stagecoach - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 2008

The two international stamp exhibitions "Praga 2008" and "WIPA08", which take place almost in immediate succession, are the worthy occasion for this joint issue of the Czech Republic and Austria. The attractively designed brand block shows in his motif a historical painting of a stagecoach - epitome of the post office in earlier times. A topic with which the Doyenne of the Posthistorik, the scientist Dr. Christine Kainz, in her book "Aus Österreichs Postgeschichte" has occupied in a charming way: "Much resplendent and popular motif of contemporary artists, awakens the stagecoach, 'mother' of the Passenger Transport Service of the post, when viewing the mostly lovely contemplative representations of yesteryear almost always nostalgic romantic feelings. But even as funny as the Postillon blew, traveling with her was by no means convenient. And certainly, as spoiled children of technical progress, today we would hardly like to undertake our holiday trip with such a vehicle as, 200, 300 years ago, the travelers of the post office greatly appreciated it as unbelievable progress. After the stagecoach in the first half of the 19th century experienced its heyday, he lost with the onset of the triumphal procession of the railway in Austria in 1837 more and more importance - only those routes that were not served by the railway, remained the stagecoaches, that could not compete in terms of cruising speed and comfort with the new means of transport. The final 'Out' for the stagecoach, whose job area still included the feeder services to the train, trips off the rail network, in remote valleys or over mountain passes until the 20th century, came when the automobile came on the scene. With its introduction in the Austrian postal service in 1907, the stagecoach time finally came to an end. "