to commemorate a decade of cooperation in the Interkosmos program.

10th Anniversary of the USSR–DDR Joint Space Flight

This set celebrates the 1978 mission where Sigmund Jähn became the first German in space, flying aboard the Soviet Soyuz 31 mission to the Salyut 6 space station.

• Issue Date: August 30, 1988
• Michel Catalog Numbers: Mi 3190–3192
• The Designs:
  • 5 Pfennig: Features the Soyuz 31 spacecraft and training equipment.
  • 10 Pfennig: Displays the Salyut 6 space station where the mission took place.
  • 20 Pfennig: Depicts the Mir Space Station (representing the progress made in the ten years since the original flight).
• Format: These were often issued in Small Sheets (Kleinbogen) of 3 or 4 stamps with decorative margins, which are highly popular with collectors.

Technical Details & Varieties

• Interkosmos Research: In the same year, the DDR also highlighted the Phobos program (missions to the moons of Mars) and general space research, often appearing as “tab” additions or related commemorative postcards.
• “Sperrwert” (Blocked Values): Some DDR sets from this era included a “blocked value”—a stamp produced in lower quantities to increase its collector value. In this set, the denominations are relatively standard, but the small sheets are considered more desirable.
• Constant Varieties: Collectors look for minor printing errors, such as a “Black dot on the side module” of the Mir station on the 35 Pfennig variant from the wider 1988 space issues.