100th birthday of Nathan Söderblom - Germany / Federal Republic of Germany 1966 - 20 Pfennig

The Swedish church leader Nathan Söderblom, who was born on 15 January 1866 in Trönö and died on 12 July 1931, was originally a religious historian in Upsala and then followed a call to a professor of religious history in Leipzig. As an ecumenical leader, he emerged during the First World War and became known in church circles worldwide through his immense work for the unification of Christian churches. As Archbishop of Upsala, he summoned the first conference on practical Christianity in Stockholm in 1925, thereby acquiring lasting service to the churches of the World Council of Churches. His 100th birthday is the occasion for the publication of this memorial stamp, for which from the outset only a portrait could be considered. The artists commissioned to draw up the designs were provided with some good photographs, in which the personality of Söderblom was expressed in words. The graphic artists Prof. Hans Michel and Günther Kieser as well as Karl Oskar Blase, Horst A. Rischka and Wilhelm Busch each came up with a proposal. Herbert Kern and Horst Lemke each sent two designs. If one compares the diversity of physiognomies on the eight leaves, it becomes clear how difficult it is to aptly illustrate the essence of precisely this personality in the portrait. It hardly seems believable that they are the same person. Thus, when selecting the design to be executed, the task to be solved was to find out who contains the absolutely valid portrait and at the same time fulfills the dictates of branding. It was obvious that the solution offered by Prof. Hans Michel and Günther Kieser had the most persuasive power in these two directions. It conveys the image of the faithful man of God to the finest nuances, yet it stands and works in the midst of this world. At the corners of his mouth, there is a smile that testifies to humor and philanthropy. The exceptionally strong portrait on black and white parked on both sides is effectively accompanied by the rising vertically lines and the juicy value, which is the only white element in the gray background. The Federal Minister of Posts and Telecommunications has approved the proposal of the Art Advisory Council and has arranged for this draft to be carried out. The two-color offset printing in the colors reddish gray and black has been carried out by the large graphic firm A. Bagel in Düsseldorf.