200 years Graz Joanneum - Austria / II. Republic of Austria 2011

The Joanneum Graz - the second largest museum in Austria after the Vienna Kunsthistorisches Museum - celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2011. The motive of the special stamp appearing on this occasion shows in a successful graphic interpretation on the one hand the time-honored Joanneum itself, on the other hand the modern Kunsthaus Graz, which captivates with its bold architecture and which forms part of the Universalmuseum Joanneum. History: Founded in 1811 by Archduke Johann, the Joanneum was originally not only a museum, but also a renowned educational institution. In 1864, the Joanneum was elevated to the rank of a "k.k. Technical College", and some time later, in 1887, it was decided, after the separation of the university from the overall institution and organization, to unite the collections of the Joanneum in a national museum. In the following years, the reorganization of the valuable collections took place in the "Lesliehof" in the Raubergasse in Graz. However, since the spatial conditions soon prove to be inadequate, a new museum building was built in neo-baroque style from 1890 to 1895 in the Neutorgasse in Graz. Currently, the two opposing buildings are extensively renovated and connected underground to the so-called "Joanneumsviertel". The Universalmuseum Joanneum, a non-profit GmbH since 2003, currently employs about 500 people and enjoys great international recognition. More than 4.5 million objects belong to the impressive collection, which conveys a broad spectrum of culture and science. The interesting program of the traditional house follows its basic mission, namely to show nature, history, art and culture of Styria in an international context. Not only the accommodation, but also the presentation of the various collections is currently in different buildings, which are mostly historical testimonies - for example in castles, aristocratic palaces, former monasteries and in the Landeszeughaus in Graz, which is unique in the world as the largest historical armory. In addition, there are also remarkable examples of modern architecture in the association of the Universalmuseum Joanneum. Of course, special attention should be paid to the Kunsthaus mentioned at the beginning - the "Friendly Alien", as it is pointedly called by its architects Peter Cook and Colin Fournier. This spectacular building unites contemporary art in all its many manifestations under one roof. Of course, the renowned museum is particularly honored by a new cooperation between Österreichische Post AG and the "Austrian Mint", which will be releasing an identical 50 Euro gold coin, also published on 26 January 2010. The artistic design of the motif of the two collectibles comes from Mag. Helmut Andexlinger, a well-known engraver of the "Austrian Mint".