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Austria (German: Österreich) (Österreich ), officially the Republic of Austria (German: Republik Österreich) (Republik Österreich ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. A landlocked country is commonly defined as one enclosed or nearly enclosed by land Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and It borders both Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, Slovakia (long form Slovak Republic; Slovak:, long form, is a Landlocked country in Central Europe with a population of over five million Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Principality of Liechtenstein (Fürstentum Liechtenstein) is a tiny doubly landlocked Alpine country in Western Europe, bordered by Switzerland The capital is the city of Vienna on the Danube River. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj [1]
The origins of modern Austria date back to the ninth century, when the territory of Upper and Lower Austria became increasingly populated. The name "Ostarrichi" is first documented in an official document from 996. Since then this word has developed into the Österreich. [2]
Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy comprising nine federal states[3] and is one of six European countries that have declared permanent neutrality[4] and one of the few countries that includes the concept of everlasting neutrality in its constitution. TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A parliament is a Legislature, especially in those Representative democracy is a form of government founded on the principles of the people's representatives For other uses of Neutral and Neutrality see Neutral A neutral country takes no side in a War between other parties A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity Austria has been a member of the United Nations since 1955[5] and joined the European Union in 1995. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in [6]
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Etymology
The German name Österreich is derived from Old German Ostarrîchi "Eastern Territory". The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Ostarrîchi is an Old High German name first found in the famous Ostarrîchi document of 996, where it refers to the Margraviate ruled by the Babenberg [7] The name was Latinized as "Austria", thus it has no direct etymological connection with the name of Australia, which derives from Latin Australis meaning The South (however, both words ultimately derive from Proto-Indo-European *aust- "dawn"). For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Reich can also mean "empire," and this connotation is the one that is understood in the context of the Austrian/Austro-Hungarian Empire, Holy Roman Empire, although not in the context of the modern Republic of Österreich. (ˈraɪk German ˈʁaɪç is a German Loanword cognate with the English Reign, Region, and Rich, but used most to designate For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in The term probably originates in a vernacular translation of the Medieval Latin name for the region: Marchia orientalis, which translates as "eastern marches" or "eastern borderland", as it was situated at the eastern edge of the Holy Roman Empire, that was also mirrored in the name Ostmark, for a short period applied after the Anschluss to Germany. Vernacular refers to the Native language of a country or a locality Medieval Latin was the form of Latin used in the Middle Ages, primarily as a medium of scholarly exchange and as the Liturgical language of the medieval The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in Ostmark is a German term meaning either Eastern march when applied to territories or Eastern Mark when applied to currencies The ( German: "link-up" also known as the, was the 1938 Annexation of Austria into Greater Germany by the Nazi Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. However, Friedrich Heer, one the most important Austrian historians in the 20th century, stated in his book Der Kampf um die österreichische Identität (The Struggle Over Austrian Identity), that the Germanic form ostarrîchi was not a translation of the Latin word, but both resulted from a much older term originating in the Celtic languages of ancient Austria: More than 2,500 years ago, the major part of the actual country was called Norig by the Celtic population (Hallstatt culture); No- or Nor- meant East or Eastern, whereas Rig is the related to the modern German Reich; realm (among other things). Friedrich Heer (1916 - 1983 was a Historian born in Vienna. He received a PhD at the University in Vienna in 1938 The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic" a branch of the greater Indo-European Language family. The Hallstatt culture was the predominant Accordingly, Norig would essentially mean ostarrîchi and Österreich, thus Austria. The Celtic name was eventually Latinized to noricum, when the Romans conquered and Romanized the country that later became Austria. The name of Noricum was then used to designate the Roman province.
The current official designation is the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich). [8] It was originally known after the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1918 as the Republic of German Austria (Republik Deutschösterreich) , but the state was forced to change its name to "Republic of Austria" in 1919 by the Treaty of Saint-Germain. The Republic of German Austria (Republik Deutschösterreich or Deutsch-Österreich was the initial Rump state successor to the Austro-Hungarian Empire The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, was signed on 10 September 1919 by the victorious Allies of World War I on the one hand and by the new The name was changed again during the Austro-fascist regime (1934–1938) , into Federal State of Austria (Bundesstaat Österreich) , but restored after regaining independence and the birth of the Second Austrian Republic (1955–present). Austrofascism (Austrofaschismus is a term which is frequently used by historians to describe the authoritarian rule installed in Austria between 1934 and 1938
During the period of monarchy, Austria was known as the Austrian Empire (Kaisertum Österreich) ; however no official designation existed since the empire was strongly multiethnic. After the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the empire became known as Austria-Hungary reflecting the dual monarchy character. The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (Ausgleich Kiegyezés established the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary.
