Germany 2025 "Europa 2025 - National Archaeological Discoveries - UNESCO World Heritage Site - Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Alb"
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| Issue Date | 08.05.2025 |
| ID | Michel: ; Scott: Stanley Gibbons: ; Yvert et Tellier: ; Category: Ot |
| Designer | Professor Sandra Hoffmann Robbiani, Bern, Switzerland Photos: Manuela Schreiner, Hendrik Zwietasch, Yvonne Mühleis Technical support: the University of Tubingen, Museum Ulm, Archaeological State Museum of Baden-Württemberg. |
| Stamps in set | 1 |
| Value | 0,95€ - archeological atrefacts from the Ice Age |
| Emission/Type | commemorative |
| Issue place | Berlin, Bonn |
| Size (width x height) | |
| Layout | Souvenir-Sheet |
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| Issuing Authority | Deutsche Post |
On May 8th, 2025, the Post Authority of Germany issued the stamp "National Archaeological Discoveries - UNESCO World Heritage Site - Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Alb".
Below is translation from an official press release, published by Deutsche Post and German Federal Ministers of Finance in 2025.
A Cultural Revolution 40,000 Years Ago in the Swabian Alb.
Roughly 40,000 years ago, at the edge of the Swabian Alb where the hills descend into the Alpine foothills, a profound cultural transformation took place. In the caves of the Ach and Lone valleys near Ulm, early modern humans began crafting figurative art and musical instruments—marking a major milestone in human development. These Ice Age artists created images of animals, people, and mythical hybrids, along with the world’s oldest known musical instruments. Nowhere else on Earth have similar prehistoric artworks and instruments been discovered.
These finely made ivory sculptures reflect the emergence of a modern human consciousness—one capable of symbolic thought, artistic expression, music-making, ritual, and belief systems. They demonstrate how deeply rooted art and music are in the human experience, revealing their essential role in shaping human culture across time.
Among the most iconic pieces of Ice Age art are the “Lion Man” — a remarkable fusion of human and cave lion features; the “Venus of Hohle Fels” — he oldest known representation of a human figure; and the “Mammoth of Vogelherd”. Crafted from mammoth ivory, these tiny sculptures—typically four to six centimeters tall are about 40,000 years old. The "Lion Man" stands out due to its impressive height of 31 centimeters.
Today, many of these extraordinary artifacts, including originals like the Venus and the "Lion Man", are on display at the Prehistoric Museum in Blaubeuren and the Ulm Museum. Additional finds from the Swabian Alb caves can be seen at the Wuerttemberg State Museum in Stuttgart and the University Museum in Tuebingen.
The oldest known examples of figurative art and musical instruments were unearthed in caves such as Hohle Fels, Geißenkloesterle, and Sirgenstein in the Ach Valley, and Bockstein, Hohlenstein-Stadel, and Vogelherd in the Lone Valley. Recognizing their global importance, UNESCO declared these six caves and their surrounding landscapes a World Heritage Site in July 2017 under the title “Caves and Ice Age Art of the Swabian Alb.”
Even today, the Ach and Lone valleys remain largely pristine, offering visitors a unique opportunity to step back in time with scenic hiking and cycling trails that follow the footsteps of the first artists and musicians of humankind.
Products and associated philatelic items
| First-Day-of-Issue Postmark | Souvenir-Booklet: "Archaeology in Germany" | |
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