Nickel and nitrogen are the two most widely used alloying elements which can impart the face-centered-cubic crystal lattice to stainless steels. With the recent price increases and the price volatility of nickel, nitrogen is ever more important as an alloying element for a number of reasons. First, nitrogen is easily available everywhere and thus is not subject to speculation at the Metal Exchange. Second, in addition to making stainless steels austenitic, nitrogen can also make them stronger and more corrosion resistant. It is also a well and clearly established fact since many years, that nitrogen in solid solution makes austenitic stainless steels more wear resistant and more fatigue resistant. Austenitic stainless steel alloy design with nitrogen has for many years now taken account of the role of carbon. This is not only because carbon is just a useful austenite former, but also because nitrogen reduces the temperature where carbides begin to form. Thus there is always an optimum carbon to nitrogen ratio. Finally it is now well established that carbon in solid solution helps to increase the strength, the corrosion resistance and the wear resistance of austenitic stainless steels. A number of quantitative correlations between alloy composition and materials properties are presented and their useful role in alloy design is pointed out. This will further help to lower the nickel content in austenitic stainless steels or even replace nickel altogether. Austenitische rostfreie Stahle mit Stickstoff Stickstoffhaltige austenitische rostfreie Stahle haben jungst nochmals an wirtschaftlicher Bedeutung gewonnen durch die starke Erhohung des Nickelpreises und des Molybdanpreises. Dies liegt daran, dass Stickstoff durch seine austenitisierende Wirkung Nickel in austenitischen Stahlen ersetzen kann und zugleich korrosionshemmend wirkt wie Molybdan. Die vorliegende Arbeit zeigt diese Wirkungen und Einflusse quantitativ. Insbesondere wird gezeigt wie der Widerstand gegen Lochfrasskorrosion und Spaltkorrosion uber die Wirksumme MARC quantitativ von der Legierungszusammensetzung abhangt. Daruber hinaus wird gezeigt, wie Stickstoff die Streckgrenze, Zugfestigkeit und Harte erhoht und ebenso den Widerstand gegen Ermudung, Korrosionsermudung und Verschleiss.