Luxembourg Stamps 1977 by Gary Little

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Famous Visitors to Luxembourg

Goethe, Turner, Hugo, and Liszt

Date of Issue: March 14, 1977

These stamps show portraits of four famous visitors to Luxembourg:

• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832). He stayed in Luxembourg-Pfaffenthal on October 13-24, 1792. He published his impressions in the autobiographical work "The Campaign in France".
• J.M. William Turner (1775-1851). A master of watercolor painting, Turner visited Luxembourg many times, notably in 1826 and 1834. On these occasions he made sketches of Luxembourg City which he later transformed into six watercolors now in the British Museum in London.
• Victor Hugo (1802-1885). Hugo visited Luxembourg several times during his exile from France after 1852. Most notably, he lived in Vianden in the summer of 1871 where he drew, visited old castles, and wrote a series of poems on "The Terrible Year".
• Franz Liszt (1811-1886). The pianist Liszt visited Luxembourg twice -- in 1845 and 1886. In 1845 he gave a brilliant concert in the hall of the Hötel de Luxembourg. More than 40 years later, on July 19, 1886, he have the last recital of his life during a concert organized in his honor by the Philharmonic Society of Luxembourg in the grand hall of the Casino. He died 12 days later.

Europa 1977

Historic Places

Date of Issue: May 5, 1977

The Europa theme of "historic places" is the subject of these two stamps. The first shows the cradle of old Luxembourg -- the fish market on the crossroads of the Roman consular roads Paris-Reims-Arlon-Trier and Metz-Thionville-Dalheim-St. Vith. The other shows the Adolphe Bridge, completed in 1903, and the headquarters of the European Investment Bank (which now houses the State Savings Bank).

Landscapes

Esch-sur-Sûre and Ehnen

Date of Issue: May 5, 1977

These stamps show landscapes from two picturesque towns in Luxembourg -- Esch-sur-Sûre and Ehnen. Esch-sur-Sûre is in the Ardennes, on a hill located in a tight loop of the Sûre; the remains of its castle date from 927. Ehnen is located on the Moselle River between Remich and Grevenmacher; its origins go back to the 8th century and it still maintains a typically medieval character.

Medallions

Notre-Dame Congregation and Louis Braille

Date of Issue: May 5, 1977

These stamps commemorate the 350th anniversary of the foundation of the Notre-Dame Congregation for the education of young girls (the stamp shows Marguerite de Busbach, who financially supported the formation of the Congregation) and the 125th anniversary of the death of Louis Braille, the inventor of the relief alphabet for use by the blind.

Roman Mosaics at Diekirch

Date of Issue: September 15, 1977

Numerous Roman mosaics have been discovered in the area around Diekirch since the beginning of the 19th century. The one shown on the stamp, the head of Medusa, was found in 1950 when a local road was being widened.

International Festival of Wiltz

25th Anniversary

Date of Issue: September 15, 1977

The International Festival of Wiltz was founded in 1952. Its performances takes place in the grand open-air theater adjacent to the castle featuring a monumental double Renaissance style staircase.

Baroque Art

Date of Issue: September 15, 1977

Two examples of baroque art in Luxembourg are shown on these stamps -- statues of St. Gregory the Great and St. Augustine, sculpted by Jean-Georges Scholtus in the first half of the 18th century. They are located in the pulpit of the Feulen parish church.

Luxembourg Postage Stamps

125th Anniversary

Date of Issue: September 15, 1977

This souvenir sheet honors the 125th anniversary of the issuance of the first Luxembourg postage stamps. The two stamps issued on September 15, 1852, bearing a likeness of Grand Duke Guillaume III, are shown on this sheet.

Treaties of Rome

20th Anniversary

Date of Issue: December 5, 1977

On March 25, 1957, West Germany, Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, and The Netherlands signed the Treaties of Rome setting up the European Economic Community and the European Atomic Energy Community. Denmark, Great Britain, and Ireland joined this community on January 1, 1973.

The goal of the Treaties of Rome is the political unification of the member countries. Initial achievements were the fusion, on July 1, 1966, of the EEC, EAEC, and the European Coal and Steel Community. On July 1, 1968 a customs union came into effect.

Protected Plants III (Charity Issue)

Date of Issue: December 5, 1977

These stamps depict plants that are protected by Luxembourg law in order that they may better survive as the country continues to industrialize:

• Convallaria majalis (Lily of the Valley)
• Aquilegia vulgaris (Columbine)
• Daphne mezereum (Mezereon)
• Ophrys specodes (Early Spider Orchid)
• Dactylorhiza maculata (Spotted Orchid)