Tradition of Healing: 750 Years of the Apothecary Profession

This commemorative issue celebrates the 750th anniversary of the pharmacy profession in Germany. Issued by the Deutsche Bundespost on January 8, 1991, the 100 Pfennig stamp features a medieval apothecary motif. The design is based on a miniature from a 13th-century French Codex currently held in the library of Trinity College in Cambridge, depicting a pharmacist weighing medicinal ingredients.

As detailed in the official Ersttagsblatt documentation, this anniversary traces back to the regulations of Emperor Frederick II around the year 1241, which legally separated the professions of physician and apothecary. The collection features a first-day-of-issue cancellation from Bonn with a specialized postmark shaped like the traditional "A" symbol used by German pharmacies.