Press releases

Dadaists, monsters and sailors take over the stamps

The first stamp issue of the year is dedicated to various personalities and institutions which have gained recognition as part of the Swiss success story far beyond the national border. These include the first Swiss female doctor, Marie Heim-Vögtlin, the Dada movement, the Swiss maritime merchant fleet and the Swiss Red Cross. The issue is rounded off with the special children’s stamp featuring Molly Monster, a little monster created by Swiss illustrator Ted Sieger.

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The Dada movement began exactly 100 years ago in Cabaret Voltaire on Spiegelgasse 1 in Zurich. A small group of emigrants, led by author and biographer Hugo Ball and the writer and cabaret artist Emmy Hennings, took a stand against the madness of the First World War and practiced a so-called “disintegration of sense” with poems, collages, dance and music. The Dadaists created a network which spread from Zurich across the globe, setting up “Dada branches” in Paris, Berlin, New York and even Japan. The two special stamps commemorating the centenary of the avant-garde movement depict Huge Ball in his famous cubist costume and the Dadaist bust “Portrait Jean Arp” by Sophie Taeuber. “Molly Monster”, the little monster created by Swiss illustrator Ted Sieger, is also known far beyond Switzerland’s borders. The successful children’s figure has appeared internationally in 15 different languages and at the start of this year became one of the biggest Swiss animated films to be shown in cinemas. Swiss Post is issuing two special stamps at the beginning of March to commemorate the success story of the Swiss animated film maker and his cartoon character.

Switzerland in international waters

Swiss Post is honouring Henri Nestlé’s work with a special stamp featuring his portrait. This marks the 150th anniversary of the Swiss industrial company Nestlé Ltd, which became one of the biggest foodstuff companies in the world after the invention of “children’s flour”. Switzerland has also been present in international waters for 75 years thanks to its maritime merchant fleet, which is under the responsibility of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs’ (FDFA) Swiss Maritime Navigation Office (SMNO) and is now being featured on four special stamps. Background: During the Second World War, the Confederation was economically dependent on shipping space to provide the country with essential goods. To ensure this provision continued, Switzerland commissioned its own fleet, which nowadays is operated by private shipowners. For 100 years the Organization of the Swiss Abroad (OSA), which represents the interests of Swiss expatriates in Switzerland, has helped to create a sense of unity across national borders. To celebrate its anniversary, it is receiving a special stamp with a Helvetian stamp motif.

A homage to a female Swiss doctor and the emergency services

With its special stamp depicting Marie Heim-Vögtlin, Swiss Post is paying tribute to the first female Swiss doctor (1845–1916) on the hundredth anniversary of her death. The Aargau native was the first Swiss woman to study medicine at the University of Zurich and obtain a PhD. She continued her studies in Leipzig and Dresden to become the first gynaecologist in Europe and was the first female Swiss doctor to open her own practice. She was also the co-founder of the Zurich School of Nursing, the first hospital for women in Switzerland to be run by women.

The Swiss Red Cross is currently active in around 30 countries in emergency and disaster aid, reconstruction, disaster reduction and development aid. With 500,000 members and 73,000 volunteers, the SRC is Switzerland’s principal humanitarian organization. The “150 Years Swiss Red Cross” special stamp uses the small stamp format to depict the wide range of tasks undertaken by the SRC. The private non-profit foundation Tox Info Suisse has also been on hand for emergencies for the last 50 years. Every year it responds to more than 37,500 enquiries regarding toxic poisoning on its emergency number (145) and is receiving a special stamp in recognition of its activities.

Subjects of the 1/2016 stamp issue – valid from 3 March 2016

  • Molly Monster – “Molly in the cable car” and “Molly on the bridge” special stamps at CHF 1
  • Dada centenary – “Hugo Ball” and “Sophie Taeuber-Arp” special stamps at CHF 1
  • 75 years of the Swiss merchant fleet – special stamps: “Lavaux” at CHF 0.85, “Lugano” at CHF 1, “Lasanne” at CHF 1.50 and “Stockhorn” at CHF 2
  • Marie Heim-Vögtlin 1845–1916 – special stamp at CHF 1
  • 150 years Swiss Red Cross (SRC) – special stamp at CHF 1
  • Henri Nestlé – special stamp at CHF 1
  • 50 years of Tox Info Suisse – special stamp at CHF 1
  • Centenary of the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA) – special stamp at CHF 1

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