History
Prehistory and the Middle Ages
Settled in prehistoric times,[9] the central European land that is now Austria was occupied in pre-Roman times by various Celtic tribes. This is the history of Austria. See also the History of Europe and History of present-day nations and states. Central Europe is the Region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Celts (ˈkɛlts or /ˈsɛlts/, see Names of the Celts The Celtic kingdom of Noricum was claimed by the Roman Empire and made a province. Noricum, in ancient Geography, was a Celtic kingdom (perhaps better described as a federation of by tradition twelve tribes stretching over the area of The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial After the fall of the Roman Empire, of which most of Austria was part (all parts south of the Danube), the area was invaded by Bavarians, Slavs and Avars. The Caucasian Avars are a modern people of Caucasus, mainly of Dagestan. [10] Charlemagne conquered the area in 788 and encouraged colonization and Christianity. Charlemagne (ˈʃɑrlɨmeɪn Carolus Magnus or Karolus Magnus meaning Charles the Great) (747 – 28 January 814 was King of the Franks from 768 to his [10] As part of Eastern Francia, the core areas that now encompass Austria were bequeathed to the house of Babenberg. East ( ern) Francia ( Regnum Francorum orientalium) known variously as Francia Orientalis or the Kingdom of the East Franks, was the The area was known as the marchia Orientalis and was given to Leopold of Babenberg in 976. The March or Margraviate of Austria was created in 976 out of the territory that probably formed the earlier March of Pannonia. Leopold I, also Luitpold or Liutpold (died 994 was the first Margrave of Austria from the Babenberg dynasty [11]
The first record showing the name Austria is from 996 where it is written as Ostarrîchi, referring to the territory of the Babenberg March. Ostarrîchi is an Old High German name first found in the famous Ostarrîchi document of 996, where it refers to the Margraviate ruled by the Babenberg [11] The term Ostmark is not historically ascertained and appears to be a translation of marchia orientalis that came up only much later. Ostmark is a German term meaning either Eastern march when applied to territories or Eastern Mark when applied to currencies
The following centuries were characterized by the settlement of the country. In 1156 the Privilegium Minus elevated Austria to the status of a duchy. The Privilegium Minus (as opposed to the later Privilegium Maius, which was a forgery is a document issued by Emperor Frederick I on September 17, In 1192, the Babenbergs also acquired the Duchy of Styria. The Duchy of Styria (Herzogtum Steiermark Vojvodina Štajerska Stájerország was a duchy located in modern-day southern Austria and northern Slovenia.
With the death of Frederick II in 1246, the line of the Babenbergers went extinct. Frederick II, known as the Quarrelsome or the Warlike ( German: Friedrich der Streitbare; 25 April 1211 &ndash [12] Otakar II of Bohemia effectively controlled the duchies of Austria, Styria and Carinthia after that. Ottokar II (Přemysl II Otakar c 1230 &ndash August 26, 1278) called The Iron and Golden King, was the King of Bohemia from 1253 until 1278 The Duchy of Carinthia (Herzogtum Kärnten Vojvodina Koroška was a Duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. [12] His reign came to an end with his defeat at Dürnkrut at the hand of Rudolf I of Germany in 1278. Rudolph I, also known as Rudolph of Habsburg ( German: Rudolf von Habsburg, Latin Rudolfus) May 1, 1218 &ndash [13] Thereafter, until World War I, Austria's history was largely that of its ruling dynasty, the Habsburgs.
Rise of the Habsburgs
In the 14th and 15th centuries, the Habsburgs began to accumulate other provinces in the vicinity of the Duchy of Austria. Habsburg Monarchy (alternatively Habsburg Empire) refers to the territories ruled by the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg, and then by the successor In 1438, Duke Albert V of Austria was chosen as the successor to his father-in-law, Emperor Sigismund. Albert II of Habsburg ( August 10, 1397 &ndash October 27, 1439) was King of the Romans (ruler of Germany within the For other nobles of the same name please see Sigismund. Sigismund ( February 14, 1368 – December 9, Although Albert himself only reigned for a year, from then on, every emperor of the Holy Roman Empire was a Habsburg, with only one exception.
The Habsburgs began also to accumulate lands far from the Hereditary Lands. In 1477, Archduke Maximilian, only son of Emperor Frederick III, married the heiress Maria of Burgundy, thus acquiring most of the Low Countries for the family. Frederick III of Habsburg ( September 21 1415 &ndash August 19, 1493) was elected as German King as the successor of Burgundy (Bourgogne Burgund is a region historically situated in modern-day France and Switzerland, inhabited in turn by Celts ( Gauls) The Low Countries, the historical region of de Nederlanden, are the countries on low-lying land around the delta of the Rhine, Scheldt [14][15] His son Philip the Fair married the heiress of Castile and Aragon, and thus acquired Spain and its Italian, African, and New World appendages for the Habsburgs. [14][15]
In 1526, following the Battle of Mohács, Austrian rulers expanded their territories, bringing Bohemia and the part of Hungary not occupied by the Ottomans under their rule. The Battle of Mohács (mohácsi csata or mohácsi vész/Bane of Mohács; Schlacht bei Mohács Mohačka bitka Мохачка битка/Mohačka bitka Bitka pri Moháči [16] Ottoman expansion into Hungary led to frequent conflicts between the two powers, particularly evident in the so-called Long War of 1593 to 1606. For other conflicts called the Long War see Long War. The Long War or Thirteen Years' War ( July 29, 1593 -
Austria as a European Power
- See also: Congress of Vienna, Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, and Austria-Hungary
The long reign of Leopold I (1657–1705) saw the culmination of the Austrian conflict with the Turks. The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (Ausgleich Kiegyezés established the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Early life He was a younger brother of Ferdinand IV of Hungary and Mariana of Austria. Following the successful defense of Vienna in 1683,[17] a series of campaigns resulted in the return of all of Hungary to Austrian control by the Treaty of Carlowitz in 1699. The Battle of Vienna ( German: Schlacht am Kahlenberg, Polish: Bitwa pod Wiedniem or Odsiecz Wiedeńska, Turkish: İkinci The Treaty (Peace of Karlowitz (Karlovci was signed on January 26, 1699 in Sremski Karlovci ( Serbian Cyrillic: Сремски Карловци The later part of the reign of Emperor Charles VI (1711–1740) saw Austria relinquish many of these fairly impressive gains, largely due to Charles's apprehensions at the imminent extinction of the House of Habsburg. Charles VI (German Karl VI) ( October 1, 1685 &ndash October 20, 1740) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia Charles was willing to offer concrete advantages in territory and authority in exchange for other powers' worthless recognitions of the Pragmatic Sanction that made his daughter Maria Theresa his heir. A pragmatic sanction is a sovereign's solemn decree on a matter of primary importance and has the force of fundamental law Maria Theresa (Maria Theresia see also names in other languages; May 13, 1717 November 29 1780) was the Archduchess regnant With the rise of Prussia the Austrian–Prussian dualism began in Germany. Prussia ( Latin: Borussia, Prutenia; Prūsija Prūsija Prusy Old Prussian: Prūsa) was most recently a historic state The term German dualism describes the long conflict between the two largest German states Austria and Prussia from 1740 to 1866 when Austria
