Day of issue of the commemorative stamp "100th anniversary of ÖBB"

The stamp is made from recycled acrylic glass. Below the primary design is a detachable section, designed to resemble a typical train station sign – white lettering on a dark blue background – which can be separated. In total, the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) stamp is available in 1,031 variations, each representing a unique Austrian train station. With a total print run of 181,456 pieces, that's precisely 176 stamps for each station.

A special feature of the stamp is an embedded RFID chip that can be activated via smartphone. An augmented reality animation then displays a historic steam locomotive entering a tunnel and emerging as a modern ÖBB locomotive. With a magnet affixed to its back, the stamp can also double as a refrigerator magnet.

The railway era in Austria began in 1837 with the Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway. However, following the collapse of the Habsburg Monarchy, this railway became indebted and structurally outdated. As a result, the decision was made to hand over the Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway as its "own economic entity" to professional management. The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) started operating on October 1, 1923, with 2,600 steam locomotives and just under 113,000 employees. Today, with about a third of that staff, they transport nearly four times more passengers and cargo. In 2022, they carried around 253 million passengers and 88 million tons of goods by train, all powered entirely by renewable energy.

The commemorative stamp features the anniversary logo of the ÖBB, with both current and historical locomotives and railcars hinted at in the background. Below is a detachable train station sign, randomly representing one of the over 1,031 train stations in Austria. The stamp, designed by David Gruber, has a face value of 6.50 euros and was printed 181,456 times.

When? 
30 September 2023, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., presentation at 4:00 p.m.

Where? ÖBB Cargo Hall, Taborstraße 95, 1020 Vienna

Group picture, left to right:
Georg Pölzl (CEO of Österreichische Post AG), Leonore Gewessler (Minister), Andreas Matthä (CEO of ÖBB Holding), 
Pictures: © ÖBB / Knopp