Development of Charity Labels and the Semi-Postal System in Austria

The sale of charity labels began in Bostan, MA, in 1862 as a means of raising funds to alleviate the hardships growing out of the Civil War. The use of such labels spread far and wide in the United States but more slowly in Europe and other parts of the world. The first private charity label was issued for the Red Cross in Portugal in 1892. The first government to incorporate the charity label function into a standard postal issue was Great Britain in 1890, in the form of a postcard, followed by the Australian colonies of New South Wales and Victoria in 1897, who issued what we now call semi postal postage stamps in which a portion of the postage is used to support a specific charitable activity. By the end of WWI, virtually all of Europe was issuing semi postal stamps, usually on an annual basis.

In Austria, the form taken by charity labels developed out of the traditions of using wax and paper seals to secure legal documents and letters. By the mid 1870s, when the letter pictured above was secured with red sealing wax, the use of wax had already been largely replaced with paper seals (see immediately below) and postal cancellations.

By the mid 1870s, paper seals, such as the one shown above, had replaced wax seals because they were safer, cleaner, lighter, faster and more informative. This one advertises a spinning and weaving factory and conveys far more information than the wax seal illustrated previously.

By the late 1890s, paper labels were being created for a variety of purposes, notably advertising, civic/political associations, festivals, and charities. Most had taken the form of perforated stamps and, like postage stamps, they were in many cases denominated and sold in order to raise money. The idea was that you placed the denominated label on the front of the envelope or the message side of a postcard together with the postage stamp as a display of public support for a particular organization or charity.

At the left is a 2 kreuzer political label issued by the Bund der Deutschen Nordmährens, Olmütz (Association of German Moravians in Olmütz). It is on a commercial letter from a business owned by a Mr. Promberger, who is assuring his correspondent that he is part of the pan-Germanic movement.

This web page briefly looks at denominated charity labels and how they give rise to the semi postal system in Austria, a development that also occurred throughout western and central Europe. It also explores their meaning as material markers of cultural and historical developments in Austria and, by implication, in Germanic communities throughout Europe.

Common Kinds of Austrian Charity Labels

The strip above illustrates seven common kinds of charity labels sold in Austria in order to supplement funds provided by the state or provide support where the state offered none, as described below (L to R, above):

A) State sponsored charities. The first example is in the form of a paper seal. It is one of many official charity funds operated by the state - in this case, the War Welfare Department of the Imperial Ministry of War's Fund for the Soldiers in the Field and for the Widows and Orphans of the Fallen. Though this looks like an official state seal, you can tell that it is a charity label because it is denominated in the sum of 4 Heller. The price of such labels is usually very modest, ranging from 1 to 5 Heller, or the equivalent amount in the succeeding currency, the Groschen (1925).

B) Volunteer organizations. The most common form of charity labels after 1900 was the perforated stamp. This example is a 2 heller label issued by the Rescue Unit of the Volunteer Fire Station in Graz (Rettungs Abteilung der Freiwillige Feurwache in Graz). A dramatic rescue is depicted.
   By 1900, the Austrians were past masters of visual propaganda. Notice how the rescue, itself, is depicted in stark black and white so that it stands out and away from the rescue vehicle, which is depicted in muted tones in the background. This picture says: Yes! You to might one day need such help, so please help us maintain our vehicle. The Red Cross was a very revered institution in Austria, so the use of red crosses both on the vehicle and the armbands of the rescuers most have evoked a good deal of sympathy. This was a widespread practice despite Austria's trademark law at the time. One wonders under which rule it was tolerated.

C) The Red Cross. In Austria, the Red Cross put out numerous charity labels in the early 20th century. This one is for the Austrian Society of the Red Cross and illustrates the three traditions with which it was strongly associated prior to 1920. The soldier being ministered to by the Red Cross nurse signifies service to the Empire and its military. The symbol of the Red Cross itself, on the armband of the nurse, is paired with the Christian cross shown in red around her neck. Notice, too, that the soldier has a red epaulet, the color of blood being used to bind all three traditions together.

D) Religious organizations. Churches and congregations did not commonly issue charity labels because they could collect money in larger quantities directly using the offering plate. However, religions orders and missions that did not share this advantage did issue labels such as this one in the name of Saint Elisabeth.

E) Charities sponsored by royalty. This label is from the Welfare Society for Charity to Widows and Children featuring its patrons, Karl Franz Joseph and his wife Zita.

Learn more about Karl Franz Joseph.

F) Charities for specific groups of people. Specialized charities sold labels for many groups such as piece-workers, weavers, and, in the case we have here, a Charity Stamp for Postal Employees.

G) Care of Children. There were numerous labels issued in support of individual projects and charities that cared for babies and small children. In this case, we have an undenominated label issued for Help for a Newly Founded Day Nursery in Vienna. Labels such as these were given for donations small or large.

The Rise of the Semi Postal Charity System

By the turn of the 19th Century, war, population increase, the growth of industry within highly stratified European societies, and increases in illness and injury made it impossible for traditional charities and governments to provide for the basic needs of of their poor and disadvantaged. New strategies were necessary. One that arose was Semi Postal postage stamps, which were sold for considerably more than their postage value, the excess being used by governments to support charitable works.

Austria first issued semi postal stamps in 1914: 5 and 10 Heller values that were that were sold for 7 and 12 Hellers, respectively. The 2 Heller excess was used to create a fund for war relief. The postcard pictured above bares the 5 Heller stamp together with an undenominated charity label which identifies itself as the Official Seal Stamp for the Red Cross War Relief Bureau of the ministry of the Interior War Welfare Department for the year 1914.

Austria's second semi postal issue, a set of five stamps in 1915, had the charitable surcharge printed right on the stamp. Here we see the 35 Heller stamp, which has a 3 Heller surcharge. The funds raised in this way went for war relief.

In 1920, Austria simply overprinted the current postage stamps with Hochwasser 1920 (High Water 1920) and charged three times the face value. This 5 heller stamp was sold for 15 heller, the 10 heller difference going into a fund for the victims of flooding.

In 1922, Austria minted a set of semi postal stamps in support of needy musicians. The stamps sold at ten times their postal value. The 10 kronen stamp pictured here honors Franz Schubert.

For our last example, from 1924, Austria minted a set of semi postal stamps for child welfare and to help in the fight against tuberculosis. The stamps had both the postage and charity charges printed on them, in this case 300 kronen for postage and 900 for child welfare.

As the state moved to capture the charity label marketplace, private charity labels disappeared. An exception was the Austrian Red Cross, which continued to issue a single set of seasonal charity labels every Christmas. Here we see their 5 groschen "Christmas Stamp" for 1928.

With the fall of the empire, power fell to rival political parities. One of the ways they recruited followers and votes was to compete with the state, itself, in the arena of charitable good works. Funds were gathered from party members and private sector sponsors. To the left is a door plaque from a welfare office of the Nazis proclaiming the aid they were giving to those suffering from hardship during the winter of 1933/34. Below is one of the Austria's semi postal issues, which collected funds for the same purpose.

Last updated 01/12/2014

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