Austria became engaged in the war with Revolutionary France, which lasted until 1797 and at the beginning proved unsuccessful for Austria. Defeats by Napoleon meant the end of the old Holy Roman Empire in 1806. Just two years before the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806,[18] in 1804 the Empire of Austria was founded, which was transformed in 1867 into the dual-monarchy Austria-Hungary. The Holy Roman Empire ( HRE; German Heiliges Römisches Reich (HRR, Latin Sacrum Romanum Imperium (SRI was a union of territories in For the history of these states before 1804 see Holy Roman Empire, Habsburg Monarchy, and articles on each of the component countries. However, in 1814 Austria was part of the Allied forces invading France and conquering it. Following the Napoleonic wars Austria emerged from the Congress of Vienna in 1815 as one of four of the continent's dominant powers (together with Russia, Prussia and defeated France). The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of the major powers of Europe, chaired by the Austrian statesman Clemens Wenzel von Metternich In 1815 the German Confederation, (German: Deutscher Bund) was founded under the presidency of Austria. The German Confederation (Deutscher Bund was the association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to serve as the successor to The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Austria and Prussia were the leading powers of the German Confederation. The German Confederation (Deutscher Bund was the association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to serve as the successor to Its central institution was the Bundesversammlung in Frankfurt. The Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung was the only central institution of the German Confederation from 1815 until 1848 and from 1850 until 1866 For almost five centuries the German city of Frankfurt am Main was a city-state within two major Germanic states The Holy Roman Empire as the Free Because of unsolved social, political and national conflicts some of the German inhabitants took part in the 1848 revolution to create a unified Germany. The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout the European [19] The Frankfurt Parliament in the St. Paul's Church elected the arch duke Johann of Habsburg as a Reichsverweser, an administrator of the German Empire. The Frankfurt Parliament ( German: Frankfurter Nationalversammlung, literally Frankfurt National Assembly) was the first freely elected Parliament For a new German empire would have been possible three options: a Greater Germany, Großdeutschland, with the German-speaking territories of the Habsburg Empire; a Greater Austrian solution, Großösterreich, the German Confederation with the whole Habsburgian territories; and a smaller German solution, Kleindeutsche, the German Confederation without Austria at all. Großdeutschland ( German for "Greater Germany" or "Large Germany" is a term referring to the concept of one German Nation-state The German Confederation (Deutscher Bund was the association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to serve as the successor to The Kleindeutsche Lösung ("Lesser German Solution" was a 19th century political idea postulating the idea of a unified Germany consisting of the members The German Confederation (Deutscher Bund was the association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to serve as the successor to As Austria was not willing to relinquish its German-speaking territories to what would become the German Empire of 1848 the parliament offered the crown to the Prussian King Friedrich Wilhelm IV. The unification of Germany took place on January 18, 1871, when Prussian Chief Minister Otto von Bismarck managed to unify a number of independent Life Frederick William was educated by private tutors many of whom were experienced civil servants such as Friedrich Ancillon. Austria grew out of Germany; Prussia grew in. In 1864 Austria and Prussia fought together against Denmark, to free the independent duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Austria and Prussia could not agree on a solution to the administration of Schleswig and Holstein, which led to the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. The Austro-Prussian Austria, together with most of the other German states, was defeated by Prussia in the Battle of Königgrätz in Bohemia. The Battle of Königgrätz (Schlacht von Königgrätz also known as the Battle of Sadowa, Sadová, or Hradec Králové, was the decisive Battle Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the [19] Austria had to leave the German Confederation and subsequently no longer took part in German politics. The German Confederation (Deutscher Bund was the association of Central European states created by the Congress of Vienna in 1815 to serve as the successor to [20][21] After 1871, it was one of two Empires: the German Empire to the north and Austria-Hungary to the south.
The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the Ausgleich, provided for a dual sovereignty, the empire of Austria and the kingdom of Hungary, under Franz Joseph I, who ruled until his death on 21 November 1916. The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (Ausgleich Kiegyezés established the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Franz Joseph I Karl (- German, in English Francis Joseph I Charles, see the name in other languages) (18 August 1830 &ndash 21 November Events 164 BC - Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family restores the Temple in Jerusalem. Year 1916 ( MCMXVI) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year [22] The Austrian-Hungarian rule of this diverse empire included various Slav groups such as Poles, Ukrainians, Czechs, Slovaks, Slovenes, Serbs and Croats, as well as large Italian and Romanian communities. The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Slovenes or Slovenians ( Slovene Slovenci, dual Slovenca, singular Slovenec, feminine Slovenke, dual Slovenki Serbs ( Serbian: Срби Srbi) are a South Slavic people living in the Balkans and Central Europe, mainly in Serbia, Croats (Hrvati are a South Slavic people mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries The' Italian people' are a Southern European Ethnic group located primarily in Italy, Switzerland, France and by virtue of a wide-ranging Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania As a result, ruling Austria-Hungary became increasingly difficult in an age of emerging nationalist movements. Yet the central government tried its best to be accommodating in some respects; minorities were entitled to schools in their own language, for example.
