Austrian Post is congratulating the association with a commemorative miniature sheet, bringing to a close the “100 years of the VÖPh” series that was launched in 2018.

On 9^th March 1921 the formal inaugural meeting of the Verband Österreichischer Philatelistenvereine (Federation of Austrian Philately Associations), VÖPh for short, was held in the Deierl restaurant in Vienna. Then, as now, the interest group’s focus was on supporting stamp collectors, by providing access to information on stamps, for example.  Oberstleutnant a. D. Ludwig Hesshaimer was elected as the first chairperson of the federation, the official headquarters of which were the apartment of the secretary, the lawyer Dr. Karl Willer, in Vienna’s 16^th district. Today the members of the VÖPh comprise around 220 associations, sections, exchange offices and working groups made up of around 8,500 philatelists.

The miniature sheet to celebrate this jubilee features the historic entrance to the current home of the VÖPh in Vienna’s Getreidemarkt (grain market) in the centre and a laurel ornament from this entrance along with the special jubilee logo of the VÖPh on one of the two stamps. The other stamp shows the logo of the Multilaterale federation: the seven-pointed star represents the umbrella organisations of the associations from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Slovenia which, together as a multilateral organisation, have dedicated themselves to promoting philately. To celebrate this 100^th anniversary, the Multilaterale exhibition will this year be held in St. Pölten from 24^th to 26^th September.