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The paper presents the philosophy of the development and the resulting properties of a newaustenitic stainless steel. Thesteel contains 15-1 8•/o chromium, 3-60/• molybdenum, I0-1 20/• manganese, and about 0.9"/o nitrogen. Themost important featureof this steel is the complete absenceof nickel as alloying element. Theaustenitic microstructure is obtained exclusively by adding nitrogen. Besides being nickel free, the steel is further characterized by an excellent corrosion resistance, the absenceof ferromagnetism, and outstanding mechanical properties. The unique combination of these properties makesthis steel most interesting for its use in items which are in direct contact with the humanbody. By using these newsteels, nickel allergy can be prevented.