The Pioneer of Cooperation: 100th Anniversary of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen

This official Ersttagsblatt (9/1988) honors the 100th anniversary of the death of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen (1818–1888), a monumental social reformer and the founder of the cooperative movement. Issued by the Deutsche Bundespost on February 18, 1988, the 80 Pfennig stamp features a portrait of Raiffeisen set against a plowed field, symbolizing his deep roots in agricultural reform.

The historical documentation on the reverse of the sheet highlights his enduring legacy:

Social Mission: Driven by his Christian faith and the poverty he witnessed as a mayor, Raiffeisen founded the first rural credit unions to help small farmers escape debt and famine.

The Raiffeisen Principles: He established the core values of self-help, self-responsibility, and self-administration, which remain the foundation of cooperatives today.

Global Impact: His ideas spread far beyond Germany; at the time of this issue, over 640,000 cooperatives worldwide with nearly 300 million members were operating under his philosophy.

Artistic Design: The issue was designed by Sigrid Förtsch-von Baumgarten and Professor Hans Förtsch. The specialized first-day cancellation from Bonn depicts a stylized farmhouse with a barn.