Stamp of the German Democratic Republic; 1989; commemorative stamp of the issue "Historical Monuments – Rolands (II)"; issue of 4 stamps; The depicted stamp is GDR Michel No. 3287 from 1989 and shows a "Roland statue" from Buch (in the Altmark, contemporary a quarter of Tangermünde, district Stendal, Contry of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) (The there „Roland“ statue was created in 1611.); A German "Roland Statue" goes back to "Roland, the Count of the Breton Mark" (= border land) and as such a paladin of "Charles the Great" (= "Carolus Magnus"). A „Roland“ is described in early mediaval times by the "Song of Roland" (German: "Rolandslied", original name of Roland: "Hroutland").; A such column is showing an allegorical figure of a knight with sword stylized to a column, often depicted with grotesk facial features, symbolizing the representance for the "rights of a town" of a location.; A such "Roland statue" was a copy of the old-Germanian "Ziu-columns" from "pagan times" before which was spoken law.; This stamp was postmarked with an one-circle first-day special cancellation with 35.0 mm diameter from 1085 Berlin, 7 November 1989 showing a side view of the "Roland" of Haldensleben (equestrian statue with suppoerting pillar) over an inscription in Gothic letters as central motive.
Stamp: Michel: No. 3287; Yvert & Tellier: No. 2891; Scott: No. 2784; AFA: No. 2946
Color: multicolored (with dark brown frame, brown colors dominating)
Watermark: none
Nominal value: 20 (Pfennig)

Stamp size (printed area of a single stamp without frame with year line): 21.5 x 39.0 mm