World War I and its aftermath
The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo in 1914 by Gavrilo Princip (a member of the Serbian nationalist group the Black Hand)[23] was the immediate cause for the outbreak of World War I, leading to the downfall and the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Franz Ferdinand ( December 18, 1863 &ndash June 28, 1914) was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Prince Imperial of TemplateInfobox City for more fields--> Sarajevo is the Capital city and largest urban center of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with Gavrilo Princip ( Cyrillic: Гаврило Принцип gaʋ'rilɔ 'prinʦip ( &ndash) was a Bosnian Serb and proclaimed himself to be a Yugoslav Black Hand ( Serbian: Црна рука / Crna Ruka) officially Unification or Death ( Serbian: Уједињење или смрт Ujedinjenje War left the country in political chaos and economic ruin, the Central Powers (being Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Germany and Turkey) having been defeated in 1918. The Empire was broken up - Austria, with most of the German-speaking parts became a republic (see Treaty of Saint-Germain) and the remaining subordinate territories became independent states. A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, was signed on 10 September 1919 by the victorious Allies of World War I on the one hand and by the new However, over 3 million German Austrians found themselves living outside of the Allied inspired borders of the Austrian Republic in the nations of Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Hungary and Italy. Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. See also Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia ( Serbo-Croatian Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest A particular large German minority was found in the newly-established Czechoslovakia with the entire historic German populations of Bohemia, Moravia and Austrian Silesia cut off from their motherland of Austria. Bohemia (Čechy; Bohemia Czechy is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands, currently the Moravia (Morava; Morawy Moravie Moravia is a historical region in central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, one of the former Czech lands. See also Duchy of Silesia. The Duchy of Upper and Lower Silesia (Herzogtum Ober- und Niederschlesien was an autonomous region of the Austria was also deprived of half of Tyrol, which was awarded to Italy as a prize for entering the war on the Allied side. Tyrol is a region in Western Central Europe, which included the present day Austrian state of Tyrol (consisting of North Tyrol and East [24] Austria has sustained this loss to the present day and this had been a major source of friction with Italy until the 1980s. Today the situation in Alto Adige/South Tyrol is resolved, serving as a model for inter-ethnic and transnational cooperation in Europe. The Province of Bolzano-Bozen (Provincia autonoma di Bolzano Autonome Provinz Bozen Ladin: Provinzia
Between 1918 and 1919, Austria was officially known as the Republic of German Austria (Republik Deutschösterreich). The Republic of German Austria (Republik Deutschösterreich or Deutsch-Österreich was the initial Rump state successor to the Austro-Hungarian Empire Many territories it claimed under its control included regions that were later assigned to neighboring nations. Not only did the Entente powers forbid German Austria to unite with Germany, they also forbade the name; it was therefore changed to the Republic of Austria. The Entente Powers (from Triple Entente) were the countries at war with the Central Powers during World War I. [25] The monarchy was dissolved in 1919 and a parliamentary democracy was set up under the constitution of 10 November 1920. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar
In the autumn of 1922, Austria was granted an international loan supervised by the League of Nations. The League of Nations was an International organization founded as a result of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919–1920 [26] The purpose of the loan was to avert bankruptcy, stabilize the currency, and improve its general economic condition. With the granting of the loan, Austria passed from an independent state to the control exercised by the League of Nations. At the time, the real ruler of Austria became the League, through its commissioner in Vienna. The commissioner was a Dutchman not formally part of the Austrian government. Austria had fallen under an international receivership, which had not been seen openly since Lord Cromer became the financial adviser to the bankrupt Khedivial Government of Egypt a little less than half a century earlier. Administrative receivership is a procedure in the United Kingdom whereby a creditor can enforce security against a company's assets in an effort to obtain The title of Earl of Cromer was created in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1901 for Evelyn Baring 1st Viscount Cromer, the long-time British Consul-General in
Austrofascism and the Third Reich
- See also: Austrofascism and Austrian Civil War
The First Austrian Republic, lasted until 1933 when Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss dissolved parliament and established an autocratic regime tending towards Italian fascism, (Austrofascism) in order, partly, to check the power of Nazis who were still advocating union with Germany. Austrofascism (Austrofaschismus is a term which is frequently used by historians to describe the authoritarian rule installed in Austria between 1934 and 1938 Origins of the conflict After the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (following World War I) the state of Austria - comprising by In Austrian history the First Republic encompasses the period following the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy at the end of World War I, up Austrofascism (Austrofaschismus is a term which is frequently used by historians to describe the authoritarian rule installed in Austria between 1934 and 1938 Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. [27][28] The two big parties at this time —the Social Democrats and the Conservatives— had paramilitary armies, which fought each other. [29] The "Heimwehr" (later integrated into the "Vaterländische Front"), the paramilitary arm of the Conservative party supported Dollfuss's Fascist regime; the "Republikanischer Schutzbund", was the military arm of the Social Democrats which was outlawed in 1933 but still existed underground - civil war was to break out. [27][28][30]
After the Austrian Civil War in February 1934, several members of the Schutzbund were executed,[31] the Social Democratic party was outlawed and many of its members were imprisoned or emigrated. Origins of the conflict After the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (following World War I) the state of Austria - comprising by [30] In May of that year the Fascists introduced a new constitution ("Maiverfassung") which cemented Dollfuss's power but on 25 July he was assassinated in a Nazi coup attempt. Events 285 - Diocletian appoints Maximian as Caesar, co-ruler Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German [32][33]
His successor Kurt Schuschnigg, struggled to keep Austria independent (even a restoration of the Habsburgs was contemplated), but on 12 March 1938 German troops occupied the country[34] and established a plebiscite confirming union with Germany. Kurt Alois Josef Johann Schuschnigg ( December 14, 1897 - November 18, 1977) was an Austrian Politician who in 1934 succeeded the assassinated Events 538 - Witiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving Year 1938 ( MCMXXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Hitler was himself a native of Austria who had lost Austrian citizenship in 1925. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately Hitler proclaimed the annexation (Anschluss) of Austria by Germany. The ( German: "link-up" also known as the, was the 1938 Annexation of Austria into Greater Germany by the Nazi Austria was incorporated into the Third Reich and ceased to exist as an independent state. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers The Nazis called Austria "Ostmark"[34] until 1942 when it was again renamed and called "Alpen-Donau-Reichsgaue. Ostmark is a German term meaning either Eastern march when applied to territories or Eastern Mark when applied to currencies " Some Austrians joined the resistance, but many more joined the German armed forces (Wehrmacht). The Austrian resistance to the Nazi rule that started with the Anschluss in 1938 had a prehistory of socialist and communist activism against the era of Austrofascism Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945
Vienna fell on 13 April 1945 during the Soviet Vienna Offensive. Events 1111 - Henry V is crowned Holy Roman Emperor. 1204 - The Fourth Crusade sacks Constantinople Year 1945 ( MCMXLV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar The Vienna Offensive was launched by the Soviet 3rd Ukrainian Front in order to capture Vienna, Austria. This was just before the total collapse of the Third Reich, the defeat of Nazi Germany, the fall of Berlin, and the end of the war in May. The final battles of the European Theatre of World War II as well as the German surrender took place in late April and early May 1945 Karl Renner astutely set up a Provisional Government in Vienna in April with the tacit approval of the victorious Soviet forces,[35] and declared Austria's secession from the Third Reich. Karl Renner ( December 14, 1870 – December 31, 1950) was an Austrian Politician. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria.
