MOSA Promotes Philately at Special Olympics Vienna 2026
AICO’s newest member association, Motivsammlerverein Olympische Spiele und Sport-Austria (MOSA), brought sports philately to a new audience during the Special Olympics National Summer Games, held in Vienna from June 25–30, 2026. MOSA Chairman Peter Nauch, who recently provided AICO with examples and documentation of the club’s participation, described the project simply: “In June, the member club MOSA participated in the ‘Special Olympics 2026.’”
That modest description belies the scope of both the event and MOSA’s philatelic involvement. The Vienna Games were the largest National Special Olympics ever held in Austria, bringing together approximately 1,800 athletes and 600 coaches and support personnel for competition in 19 sports. For MOSA, the event presented an unusual opportunity not only to commemorate an important sporting occasion, but also to introduce philately to many people who had little or no previous contact with the hobby.
Philately at the Games
MOSA organized a Philately Day and special post office on June 25 at the new Sport Arena Wien, one of the principal venues for the Games. A special philatelic program was created for the occasion, highlighted by a souvenir sheet of three personalized stamps depicting Special Olympics athletes.
Miniature sheet with three Special Olympics stamps.
An eight-stamp miniature sheet was also produced, along with special covers and other commemorative material. A special postal cancellation for the Special Olympics provided collectors with another souvenir of the Vienna Games.
Special Olympics cacheted cover with the 2026 Special Olympics stamp and postmark.
MOSA’s involvement continued an Austrian tradition of combining philately with Special Olympics events. In 2010, the National Summer Games in St. Pölten featured an unusual special postal service in which Special Olympics participants piloted a four-wheeled cycle carrying mail along a designated route. More recently, BSV Hartberg provided philatelic support for the 2024 National Winter Games.
Philately Can Build Bridges
Helmut Kogler, President of the Austrian Federation of Philatelic Societies (VÖPh), placed the project in a broader context in an editorial published in the June 2026 issue of the Austrian philatelic magazine Die Briefmarke. Writing about inclusion and the role that philately might play in bringing people together, Kogler observed that events such as the Special Olympics offer collectors an opportunity to reach beyond the traditional philatelic community.
With some 2,500 athletes, coaches and support personnel taking part in Vienna, the event offered an opportunity to present philately to a large and very different audience. Kogler summed up the spirit behind the project with a simple thought: perhaps philately can help build bridges.
AICO congratulates MOSA on an imaginative project that combined sports philately, community outreach and the inclusive spirit of the Special Olympics.
Members of the Vienna team enter the Sport Arena Wien during the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Special Olympics National Summer Games. (Photo: GEPA Pictures Special Olympic Austria)
Read More
For those wishing to learn more about the Special Olympics and MOSA’s philatelic participation, we are pleased to provide the original coverage from Die Briefmarke together with an English translation.
