Information: This is an old - not maintained - article of the AEIOU. In the Austria-Forum you find an updated version of this article in the new AEIOU.
40th Anniversary of the Federal Chamber of Commerce
July 24, 1986 marked the 40th anniversary of the parliamentary resolution which enacted the law establishing the Chambers of Industrial Commerce. This monumental law - as it can be described without exaggerating - created this unified and concise organization by integrating various trade associations on a provincial and national level and by creating the Federal Chamber of Commerce. This was an organization like no other previously in Austria and indeed in the world. The history of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce extends far back into the previous century. As early as 1818 a statutory bill of the Austrian Trade Associations contained the following remarks: "The state administration which seeks to regulate everything down to the smallest detail, had the opportunity over the course of time to learn, from numerous bitter disappointments, that beaurocrats do not know and understand everything. Thus, most laws regulating the area of commerce have foundered. Reasonable men soon became convinced that one cannot continue to govern trade in this manner without first listening to those who are themselves active in commerce and have acquired experience." Even then the founding principles of today's chamber of commerce were laid out: Its open and upright character, obligatory membership, the right to assess bills before their resolution, as well as that of the chambers' financial independence by securing the right to levy a fee (chamber costs). Logically these elements are also contained in the law cited initially. The main priority of today's Chamber of Commerce lies in the general representation of its members' interests. In so far as its effectiveness in contrast to other occupational organizations, it has found a voice in the "social partnership". This unique instrument of the Austrian "Realconstitution" has made dramatic contributions to Austria's reconstruction after its total devastation following the Second World War and to its prosperity and social stability. The Federal Chamber of Commerce has a prominent share in this, which is why the Austrian Postal Authority has chosen to honor it with a commemorative stamp on its 40th anniversary. The stamp shows a partial view of the Federal Chamber of Commerce building in Vienna.
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