After the defeat of Germany, Allied Occupation
- See also: Allied-administered Austria
Much like Germany, Austria, too, was divided into a British, a French, a Soviet and an American Zone and governed by the Allied Commission for Austria. In 1938 the First Austrian Republic had become part of Nazi Germany through an enforced annexation the Anschluss. Following the termination of hostilities in World War II, the Allied Powers were in control of the defeated Axis countries [36] Largely owing to Karl Renner's action on April 27th in setting up a Provisional Government, however, there was a subtle difference in the treatment of Austria by the Allies. Karl Renner ( December 14, 1870 – December 31, 1950) was an Austrian Politician. [35] The Austrian Government was recognized and tolerated by the Four Powers. Austria, in general, was treated as though it had been originally invaded by Germany and liberated by the Allies.
Although the Eastern part of Austria, including the greater Vienna area, lay in the Soviet Zone, the capital itself was equally divided into four occupational zones. Outside of Vienna, however, travel across zone borders, in particular leaving or entering the Soviet zone, was difficult and time-consuming if possible at all. During the time of the Berlin Air Lift, Soviet military pressure was increased further, but could be successfully overcome by skillful military, political and diplomatic influence on the part of the other Allies. The Berlin Blockade (24 June 1948 – 11 May 1949 was one of the first major international crises of the Cold war.
On 15 May 1955 Austria regained full independence by concluding the Austrian State Treaty with the Four Occupying Powers. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) The Austrian State Treaty (Österreichischer Staatsvertrag or Austrian Independence Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state On 26 October 1955 Austria was declared "permanently neutral" by act of Parliament, which it remains to this day. Events 740 - An Earthquake strikes Constantinople, causing much damage and death Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) [37]
Recent history
The political system of the Second Republic came to be characterized by the system of Proporz, meaning that most posts of some political importance were split evenly between members of the Social Democrats (Labour Party) and the People's Party (Conservatives). Proporz is a long standing doctrine within the politics of the second Austrian republic. [38]
Interest group representations with mandatory membership (e. g. for workers, businesspeople, farmers etc. ) grew to considerable importance and were usually consulted in the legislative process, so that hardly any legislation was passed that did not reflect widespread consensus. [39] The Proporz and consensus systems largely held even during the years between 1966 and 1983, when there were non-coalition governments, but this era has now passed.
Austria today has five major political parties: The SPÖ (Labour Party) , the ÖVP (Conservatives) , the "Greens" (Environmental, social-liberal) and FPÖ/BZÖ (both right-wing, nationalist). SPÖ and ÖVP share about 75% of the parliamentary mandates, while the remaining 25% are divided between the other three parties.
Austria became a member of the European Union in 1995[40] and retained its constitutional neutrality, like some other EU members, such as Sweden. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The major parties SPÖ and ÖVP have contrary opinions about the future status of Austria's military neutrality: While the SPÖ supports a neutral role in the EU (together with other neutral EU members like Sweden), the ÖVP argues for stronger integration into the EU's security policy; even a future NATO is not ruled out by some ÖVP politicians. Since the "permanent neutrality" forms part of the Austrian constitution, a two-thirds majority in the Austrian parliament would be needed for such a change in policy.
Politics
Political system
The Parliament of Austria is located in Vienna, the nation's largest city and capital. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. The Politics of Austria take place in a framework of a federal parliamentary representative democratic Republic, with a Federal Chancellor In the Parliament of Austria ( Österreichisches Parliament) is vested the legislative power of the Republic of Austria. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Austria became a federal, parliamentarian, democratic republic through the Federal Constitution of 1920. A parliamentary system, also known as parliamentarianism (and parliamentarism in American English) is a System of government in which A republic is a State or Country that is not led by a hereditary Monarch, but in which the people (or at least a part of its people have impact on its The Constitution of Austria ( Österreichische Bundesverfassung) is the body of all constitutional law of the Republic of Austria on the federal level. It was reintroduced in 1945 to the nine states of the Federal Republic. Austria is a federal republic made up of nine States, known in German as Länder (singular Land) [41] The head of state is the Federal President, who is directly elected by popular vote. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state The Austrian Federal President ( German language: Österreichischer Bundespräsident) is the federal Head of state of Austria. The chairman of the Federal Government is the Federal Chancellor, who is appointed by the president. The Austrian Federal Government (Bundesregierung is the Austrian Cabinet. The Chancellor of Austria (in German: Bundeskanzler) is the Head of government in Austria. The government can be removed from office by either a presidential decree or by vote of no confidence in the lower chamber of parliament, the Nationalrat. A motion of no confidence (also vote of no confidence, censure motion, no-confidence motion, or confidence motion) is a Parliamentary motion The National Council (Nationalrat is one of the two houses of the Federal Assembly of Austria, the bicameral federal Parliament of Austria
The Parliament of Austria consists of two chambers. The composition of the Nationalrat is determined every five years by a general election in which every citizen over 16 years (since 2007) is allowed to vote to fill its 183 seats. A recent extension of that term from four to five years will become effective after the next election. While there is a general threshold of 4 percent for all parties at federal elections (Nationalratswahlen) , there remains the possibility to gain a direct seat, or Direktmandat, in one of the 43 regional election districts. The Nationalrat is the dominant chamber in the formation of legislation in Austria. However, the upper house of parliament, the Bundesrat has a limited right of veto (the Nationalrat can — in almost all cases — ultimately pass the respective bill by voting a second time. The Federal Council of Austria or Bundesrat is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Austria. A veto, Latin for "I forbid" is used to Denote that a certain party has the right to stop unilaterally a certain piece of Legislation. This is referred to as 'Beharrungsbeschluss, lit. "vote of persistence"). A convention, called the Österreich -Konvent[42] was convened in June 30, 2003 to decide upon suggestions to reform the constitution, but has failed to produce a proposal that would receive the two thirds of votes in the Nationalrat necessary for constitutional amendments and/or reform. Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. However, some important parts of the final report were generally agreed upon and are still expected to be implemented.
