25th Anniversary of CEPT - Germany

In 1984 CEPT (Conference Europeenne des Administrations des Postes et des Telecomunications) celebretes its 25th annversary. The CEPT was formed in 1959 in Montreux in Switzerland and it is an organization at administrative level.

The CEPT member countries issue EUROPA stamps every year with a common theme. For the 25th anniversary they also have the same motif: a bridge symbolizing communications, exchange and connection.

Stamp Issue: 1984-05-08

Old Rhine Bridge

On the 4th of September 2008 German and Swiss posts have emitted a joint stamp issue sharing the same design and picturing an old bridge over the Rhine river.


With a length of 200 meters, this bridge is the longest covered wooden bridge in Europe. It connects the German town of Bad Säckingen with the Swiss canton of Aargau. Existence of a wooden bridge in this area can be tracked back to the 13th century. This first construction and many subsequent ones were destroyed because of disasters or wars.


Today's bridge construction emerged 200 years ago and is used since then as a frontier between Germany and Switzerland. Since 1979 it is reserved exclusively to cyclists and pedestrians.

Stamp Issue: 2008-09-04

100 Years Bridge Oberndorf - Laufen

Oberndorf has witnessed a large number of devastating floods during the last centuries. The first record of a bridge being washed away dates back to 1316. The damage was often caused by flotsam which was caught between the wooden bridge pylons and forced the water to dam up. Ultimately the bridges were often just washed away. During the last decade of the 19th century four floods cased great damage, and a decision was made to relocate the town to a more elevated plateau.


The Bavarian Laufen and Austrian Oberndorf developed the plan to construct a stable bridge made of stone and iron incorporating a greater span. As the bridge was in close proximity to both the old town square of Laufen and the new centre of Oberndort, an aesthetic design was implemented.

The two-pylon construction had three apertures, the largest of which was on the Austrian side to allow for shipping needs. The construction was made of 648 tonnes of Martin River iron ore, with a chain-like curved upper cable and a straight lower cable. The facing of the pillars and decorative elements required an additional 67 tonnes of material to ensure a pleasing design. Eagles with spread wings were placed upon the bridge portals, adding to the elegant impression of the construction. The bridge was inaugurated on the 2nd of June 1903 in a collective festival of inhabitants from Laufen and Oberndorf.

Stamp Issue: 2003-06-03