Austria Tabak

Austria Tabak is an Austrian tobacco company whose present legal entity, Austria Tabak GmbH, is the successor to the formerly listed Austria Tabak AG. Its corporate origins as a joint-stock company date to 1939, when the Austrian Tobacco Administration was converted into Austria Tabak AG. Its institutional history reaches further back: the Austrian Tobacco Administration was established as a full tobacco monopoly under Emperor Joseph II in 1784. For much of its history, the company and its predecessors were closely connected to Austria’s state tobacco monopoly. Before Austria joined the European Union, Austria Tabak held the domestic monopoly over tobacco cultivation, processing, import and distribution. EU accession brought substantial changes: import and wholesale monopolies were removed, the retail monopoly was transferred to the newly established Monopolverwaltungsgesellschaft in 1996, and the production monopoly was formally abolished in 2004. Austria Tabak was transferred to the state holding company ÖIAG in 1997 and sold in stages. The company became fully privatized in 2001, when the British Gallaher Group acquired it. Since 18 April 2007, Austria Tabak has belonged to JT International (JTI), a subsidiary of Japan Tobacco Inc. Its headquarters are in Vienna-Ottakring. The supplied reference identifies the company’s legal entity as Austria Tabak GmbH and records its historical association with cigarette production, including the Memphis brand, introduced in 1896.

Austria Tabak’s corporate lineage is linked to the Austrian Tobacco Administration, a state monopoly established under Emperor Joseph II in 1784. The monopoly system developed over earlier centuries: tobacco cultivation was documented in Austria from 1570, and regulation and taxation of cultivation and import expanded over time. In the 18th century, authorities progressively restricted cultivation and trade before instituting the full monopoly. The system was intended in part to provide support through the allocation of tobacco retail outlets to war invalids and people in need. During the 19th century, the tobacco administration expanded and adapted its manufacturing. The source records production of Virginier cigars beginning in 1844, the extension of the monopoly to the Hungarian crown lands in 1850, and the first machine-rolled cigarettes made by the administration in 1864. The Ottakring tobacco factory in Vienna was completed in 1898. Memphis cigarettes were introduced in 1896 and are described in the source as still being offered at the time of that article. In 1913, the administration had a general directorate in Vienna and 36 factories across the monarchy. The First World War and the subsequent territorial changes cost it most of its tobacco-growing areas and factories. In 1939, after Austria’s annexation by Germany, the tobacco administration was converted into Austria Tabak AG, with the German Reich as sole shareholder. After the Second World War, the shares were transferred to the Republic of Austria. The company therefore traces its corporate origins as a joint-stock company to 1939, while its institutional antecedent dates to 1784. Austria’s accession to the European Union brought major changes to the domestic tobacco monopoly. The production monopoly lost importance and was formally abolished in 2004. Import and wholesale monopolies were removed, while the retail monopoly was transferred from Austria Tabak to the newly founded Monopolverwaltungsgesellschaft GmbH on 1 June 1996. The privatization process began in 1997, when the Republic transferred its shares to the state holding company ÖIAG. ÖIAG sold 49.5% of the shares in November 1997 and a further 9.4% in March 1999. In 2001, the British tobacco company Gallaher Group acquired the remaining stake, completing privatization. On 18 April 2007, Austria Tabak became part of JT International (JTI), following JTI’s acquisition of Gallaher. The German-language source identifies Austria Tabak GmbH as the legal successor to the formerly listed Austria Tabak AG and places the company’s headquarters in Vienna-Ottakring.

• 2007

  Austria Tabak joins JTI

• 2004

  Production monopoly formally abolished

• 2001

  Full privatization completed

• 1999

  Further shares sold

• 1997

  Privatization process begins

• 1996

  Retail monopoly transferred

• 1939

  Austria Tabak AG formed

• 1898

  Ottakring tobacco factory completed

• 1896

  Memphis cigarette brand introduced

• 1864

  First machine-rolled cigarettes

• 1850

  Monopoly extended to Hungarian crown lands

• 1844

  Virginier cigar production begins

• 1784

  Austrian Tobacco Administration established

An Austrian tobacco company with a long history tied to the country’s former tobacco monopoly, now part of the international JTI group.

• Memphis cigarettes

  A cigarette brand introduced in 1896; the source says it was still offered at the time of the article.

• Virginier cigars

  Cigars whose production the source dates to 1844; they were also called “Kaiserliche.”

• Cigarettes

  Cigarette production by the tobacco administration is documented from 1864.

• Transfer of retail monopolyOther

• PrivatizationOther

• Acquisition by JTIOther

1. 1Austria Tabakde.wikipedia.org
2. 2Austria Tabakwikidata.org