Kurt Gscheidle
GermanyKurt Gscheidle
Kurt Gscheidle, a German politician, was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). He held the position of Federal Minister of Transport and Postmaster General during his political career.
Early Life and Political Beginnings
Gscheidle joined the SPD in 1956. He served as a member of the Bundestag from 1961 to 1969 and again from 1976 to 1980. In 1969, he was appointed as State Secretary in the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications.
Ministerial Tenure
On May 16, 1974, Gscheidle was appointed as Federal Minister of Transport and Postmaster General in the government of Helmut Schmidt. After the 1980 parliamentary elections, he retained only the Postmaster General portfolio. He left the government following a cabinet reorganization on April 28, 1982.
The "Olympia Boycott" Stamp
During Gscheidle's leadership of the Post Office, a stamp was planned for release to commemorate the 1980 Summer Olympics. However, West Germany boycotted the games, and the stamps were recalled. Despite the ban, Gscheidle's wife used some of the stamps for personal correspondence. These unused and canceled "Olympia Boycott" stamps or "Gscheidle stamps" became highly valuable German postage stamps issued after 1945. In 2008, one such stamp, used on a postcard, sold at auction for 85,000 euros.
