Luxembourg Stamps 1991 by Gary Little

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Sosthène Weis (1872-1941)

50th Anniversary of Death

Date of Issue: March 4, 1991

Sosthène Weis was a prolific artist who painted over 5,000 watercolors. He also served as the government architect from 1905 to 1920.

The paintings shown on these stamps are "View from the Trier Road" (14F), "Vauban Street and the Viaduct" (18F), and "St. Ulric Street" (25F).

Luxembourg Fungi

Date of Issue: March 4, 1991

The fungi on these stamps were drawn around 1826 by Pierre-Joseph Redouté, born in 1759 in Saint-Hubert, then a part of the Grand Duchy. The drawings were for a scientific book on the fungi of Luxembourg that was never published. The drawings later disappeared, but were rediscovered in the 1960s.

Europa 1991

Europe in Space

Date of Issue: May 13, 1991

The 14F stamp shows the two Astra television satellites launched by the Luxembourg company Société Européenne des Satellites in 1988 and 1991. The 18F stamp shows the earth control station located in Betzdorf Castle near Luxembourg City. The castle also houses the administrative offices of SES.

Tourism

Kayl and Redange-sur-Attert

Date of Issue: May 13, 1991

Kayl. This stamp shows the National Miners Monument, honoring those miners who have died on the job, was inaugurated in 1957.

Redange-sur-Attert. This stamp shows the former Magistrates' Court, which was built in 1849 and used as a courthouse until 1972.

Edmond de la Fontaine (Dicks) (1823-1891)

Centenary of Death

Date of Issue: May 13, 1991

Edmond de la Fontaine, known by his pen name Dicks, is one of the great writers of Luxembourg. He wrote several popular vaudeville plays featuring Luxembourg characters and was also a songwriter. De la Fontaine's primary profession was lawyer and he was a Justice of the Peace at Vianden when he died in 1891.

Unions in Luxembourg

75th Anniversary

Date of Issue: May 13, 1991

Worker associations in Luxembourg go back to the 1860s when mutual aid societies were first set up. It was not until 1916 that the first formal trade unions were established because of the oppressive working conditions for industrial workers during the World War I occupation. These were the Luxembourg Miners' and Steelworkers' Union and the Metalworkers' Union, which later merged into the LAV (Lëtzebuerger Arbechterverband -- Luxembourg Workers' Assocation). The largest unions today are LAV, LCGB (Lëtzebuerger Chrëschtleche Gewerkschaftsbond -- Luxembourg Christian Union Confederation), and OGB-L (Independent Union Confederation).

The stamp shows a work of art by Luxembourg artist Emile Kirscht.

Mascarons

Date of Issue: September 23, 1991

Mascarons are stone faces decorating house fronts, originally by the Greeks to ward off evil spirits, later for purely decorative reasons. They were popular in Luxembourg until the start of the 20th century.

Stamp Day

50th Anniversary

Date of Issue: September 23, 1991

This stamp incorporates the design of the 1936 stamp issued to commemorate the 11th congress of the FIP in Luxembourg City. The first three Stamp Days were held in 1939, 1940, and 1941, but the next one was not until 1945 because of the World War II occupation.

Historical Post & Telephone Equipment

Date of Issue: September 23, 1991

These stamps show an old telephone and an old postbox that are now in the Posts and Telecommunications Museum in Luxembourg City. These stamps were issued in booklets containing two panes (4 x 14 F, 1 x 4 F).

Chapels III (Charity Issue)

Date of Issue: December 9, 1991

These stamps depict watercolor paintings of four restored chapels in Luxembourg:

• Chapel of St. Donatus (Arsdorf)
• Chapel of Our Lady of Sorrows (Brandenbourg)
• Chapel of Our Lady, Luxembourg (Glacis)
• Chapel of the Hermitage (Wolwelange)