The paper presents the philosophy of the development and the resulting properties of a new austenitic stainless steel. The steel contains 15-18% chromium, 3-6% molybdenum, 10-12% manganese, and about 0.9% nitrogen. The most important feature of this steel is the complete absence of nickel as alloying element. The austenitic microstructure is obtained exclusively by adding nitrogen. Besides being nickel free, the steel is further characterized by an excellent corrosion resistance, the absence of ferromagnetism, and outstanding mechanical properties. The unique combination of these properties makes this steel most interesting for its use in items which are in direct contact with the human body. By using these new steels, nickel allergy can be prevented.