Italy withdraws South Tyrol stamps over missing German text
Italy has pulled two newly issued postage stamps celebrating the alpine South Tyrol region after failing to include German-language inscriptions, violating constitutional protections for linguistic minorities.
The stamps, set to be released Tuesday, featured the Catinaccio (Rosengarten) and Latemar Mountain ranges in the Dolomites. However, they were withdrawn before going on sale due to the absence of German text, a spokesperson for the industry ministry confirmed, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
Calling the omission an “anomaly,” the ministry ordered an investigation and pledged to issue a corrected, bilingual version. The stamps were part of a national series highlighting Italy’s natural landmarks.
South Tyrol, or Sudtirol in German and Alto Adige in Italian, was annexed from Austria after World War I and remains a deeply bilingual province. German is the dominant language, and the region holds significant autonomy within Italy.
The mistake stirred sensitivity in an area with a long history of cultural tensions. Stamps with such errors can become valuable to collectors, as was the case with Italy’s rare 1961 “Gronchi Rosa” stamp, famously withdrawn for showing incorrect borders in South America.
Authorities have also taken down the official webpage showing the flawed stamp design.
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