New issues: Germany - "For the welfare"

The stamps in the series "For the welfare". The cross denotes brand from five points, community service and thus promote the cohesion of our society. The theme of the current issue is fruit for the first time in the history of German postage stamps, the stamps bear scents - they each smell of the fruit depicted on them.

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The apple (Malus domestica) has been used for about 10,000 years ago by people. The wild species "Malus sieversii" is regarded as the main form and spread from Central Asia via the Silk Road and the Middle East to Europe. A rigorous selection resulted in tasty, large fruits that are considered primitive forms of modern varieties. "Anacuta" and "Decio" are two of the oldest surviving apple varieties. The global market is dominated by a few species, among which well-known old varieties such as "Boskoop" or "Gravenstein" are located next to new varieties from the USA, Japan or the Netherlands.

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Already in the 14th Century were cultivated in Europe, wild strawberries. After the discovery of America came 1623, the scarlet strawberry and 1712, the Strawberry Chile to Europe. A random intersection of these two wild forms led to the selection of today's garden strawberry "Fragaria ananassa" which has since spread across all regions with a temperate climate. To date, more than 1,000 varieties have been bred - and several times again-sustaining, early and late-maturing varieties and some with fixed and other soft fruits.

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The lemons "Citrus limon" is one of the oldest known fruits. It was cultivated 4,000 years ago in China. Presumably by the Arabs arrived in the 10th Century, from northwest India in the eastern Mediterranean, where the Romans cultivated in gardens. Currently, there are many forms in different citrus varieties, all of which are hardy and can therefore be grown in our region only under glass. The main growing areas are Southern Europe, California and North Africa. The lemon is valued for its high vitamin C content.

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The blueberry - regionally including blueberry, black berry, wild berry or wild berry called - is originally native to the northern regions of the northern hemisphere. The Wildvorkommen "Vacciniu m myrtillus" are the flavor bred in the U.S. Hochbusch blueberries "Vaccinium corymbosum superior." The demand for wild grown fruits is greater than supply, because there are hardly any flavor alternatives.
Technical details:
Design: Karen Scholz, Bad Essen
Theme: apple, strawberry, lemon and blueberry
Value: 0.45 +0.20, 0.55 +0.25, 0.55 +0.25 and 1.45 +0.55 Euro
Size: 55,00 x 32,80 mm
Date of issue: 02 January 2010

Postal Authority Germany