First day and stamp presentation of the commemorative stamps in the series “Rare breeds of livestock, Mangalica pig” and “Beautiful Austria, traditions”
The woolly pig
The furry Mangalica pig, one of the oldest indigenous pig breeds in Europe, is this year's motif for the series "Rare Breeds of Livestock".
The Mangalica, often spelled Mangalitza, is also known as the Hungarian Woolly Pig. It was officially recognised as a breed in 1927. It descends from the Szalonta and Bakony pigs, with Serbian and Croatian breeds crossbred into it. By the end of the 19th century, it was the leading breeding pig in Europe, particularly widespread in Hungary and Burgenland. It was mainly used for producing bacon and lard.
However, from the 1950s, breeds with leaner meat displaced this lard pig breed. Since the 1980s, the Austrian Association for the Preservation of Endangered Domestic Animal Breeds, now ARCHE Austria, has been breeding the Mangalica pig. It is currently bred as a highly endangered breed within a conservation breeding programme.
The lively animals are medium-sized and robust, making them ideal for year-round extensive free-range farming. They graze in oak forests, swampy areas, and wasteland and are also used for ecological forest soil remediation. In Austria, three colour variants are bred: blonde, swallow-bellied, and red Mangalica. Typical is the dense, curly coat. The high-quality dark meat is tender with a high fat content but a low proportion of saturated fatty acids; it is mainly used for sausages, bacon, and lard products.
Traditional Austria
The fourth miniature sheet in the series "Beautiful Austria" features a selection of local traditions that have already been issued as motifs on the dispenser stamps.
The Daffordil Festival, the largest flower festival in Austria, takes place annually in spring in the Ausseerland region of the Styrian Salzkammergut. Artful figures are adorned with the region's typical white blooming star daffodils and are displayed during a city or boat parade on the festival Sunday, which alternates between Bad Aussee, Altaussee, and Grundlsee.
A classic autumn drink with much culinary tradition is Sturm. In Austria, Sturm refers to white or red grape must that has just begun to ferment. It already contains alcohol but is still quite sweet. A perfect accompaniment to Sturm is roasted chestnuts. The very first issue of the dispenser stamps featured the coffeehouse motif. Viennese coffeehouse culture has been part of UNESCO's intangible cultural heritage since 2011. A classic Viennese coffeehouse offers an elegant interior, a selection of newspapers for guests, and various pastries, with a glass of water traditionally served with the coffee. The accordion is a traditional musical instrument of local folk culture. The stamp shows a button accordion. In Alpine folk music, the "Styrian harmonica" plays a significant role, and the button accordion is also a typical instrument in Viennese Schrammelmusik.
When?
21 June 2024, 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Presentation at 2:00 p.m.
Where?
Austrian Post tent at Göltl Organic Farm, Kanalgasse 5, 7132 Frauenkirchen
Group picture 1, left to right: Hannes Schmid (mayor of the city of Frauenkirchen), Daniela Winkler (member of the regional Parliament/Burgenland), Patricia Liebermann (Austrian Post, Head of Philately), Kirsten Lubach (designer of the commemorative stamp, rare breeds of livestock, Mangalica pig), organic farmer Josef Göltl, Johannes Ehrenfeldner (director of the National Park Neusiedler See-Seewinkel, Alois Mondschein (Austrian Post).
Group picture 1, left to right: Matthias Doser (deputy mayor of the city of Frauenkirchen), Hannes Schmid (mayor of the city of Frauenkirchen), Daniela Winkler (member of the regional Parliament/Burgenland), Alois Mondschein (Austrian Post), Biobauer Josef Göltl, Kirsten Lubach (designer of the commemorative stamp, rare breeds of livestock, Mangalica pig), Johannes Ehrenfeldner (director of the National Park Neusiedler See-Seewinkel)
Picture presentation: © Österreichische Post AG
