This special semi-postal series, titled "Für den Sport 1988" (For Sport 1988), was issued by the Deutsche Bundespost on February 18, 1988. Surcharges from these stamps benefit the Stiftung Deutsche Sporthilfe, an organization dedicated to supporting social tasks and athletes across all sporting disciplines. The series was designed by Hans Günter Schmitz.
The stamps featured in this issue highlight significant international sporting events of the year, including the Olympic Summer Games in Seoul and the UEFA European Football Championship hosted in Germany:
Fußball (60+30 Pf): Commemorates the 1988 European Championship. The design honors the German Football Association (DFB), which at the time was the largest sports association in the Federal Republic with approximately 4.8 million members.
Tennis (80+40 Pf): Marks the return of tennis as an official Olympic medal sport at the 1988 Seoul Games after a 64-year absence. The sport had seen a massive surge in popularity in Germany due to the international success of domestic stars.
Kunst- und Turmspringen (120+55 Pf): Celebrates diving, an aesthetic discipline that has been part of the Olympic program for men since 1904 and women since 1912. The documentation notes that the Federal Republic of Germany was ranked between fifth and eighth in the world at the time of issue