Recent political developments
In February 2000 the conservative People's Party formed a coalition with the controversial nationalistic Freedom Party, headed by Jörg Haider. Jörg Haider (January 26 1950 – October 11 2008 was an Austrian politician The (at that time) 14 other member states of the European Union - but not the EU itself - condemned Austria's new coalition and froze diplomatic contacts. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in These measures were commonly referred to as "sanctions" although they were more or less just motions of diplomatic unfriendliness. Given the controversy, Haider chose not to join the government, but he continued to wield influence from the sidelines. This was not, however, the first time that the Republic of Austria had displeased international opinion. In 1986, the population voted for Kurt Waldheim as president despite his revelation that he had been active in the Wehrmacht as an intelligence officer during World War II. Kurt Josef Waldheim ( 21 December 1918 – 14 June 2007) was an Austrian Diplomat and Politician. Wehrmacht (literally "defense force" was the name of the unified Armed forces of Germany from 1935 to 1945
In September 2002, the coalition between the People's Party and the Freedom Party dissolved after a shake-up in the Freedom Party. The Austrian People's Party ( German: Österreichische Volkspartei, or ÖVP) is an Austrian Political party. The Freedom Party of Austria ( Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ is a political party in Austria. In November 2002, the People's Party made large gains in general elections again. After a lot of coalition talks with other parties, the People's Party again formed a government with the Freedom Party in February 2003 with Wolfgang Schüssel as Chancellor. The Freedom Party of Austria ( Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, FPÖ is a political party in Austria.
After general elections held in October 2006, the Social Democrats emerged as the largest party, whereas the People's Party lost about 8% in votes. Political realities prohibited any of the two major parties from forming a coalition with smaller parties. In January 2007 the People's Party and Social Democrats formed a Grand Coalition with the social democrat Alfred Gusenbauer as Chancellor. A grand coalition is a Coalition government in a Multi-party Parliamentary system where the two largest political parties unite in a coalition Alfred Gusenbauer (born February 8, 1960) has been Chancellor of Austria since January 2007 and the leader of the Social Democratic Party of Austria
Foreign policy
The 1955 Austrian State Treaty ended the occupation of Austria following World War II and recognized Austria as an independent and sovereign state. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The 1955 Austrian State Treaty ended the four-power occupation and recognized Austria as an independent and sovereign state The Austrian State Treaty (Österreichischer Staatsvertrag or Austrian Independence Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state In October 1955, the Federal Assembly passed a constitutional law in which "Austria declares of her own free will her perpetual neutrality. The Federal Assembly (in German, Bundesversammlung) is the name given to a formal joint-session of the two houses of the Austrian federal " The second section of this law stated that "in all future times Austria will not join any military alliances and will not permit the establishment of any foreign military bases on her territory. " Since then, Austria has shaped its foreign policy on the basis of neutrality.
Austria began to reassess its definition of neutrality following the fall of the Soviet Union, granting overflight rights for the UN-sanctioned action against Iraq in 1991, and, since 1995, contemplating participation in the EU's evolving security structure. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Also in 1995, it joined the Partnership for Peace and subsequently participated in peacekeeping missions in Bosnia.
Austria attaches great importance to participation in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and other international economic organizations, and it has played an active role in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
Energy politics
In 1972, the country began construction of a nuclear-powered electricity-generation station at Zwentendorf on the River Danube, following a unanimous vote in parliament. Nuclear power is any Nuclear technology designed to extract usable Energy from atomic nuclei via controlled Nuclear reactions Zwentendorf an der Donau is a small market Municipality in Lower Austria, Austria, with 3280 inhabitants The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj However, in 1978, a referendum voted approximately 50. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita 5% against nuclear power, 49. 5% for,[43] and parliament subsequently unanimously passed a law forbidding the use of nuclear power to generate electricity.
Austria currently produces more than half of its electricity by hydropower. Hydropower, hydraulic power or water power is power that is derived from the Force or Energy of moving water which may Together with other renewable energy sources such as wind, solar and biomass powerplants, the electricity supply from renewable energy amounts to nearly 80% of total use in Austria. The rest is produced by gas and oil powerplants. This page is about the physical properties of gas as a state of matter An oil is a substance that is in a viscous Liquid state ( "oily") at ambient temperatures or slightly warmer and is
Military
The manpower of the Austrian Armed Forces ("Bundesheer") mainly relies on conscription. The current name of the Military of Austria is Österreichs Bundesheer ("Federal Army of Austria " official English name Austrian Armed Forces Conscription (also known as the draft, the call-up or national service) is a general term for involuntary labor demanded by some established authority All males who have reached the age of eighteen and are found fit get recruited for a six months long military service, which can be postponed under some circumstances. Military service in its simplest sense is service by an individual or group in an Army or other military organization whether as a chosen job or as a result of an involuntary Conscientious objection is legally possible and obliges to serve an institutionalized nine months civilian service instead. A conscientious objector (CO is an individual who on religious moral or ethical grounds refuses to participate as a combatant in war or in some cases to take any role that would support Zivildienst ( German, translated verbatim to "Civilian Service" although "compulsory paid community service" is more contextually equivalent is the civilian Only since 1998, women can volunteer to become professional soldiers.
