Commemorative stamp series - Germany / German Democratic Republic 1987 - 40 Pfennig

VIII. Gymnastics and Sports Festival and XI. Children and Youth Spartakiade of the GDR On the occasion of the VIII. Gymnastics and sports festival and the XI. Children's and Youth Spartakiads of the GDR in Leipzig in 1987, the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications of the German Democratic Republic issued six multicolored special postage stamps, one of which was a supplement. The surcharge will be made available for the event. Special cancellation from 21st July to 20th September 1987 VIII. Gymnastic and Sports Festival and XI. Children's and Youth Spartakiads of the GDR Leipzig as a traditional site of gymnastics and sports festivals of the GDR presents itself from July 27 to August 2, 1987 again as a city of sport. In the social, cultural and sporting life of our people, this national festival developed into a significant climax. It is an expression of zest for life, optimism and athletic performance. For tens of thousands of sportsmen and women, for many guests at home and abroad, various events and competitions will bring unforgettable experiences. On May 10, 1985, the Festival and Spartakiadekomitee for the preparation and implementation of the Days of Physical Culture and Sports 1987 in Leipzig was constituted in Berlin, capital of the GDR. The patronage was taken over by the Secretary General of the Central Committee of the SED and Chairman of the State Council of the GDR, Erich Honecker. Under the chairmanship of the President of the DTSB of the GDR, Comrade Manfred Ewald, the Spartakiadekomitee includes personalities from all areas of social life. Gymnastics and sports festivals are not only an important driving force in the development of physical culture and sport, but also a reflection of mass sports and a yardstick in the pursuit of sporting excellence. But there are also festivals of peace, friendship and expression of the unifying olympic idea. The events of the VIII. Gymnastics and sports festival and the XI. Kinder- and Jugendspartakiade offer a representative, colorful and extensive program of sporting and cultural performances. The opening event in the center of the city of Leipzig, on the Karl-Marx-Platz, will be an effective prelude to these days of sport. Varied exercises, combined to a colorful round of sporting performances, inspire the audience in the central stadium. During the traditional sports show athletes from various practice associations "conjure up" pictures of the zest for life and through the splendor of color, performance and harmony of the movements of thousands, they document the breadth of sport in our republic. An exhibition of visual and applied art and photography is evidence of the close connection of sport with art. The final event and the Spartakiad competitions are sporting and cultural highlights of those days. Young athletes, boys and girls from all areas of our republic compete for the eleventh time since 1966 for the coveted medals on the occasion of the Spartakiadean fights, measure their powers and achievements and do their best. They are exemplary and inspiring for many children, adolescents and adults to do sports. They are invited to follow the example of these young Spartakiad fighters and also to do sports regularly. Achieving this is an important task of our socialist sports organization, supported by the FDJ youth organization and its pioneer organization "Ernst Thälmann", as well as the institutions of popular education and other state institutions. In preparation for this great sporting event, millions of citizens have participated in the popular sports competitions in the sports of table tennis, volleyball, bowling, fistball and cross-country skiing in order to determine the sports festival winner in Leipzig. The athletes also compete in different disciplines. Gymnastics and sports festivals in the GDR are always something important in sports development. They contribute to further improving physical culture and sport. Above all, the goal is to develop the citizens' sporting activity into a real need for life and to create a variety of new opportunities for physical activity that meet the different interests and preferences of citizens of all ages. The celebrations in Leipzig do justice to this important social concern because they reflect the mass character of physical culture and sport. But they also document the aspiration of the young athletes for high performance and are a commitment of all participants and especially the young generation to peace.