Standards – a part of human culture

Standardisation forms part of life and human culture. At all times, people have tried to facilitate work and everyday life through standardisation.

Standardisation, as we know and use it today, is a child of the 19th century Industrial Revolution. The exchange of goods, the increasing trade in industrial products, the development of transport systems and ever new machinery necessitated and fostered harmonisation and, hence, rationalisation.

Founded in 1901, the British Standards Institution was the first national standardisation body. Germany established DIN in 1917 and Austria followed in 1920, marking the starting point of the history of Austrian Standards 90 years ago.

The following pages present the milestones of Austrian standardisation in a European and international context.