100 years - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 1986 - 4 Shilling

The brand motif shows the observatory in 1886 after an engraving by A. Heilmann. In September 1986, the 100th anniversary of the Sonnblick observatory was celebrated in Rauris, Kolm Saigurn and on the Sonnblick with an international conference for alpine meteorology and various festive activities. This world-famous Austrian research institution stands on an extremely exposed, 3,100 m high peak in the middle of the glacier region of the main Alpine ridge. From the beginning onwards, not only meteorological routine work, but also research projects in meteorology, physics, chemistry and other natural sciences were carried out on the Sonnblick. The founding period of the Observatory was also the one in which the young science of the weather went through its development into a natural science in the modern sense. Leading the way was the former Viennese school under the leading figure of Julius Hann. At the first symposium of his discipline, which took place in Rome in 1879, he established the exploration of the higher air layers as a near goal. For this purpose, especially the Alpine countries should set up permanently operated weather observation stations on the highest possible and exposed mountain peaks. The Observatory on the Sonnblick owes its origin to this idea. Built by Ignaz Rojacher, it started operating on 2 September 1886.