Bertha von Suttner - author, committed pacifist and Nobel Peace Prize winner
The Czech-Austrian writer and committed peace researcher Bertha von Suttner, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905, died in Vienna on 21 June 1914, exactly 110 years ago today. Her portrait can be found on the 1000-schilling-banknote issued by the Oesterreichische Nationalbank in 1970.
Room II of the Coin Cabinet's permanent exhibition offers the opportunity to learn about the history and development of paper money in Europe and Austria. From 1966, the Oesterreichische Nationalbank issued a new series of schillings and thus a total of five new banknotes in parallel with coins: In addition to Carl von Ghega (20 schillings), Ferdinand Raimund (50 schillings), Angelika Kauffmann (100 schillings) and Josef Ressel (500 schillings), the portrait of Bertha von Suttner was used for the 1000-schilling-note. On the front of the banknote, she is depicted in her typical dress with veil. The reverse shows a view of Salzburg's Leopoldskron Palace and the Hohensalzburg Fortress. The continuous pattern on the note is a fine ornamental design consisting of several intertwined, wavy lines (guilloches).
The banknote series designed by the Salzburg graphic artist Roman Hellmann (1921-2012) was not replaced by a new series until 1983. From the 1950s onwards, Hellmann was primarily responsible for ensuring the design and security processes in the production of banknotes on behalf of the National Bank and created numerous banknotes. Not least to ensure security against counterfeiting, the latest (printing) techniques were used, which also brought the OeNB a great deal of international attention.
To this day, Bertha von Suttner is the only Austrian and the first woman ever to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1905. The prize was founded on her initiative in collaboration with Alfred Nobel just a few years earlier. As an author, Bertha von Suttner is primarily associated with her work "Lay Down You Arms!", published in 1889, in which she appeals for unconditional peace and writes resolutely against war. Suttner's portrait can also be found on the current Austrian 2-euro coin (since 2002).
Image: 1000 Schilling 1966, design: Roman Hellmann, engraving: Alfred Nefe, PG 39241.
