A Champion of Rights: The Ludwig Windthorst Centenary

This historical issue pays tribute to the 100th anniversary of the passing of Ludwig Windthorst, one of the most influential German politicians of the 19th century. Issued by the Deutsche Bundespost on March 12, 1991, the stamp features a portrait based on a contemporary historical likeness of Windthorst, designed by Professor Gerd Aretz. As detailed in the historical background provided in the official Ersttagsblatt, Windthorst was a key figure in the Catholic Center Party and a formidable parliamentary opponent of Otto von Bismarck during the Kulturkampf, advocating fiercely for civil liberties and religious freedom. The stamp is preserved with a first-day-of-issue cancellation from Bonn, which includes a reproduction of the statesman's own elegant signature.