Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher (1969) was the undisputed king of Formula One auto racing throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s. As a teenager, Schumacher raced karts, becoming the German and European Karting champion in 1987. By 1991 he was racing Formula 1 cars, winning his first Grand Prix a year later. Racing for Benetton, Schumacher won his first World Champion title in 1994. After four years with Benetton, he began driving for Ferrari, and in 2000 brought them their first world title in 21 years. His 2004 year is now legendary: he won 13 races in 18 tries, and claimed an unprecedented seventh overall championship. Schumacher remained a dominant force in the sport of Formula 1 racing through 2006, when he retired at the end of the season.

From the moment that Michael Schumacher’s career got seriously launched, he felt the need to help children. He came into contact with UNESCO through Mrs. Ute-Henriette Ohoven, who is UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for the Education of Children in Need.

Michael Schumacher has been named a UNESCO Champion for Sport. At a ceremony at UNESCO's Headquarters on 15 April 2002 to mark his nomination, Director-General Koïchiro Matsuura paid tribute Schumacher's role in "the promotion of sport, his contribution to UNESCO's educational action in favour of young people all over the world, and his dedication to the Organization's ideals." The four-time world champion has put his sport to work for children in distress since 1995. Then named "UNESCO Special Envoy for Education and Sports", Schumacher donated to UNESCO the 250.000 DM (127.822 euro) he received from the magazine Bunte for exclusive photo coverage of his wedding.

Other donations from the F1 driver paid for the construction of a school in Dakar (Senegal) and improvements to the "Baraka" slum in the city, carried out under a joint project between UNESCO and ENDA Third World, a non-governmental organization. In 1997, he supported the opening of a clinic for child victims of war in Sarajevo. This clinic works especially with children who have suffered amputations, providing them with artificial limbs and psychological support. In 2002 he funded a "Palace for the Poor" in Lima (Peru). This centre helps street children, providing them with a roof, meals, medical treatment and pre-school education.

Stamp catalogue

Austria 20 December 2006

Austria 29 May 2007

Extra stamp catalogue

Niger 14 June 1996

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last revised: 28 March 2010