Day of issue of the commemorative stamps new Wien Museum and 120-year anniversary of Wiener Werkstätte/100-year anniversary of the death of Dagobert Peche

This presentation centres around three events: the 100th anniversary of the death of Austrian artist Dagobert Peche, the 120th anniversary of the founding of Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshop), and the reopening of the Wien Museum at Karlsplatz after several years of renovation.

A miniature sheet designed by Theresa Radlingmaier pays tribute to both Peche (1887–1923) and the Wiener Werkstätte, with which the artist, known as an ornamentation genius, was closely associated.

The miniature sheet combines two anniversaries linked by a shared history: Dagobert Peche was a prominent figure of the Wiener Werkstätte.

The Wiener Werkstätte was a collective of artists aiming to integrate art into all aspects of life, focusing on the highest quality in both design and craftsmanship. Founded in 1903 by Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser, and art patron Fritz Waerndorfer, its artisanal scope included jewelry, furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, and graphic and print design. The company was liquidated in 1932 due to economic problems. Many graduates of the School of Applied Arts, now the University of Applied Arts, found employment at the Wiener Werkstätte, including Felice Rix-Ueno (1893–1967), who from 1914 designed ceramics, wallpapers, fabrics, and fashion accessories for the collective. The miniature sheet features her design for the "Geranium" fabric (circa 1929) on display at MAK.

Dagobert Peche (1887–1923) joined the Wiener Werkstätte in 1915 and headed its Zurich branch from 1917 to 1919. He was known as an "ornament genius" and designed jewelry, furniture, and fabrics. In 1921, he created stamp designs for a competition; although awarded, they were never realized. The miniature displays one of these designs, a woman's head, from the postal archive.

David Gruber designed the special stamp for the reopening of the Wien Museum, featuring the legendary Prater whale, a wooden and copper sculpture that hung over the entrance of the restaurant "Gasthaus zum Walfisch" in the Viennese Prater from 1951 to 2013 and now, freshly restored, adorns the museum hall.

The Wien Museum at Karlsplatz documents the city's history. Now, it reopens after extensive renovation and expansion.

The "Historical Museum of the City of Vienna" on the corner of Resselpark near Karlskirche was built as the first post-war cultural new build according to the plans of architect Oswald Haerdtl and opened in 1959. It soon became too small, and renovation was necessary, leading to the decision in 2013 to expand it with a new building. The design by Certov, Winkler + Ruck Architects from Austria won the architectural competition. The preserved historic building has been sustainably renovated, a new arched structure provides additional space, and the museum forecourt has been redesigned. The museum aims to be a space for encounters and offer accessible entry for all.

The first object to move into the new museum in 2022, due to its enormous size of ten meters, was the legendary Prater whale. The whale sculpture of wood and copper sheet was mounted above the entrance of the restaurant "Gasthaus zum Walfisch" in the Viennese Prater from 1951 to 2013. After the demolition of the restaurant in 2013, the owner of the demolition company stored the whale on his company premises, where it was rediscovered in 2016 and donated to the Wien Museum. The 1.7-ton "whale" now hangs in the museum hall and graces the commemorative stamp for the new Wien Museum.

21 November 2023, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., presentation at 10:00 a.m.

Where?
Special post office: Philately Shop Post am Rochus, Rochusplatz 1, 1030 Vienna

Group pictures: Picture 1 SPA, Picture 2 handover
Picture presentation: © Österreichische Post AG

Group picture SPA, left to right:
David Gruber (stamp artist), Marta Suzama (Communications and Development of Museums in Vienna, Wien Museum), Susanna Hiegesberger (curator, stamp archive, Österreichische Post AG)
Stamp handover: MAK, Stubenring 5, 1010 Vienna
Group picture of handover, left to right:
Picture presentation: © Österreichische Post AG 
Anne-Katrin Rossberg (curator), Lilli Hollein (general director, MAK), Patricia Liebermann, (Head of Philately, Österreichische Post AG)