German officials plan to issue a postage stamp to mark the September opening of Berlin’s Jewish Museum.
In an announcement Tuesday, Germany’s finance minister, Hans Eichel, called the upcoming occasion “worthy of a special stamp.”
The museum will house a permanent exhibit focusing on 2,000 years of German-Jewish history, and it will display works of art, objects of everyday life, documents and multimedia presentations.
It is slated to have its opening gala Sept. 9.
The abstract design on the stamp depicts the new museum building of architect Daniel Libeskind.
The building, which represents a broken star of David, is covered in gray zinc panels pierced by jagged windows. Libeskind has described it as both a “tortuous line” and “an emblem of hope.”
Since the building opened to great critical acclaim in February 1999, it has drawn some 350,000 visitors — even though no exhibits were yet on display.
The stamp was chosen by a jury from 10 entries and will go on sale Sept. 5.
The stamp has yet to be unveiled.
But one person who has seen the stamp told JTA it has the effect of “lightning, in the emotional sense. I knew about the museum before, but the stamp made me think about” what the museum’s creators are trying to accomplish.
“It is not just a museum. It is a work of art.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