The main sectors of the Bundesheer are Joint Forces (Streitkräfteführungskommando, SKFüKdo) which consist of Land Forces (Landstreitkräfte) , Air Forces (Luftstreitkräfte) , International Missions (Internationale Einsätze) , and Special Forces (Spezialeinsatzkräfte) ; next to Mission Support (Kommando Einsatzunterstützung; KdoEU) and Command Support (Kommando Führungsunterstützung; KdoFüU). In 2004, Austria expends about 0. 9% of its GDP for defense. The Army currently has about 45,000 soldiers, of which about half are conscripts. As head of state, Austrian President (currently Heinz Fischer) is nominally the Commander-in-Chief of the Bundesheer. The Austrian Federal President ( German language: Österreichischer Bundespräsident) is the federal Head of state of Austria. Heinz Fischer (born 9 October 1938) is the federal president of Austria. In practical reality, however, command of the Austrian Armed Forces is almost exclusively exercised by the Minister of Defense, currently Norbert Darabos.
With the end of the Cold War, and more importantly the removal of the former heavily guarded "Iron Curtain" separating Austria and Hungary, the Austrian military have been assisting Austrian border guards in trying to prevent border crossings by illegal immigrants. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the The " Iron Curtain " was the symbolic ideological and physical boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II until the end This assistance came to an end when Hungary joined the EU Schengen area in 2008, for all intents and purposes abolishing "internal" border controls between treaty states. Some politicians have called for a prolongation of this mission, but the legality of this is heavily disputed. In accordance with the Austrian constitution, armed forces may only be deployed in a limited number of cases, mainly to defend the country and aid in cases of national emergencies, such as in the wake of natural disasters etc. They may generally not be used as auxiliary police forces.
Despite, or perhaps because of, its self-declared status of permanent neutrality, Austria has a long and proud tradition of engaging in UN-led peacekeeping and other humanitarian missions. The Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit (AFDRU) , in particular, an all-volunteer unit with close ties to civilian specialists (rescue dog handlers, etc) enjoys a reputation as a quick (standard deployment time is 10 hours) and efficient SAR unit. The Austrian Forces Disaster Relief Unit (short AFDRU is a SAR and disaster relief unit of the Austrian federal army (the Bundesheer) For the TV series of this title see Search and Rescue (TV series. Currently, larger contingents of Austrian forces are deployed in Bosnia, Kosovo and, since 1974, on the Golan Heights. Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Latin script: Bosna i Hercegovina, Cyrillic script: Босна и Херцеговина is a country on the Balkan Borders of Israel The Golan Heights ( الجولان al-Jawlān, הגולן ha-Golan) is a strategic Plateau and mountainous
States
As a federal republic, Austria is divided into nine states (German: 'Bundesländer'). Austria is a federal republic made up of nine States, known in German as Länder (singular Land) A federal republic is a Federation of States with a republican form of government Austria is a federal republic made up of nine States, known in German as Länder (singular Land) The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. These states are then divided into districts (Bezirke) and cities (Statutarstädte). Districts are a type of Administrative division, in some countries managed by a Local government. Districts are a type of Administrative division, in some countries managed by a Local government. A Statutory city ( Statutarstadt in Austria, or Statutární město in Czech Republic) is a city with its own municipal Law Districts are subdivided into municipalities (Gemeinden). Cities have the competencies otherwise granted to both districts and municipalities. The states are not mere administrative divisions but have some distinct legislative authority separate from the federal government.
| State (Bundesland) | Capital | Population [44] | Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| 1 | Burgenland | Eisenstadt | 280,350 | 9 | |
| 2 | Carinthia (Kärnten) | Klagenfurt | 560,753 | 6 | |
| 3 | Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) | St. Pölten | 1,588,545 | 2 | |
| 4 | Upper Austria (Oberösterreich) | Linz | 1,405,986 | 3 | |
| 5 | Salzburg | Salzburg | 529,085 | 7 | |
| 6 | Styria (Steiermark) | Graz | 1,203,986 | 4 | |
| 7 | Tyrol (Tirol) | Innsbruck | 698,472 | 5 | |
| 8 | Vorarlberg | Bregenz | 364,611 | 8 | |
| 9 | Vienna (Wien) | Vienna (Wien) | 1,660,534 | 1 |
Geography
Austria is a largely mountainous country due to its location in the Alps. Austria is a federal republic made up of nine States, known in German as Länder (singular Land) In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Burgenland ( Croatian Gradišće, Slovenian Gradiščansko, Hungarian Várvidék, Őrvidék or Felsőőrvidék Eisenstadt (Kismarton Železna Kapla Željezno is a City in Austria, the state capital of Burgenland. Carinthia (Kärnten Koroška is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Klagenfurt guildhall 19072006 01jpg|thumb|220px|City hall in Klagenfurt´s center Neuer Platz]] Klagenfurt am Wörthersee ( Slovene: Celovec) is the Capital Lower Austria (Niederösterreich is one of the nine states or Bundesländer in Austria. Sankt Pölten ( St Pölten) is the capital city of the Austrian State of Lower Austria. Upper Austria (Oberösterreich Horní Rakousko is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Linz is the third largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich Salzburg is a state or Land of Austria with an area of 7154 km² located adjacent to the German border is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Styria (Steiermark is a state or Bundesland, located in the southeast of Austria. Graz (etymologically from Slovene: Gradec IPA /gradeʦ/ "little castle" with a population of around 290000 as of 2008 (of which 252852 have principal Tyrol ( Tirol) is a state or Bundesland, located in the west of Austria. Innsbruck is the capital city of the federal state of Tyrol in western Austria. Vorarlberg is the westernmost state ( Land) of Austria. Though it is the second smallest in terms of area ( Vienna is the smallest it borders Bregenz is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost federal state of Austria. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. Austria is a small predominantly mountainous country geographically located in Central Europe, approx A mountain is a Landform that extends above the surrounding Terrain in a limited area with a peak The Central Eastern Alps, Northern Limestone Alps and Southern Limestone Alps are all partly in Austria. The Central Eastern Alps are the core ranges of the Eastern Alps with the highest peaks located between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Southern The Northern Limestone Alps ( German: Nördliche Kalkalpen) are the ranges of the Eastern Alps north of the Central Eastern Alps located The Southern Limestone Alps are the ranges of the Eastern Alps south of the Central Eastern Alps. Of the total area of Austria (84 000 km² or 32,000 sq. mi) , only about a quarter can be considered low lying, and only 32% of the country is below 500 meters (1,640 ft). The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. The high mountainous Alps in the west of Austria flatten somewhat into low lands and plains in the east of the country.
