A Historic Slide: 1991 Bobsleigh World Championships in Altenberg

This commemorative postage block was issued by the Deutsche Bundespost to mark the 1991 Bobsleigh World Championships held in Altenberg. This issue was designed by Lothar Grünewald and released on January 8, 1991. The event was particularly significant as it represented the first Bobsleigh World Championship held in a reunited Germany.

The documentation provided on the Ersttagsblatt includes specific technical details about the Altenberg track:

Track Length: 1413 meters.

Curves: 17 right-hand and 10 left-hand turns.

Average Gradient: 8.65%.

Maximum Gradient: 15.5%.

Speeds: Competitors reached speeds between 100 and 120 km/h.

The block features a 100-pfennig stamp depicting a racing bobsleigh against the backdrop of the Altenberg track. It is preserved with a first-day-of-issue cancellation from Bonn, featuring the official snowflake emblem of the championships.