Germany year 1997 Deutsche Post Heinrich von Stephan anniversary letter

In 1997, Deutsche Post (the German postal service) issued a special commemorative letter/cover to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Heinrich von Stephan, who is considered the founder of the world’s first modern postal system.

Here are some key details about this 1997 Deutsche Post anniversary letter:

Purpose:

• It commemorated the 150th birth anniversary of Heinrich von Stephan (1831-1897) on January 7, 1997.
• Von Stephan implemented major reforms as director of the Prussian and later German Imperial Postal system in the late 19th century.

Design:

• The letter had a large illustrated portrait of Heinrich von Stephan on the left side.
• It included printed text in German providing biographical details about von Stephan’s life and achievements.
• The cancellation mark featured Von Stephan’s bust along with the anniversary dates “1847-1997”.

Postmark:

• The first day of issue cancel was from Bonn, Germany on January 7, 1997.
• Commemorative cancels were also available from other German cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, Leipzig.

Significance:

• It paid tribute to Von Stephan’s pioneering work that modernized postal operations through innovations like postage stamps, postcards, postal codes and more.
• As the founder of the Weltpostverein (Universal Postal Union), he helped establish international mail systems.
• The commemorative letter allowed Deutsche Post to honor Von Stephan’s huge legacy and impact.

While not an actual stamp issue, this special 1997 anniversary letter/cover from Deutsche Post celebrated Heinrich von Stephan’s vision that transformed postal services into an efficient modern network during his tenure in the late 1800s in Germany and beyond.