“Tatort” postage stamp honors series’ 50th anniversary

In November 2020, 50 years after the broadcast of the first episode of “Tatort,” Deutsche Post (the German Post Office) honored the country’s most successful TV crime series with a stamp of its own.

The 80-cent stamp is available at Deutsche Post branches and in its online shop. In addition to a sheet of ten stamps, Deutsche Post offers a commemorative sheet consisting of a block of four “Tatort” stamps, including a first-day postmark, in a stamp mount. A postcard set and a folded card complete the anniversary assortment.

Tatort-typical design

The special stamp features the characteristic “Tatort” crosshairs from the opening credits of the series, combined with the ARD test pattern that appeared at the end of each broadcasting day into the 1990s. Deutsche Post also uses this test pattern motif as an identifying symbol for all stamps in its “German television legends” series.

The “Tatort” stamp was conceived by Thomas Steinacker, a graphic artist at Deutsche Post who designs stamps, special postmarks, and other products.