First day of the commemorative stamps “Traditional brands“ Diana mit Menthol and Austrian inventions Herbert Hönel - first water-dilutable synthetic resin

DIANA mit Menthol

“That feels good”

For over 125 years, the iconic DIANA rubbing alcohol has been refreshing tired muscles and joints. Now, this home remedy has been honoured with a postage stamp enhanced with scented varnish from the "Traditional brands" series.

In 1897, a Hungarian pharmacist discovered the versatile effects of rubbing alcohol infused with menthol. His "Diana Pharmacy" soon became so renowned for this remedy that the tonic was registered under this name in the Austrian trademark register in 1907. DIANA is thus one of Austria's oldest brands. The brand's unmistakable logo—Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt depicted with bow and arrow—symbolises a connection to nature and vitality. The rubbing alcohol in its classic glass bottle is the brand's oldest product and is used as a liniment for refreshment, after sports, or for regeneration in cases of tension. Typical is the intense scent of menthol, derived from the essential oil of mint, which has a refreshing and cooling effect. To this day, the original recipe remains almost unchanged, and DIANA can be found in many well-stocked home medicine cabinets. In addition to the classic rubbing alcohol, a sports balm, a shower foam, refreshing wipes, and Melissa spirit suitable for oral intake are also produced.

Over the course of the century, ownership changed hands until, in 2014, Unipack GmbH owned the Burghart, an Austrian family-owned business, took over the traditional brand. DIANA products are produced and bottled in Wiener Neustadt.

Herbert Hönel – first water-dilutable and non-flammable synthetic resin

Milestone in the paint industry

This edition of the "Austrian inventions" series focuses on the groundbreaking invention of a water-soluble synthetic resin that revolutionised mass automobile painting.

Herbert Hönel was born in Graz in 1890. He graduated in physics and chemistry from the University of Graz and then worked in the paint industry, where he began to engage in the production of synthetic resins. In 1948, he founded Vianova Kunstharz AG in Werndorf, south of Graz—the present-day Allnex Austria GmbH—where synthetic resins are still produced today. Hönel passed away in 1990 at the age of 100 in Graz.

As a researcher and inventor, Hönel was highly successful, registering more than 300 patents. He is also considered a pioneer of environmental protection: he was particularly committed to replacing the environmentally harmful and flammable organic solvents in paints with water. To achieve this, he developed a new method of resin synthesis and named the resulting water-dilutable and non-flammable synthetic resin Resydrol® (derived from "resin" and "hydro" for water). From the 1960s onwards, it was used as a rust-proofing primer for car bodies in immersion tanks. In its further developed form, it is still used today in the automotive industry and in the construction and wood sectors. Herbert Hönel received numerous accolades for his achievements, including an honorary doctorate from the University of Graz and the Grand Gold Decoration of Honour of Styria.

When?

18.09.2024, 9:00 to 1:00 p.m.

Presentation at 10:00 a.m.

Where?

Philately Shop, Post at Rochus, Rochusplatz 1, 1030 Vienna

Group pictures: Pictures 1

Group picture, left to right:

Susanna Hiegesberger (curator, Austrian Post stamp archive), Walter Oblin (deputy CEO of Austrian Post), David Burghart (managing director, Diana Mit Menthol), Patricia Liebermann (Head of Philately, Austrian Post)

First day of the commemorative stamps in Vienna