Luxembourg New Stamp Issues March 2000

Three stamp issues

On 7 March 2000 Luxembourg Post issued three postage stamp issues: Charles V, Tourism and Mathematics.

Charles V

Like Belgium and The Netherlands Luxembourg issued a stamp depicting Charles V. In the year 1500 Charles was born and later he became the ruler of nearly whole Western Europe.
Charles V was the son of Philip the Handsome and Joan of Aragon-Castille. Since his birth at Ghent on 24th February 1500, Charles V had held the title Duke of Luxembourg. As, on the death of his father, Philip the Handsome, Charles was still a minor, his aunt Marguerite of Austria assumed the regency of The Netherlands. The dominant and menacing position of Spain gave rise to a series of wars with France, in which Luxembourg suffered a great deal.
Having resigned his powers, Charles retired in Spain where he died at the monastery of Yuste in 1558.
Value: A (19 franc).
Size: 33 x 28 mm.
Print: offset by L'Imprimerie de la Poste Suisse, Bern.

Tourism

The municipality of Walferdange, celebrating the 150th anniversary of its creation on 25th November 2000, consists of the villages of Wolferdange, Bereldange and Helmsange.
The castle of Walferdange, the main facade of which is reproduced on it's stamp, was built in 1825 and was turned into a royal residence under William II, king of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg. Prince Henry of The Netherlands lived there from 1850 and died at the castle in 1879.
After the First World War the castle was abandoned. The castle was restored in 1930 into a primary school mistresses' training college. During the liberation in 1945 the castle was occupied by the American army and later by the Luxembourg army.
In 1967 the buildings were taken over by the Institut Pédagogique. Today the castle is occupied by the Institut Supérieur d'Études et de Recherches Pédagogiques.
Wasserbillig is situated at the confluence of the Moselle and the Sûre. At the eastern tip of the country, 130 meter above sea level and thus the lowest lying point of the country, Wasserbillig is well known for its major road intersection.
The railways have always played an important role in Wasserbillig's history. The Wasserbillig-Luxembourg line was opened in 1861 and in later years the railway lines to Echternach (1874) and Grevenmacher (1891) were opened.
The former station building of the Prince Henri railway was built in 1895. In 1981, the municipality bought this venerable building from the National Railway Company of Luxembourg, renovated it and installed the local government offices in the building.
Value: A (16 franc), both stamps.
Size: 28.0 x 41.1 mm and 41.1 x 28 mm.
Print: photogravure by Hélio Courvoisier.

World Mathematical Year

Mathematics is one of the greatest intellectual inventions. Mathematics is nearly as old as humanity itself and mathematical knowledge in the modern world is advancing at a faster rate than ever before.
The International Mathematical Union (IMU) launched the idea for World Mathematical Year 2000. On an initiative of the Luxembourg Mathematical Society (SML), Luxembourg succeeded in obtaining he unanimous approval of the member states of UNESCO for a WMY 2000 sponsorship motion. During the course of this symbolic year, the SML is planning numerous activities of a scientific or educational nature.
Value: 80 franc.
Size: 27.66 x 40.20 mm.
Print: La Poste Belge, Molines.

More postage stamps

Stamps Luxembourg
Postage Stamps 2000
Luxembourg 9 May 2000
Luxembourg 31 March 2000
New 1999 Issues of Luxembourg
Luxembourg September 1999