Commemorative stamp series - Germany / German Democratic Republic 1980 - 20 Pfennig

Important Personalities, Edition 1980 The Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of the German Democratic Republic issues six special postage stamps with pictures of important personalities. No special First Day Cover Special cancellation from February 26 to April 25, 1980 20 Pfennig value: Johann Friedrich Naumann (February 14, 1780 to August 15, 1857) Johann Friedrich Naumann comes from a farming family established in the Köthener Land since the Thirty Years' War. Under the guidance of his father, Johann Andreas Naumann, who himself published several books, including a "Natural History of Land and Waterfowl.", He became familiar with the living environment from earliest youth. His special interest was the birds and the plants. With many hardships, with tough diligence and careful, comprehensive methodology, he collected for decades a unique for that time and in its entirety even today impressive and usable data wealth. He maintained fertile contacts with scientists from several European countries and maintained close relationships with museums (such as the Zoological Museum of the young University of Berlin) and observers. His great talent in drawing he also constantly sought to perfect the technical side; He also learned the art of engraving to cope with the great task which he had set himself as a life's work: "Johann Andreas Naumann's, several learned societies members, natural history of birds of Germany, designed according to own experiences" to expand and all bird species in their various costumes in colored copper plates. This work appeared in 1820 to 1844 in twelve volumes and in a barely edited reprint (with other, larger panels) in 1905. JF Naumann was the first zoologist to describe accurately and scientifically rigorously descriptions of the exterior and animal groups in a larger geographical area the lifestyle has put together. His ecological data have been surpassed as a data collection of accuracy and richness only very recently by a Central European manual. Already during his lifetime Naumann's varied scientific work has earned him high esteem and many honors (Dr. h. C., Professor title). Its large collection of birds has been preserved as a Naumann Museum and is carefully cared for as an evolved part of our cultural heritage. The scientific importance of Naumann in the history and present of zoology will be acknowledged in a great commemoration of the 200th anniversary of his birth.