Austria can be divided into five areas. The biggest area are the Austrian Alps, which constitute 62% of Austria's total area. Eastern Alps is the name given to the eastern half of the Alps, usually defined as the area east of the Splügen Pass in eastern Switzerland. The Austrian foothills at the base of the Alps and the Carpathians account for around 12% of its area. The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians (Carpaţi Czech, Polish and Slovak: Karpaty; Ukrainian: Карпати The foothills in the east and areas surrounding the periphery of the Pannoni low country amount to about 12% of the total landmass. The second greater mountain area (much lower than the Alps) is situated in the north. Known as the Austrian granite plateau, it is located in the central area of the Bohemian Mass, and accounts for 10% of Austria. Granite (ˈɡrænɪt is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, Felsic, igneous rock. In Geology and Earth science, a plateau, also called a high plateau or tableland, is an area of highland, usually consisting The Austrian portion of the Vienna basin comprises the remaining 4%. The Viennese Basin (German Wiener Becken, Czech Vídeňská pánev, Slovak Viedenská kotlina, Slovenian Dunajska kotlina) is a Sedimentary
Phytogeographically, Austria belongs to the Central European province of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. Phytogeography, also called geobotany is the branch of Biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of Plant Species, or more generally Vaccinium vitis-idaea 20060824 003jpg|thumb|right| Vaccinium vitis-idaea ]]Alnus-viridis Rhododendron-palustreJPG|thumb|right| Rhododendron tomentosum ]]The Boreal Kingdom or Holarctic Kingdom ( Holarctis) is a Floristic kingdom According to the WWF, the territory of Austria can be subdivided into four ecoregions: the Central European mixed forests, Pannonian mixed forests, Alps conifer and mixed forests and Western European broadleaf forests. An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " This Palaearctic Ecoregion covers a large area in Western Europe (France Austria and Germany with in particular Massif Central, Jura, Central German
Climate
The greater part of Austria lies in the cool/temperate climate zone in which humid westerly winds predominate. The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems It was developed by Wladimir Köppen, a German climatologist With over half of the country dominated by the Alps the alpine climate is the predominant one. For the climate of the mountains named the Alps, see Climate of the Alps. In the East, in the Pannonian Plain and along the Danube valley, the climate shows continental features with less rain than the alpine areas. The Pannonian Plain is a large Plain in Central Europe that remained when the Pliocene Pannonian Sea dried out The Danube (In Donau from earlier Danuvius, Celtic *dānu, meaning "to flow run" Slovak and Polish Dunaj Although Austria is cold in the winter, in the summer temperatures can be relatively warm reaching 20-35 degrees Celsius.
The six highest mountains in Austria are:
| Name | Height (m) | Height (ft) | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Großglockner | 3,797 | 12,457 | Hohe Tauern |
| Wildspitze | 3,768 | 12,362 | Ötztal Alps |
| Weißkugel | 3,739 | 12,267 | Ötztal Alps |
| Großvenediger | 3,674 | 12,054 | Hohe Tauern |
| Similaun | 3,606 | 11,831 | Ötztal Alps |
| Großes Wiesbachhorn | 3,571 | 11,715 | Hohe Tauern |
Economy
- See also: List of Austrian companies
Austria is one of the 10 richest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita, has a well-developed social market economy, and a very high standard of living. The Hohe Tauern, the highest range of the Alps east of the Brenner Pass, includes the highest mountains in Austria. The economy of the Republic of Austria may be characterised This is a list of companies from Austria. For a list of companies from across the EU see List of European companies. The social market economy was the main economic model used in Western and Northern Europe during the Cold War era The standard of living refers to the quality and quantity of goods and services available to people and the way these goods and services are distributed within a population Until the 1980s, many of Austria's largest industry firms were nationalised; in recent years, however, privatisation has reduced state holdings to a level comparable to other European economies. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business Labour movements are particularly strong in Austria and have large influence on labour politics. The labour movement or labor movement is a broad term for the development of a collective organization of working people, to campaign in their own interest for better Next to a highly-developed industry, international tourism is the most important part of the national economy.
Germany has historically been the main trading partner of Austria, making it vulnerable to rapid changes in the German economy. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Germany is one of the world's most advanced market economies. But since Austria became a member state of the European Union it has gained closer ties to other European Union economies, reducing its economic dependence on Germany. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in In addition, membership in the EU has drawn an influx of foreign investors attracted by Austria's access to the single European market and proximity to EU aspiring economies. Growth in GDP accelerated in recent years and reached 3. 3% in 2006. [45]
Education
Responsibility for educational oversight in Austria lies partly at the Austrian states (Bundesländer), and partly with the federal government. The Republic of Austria has a free and public school system, and nine years of education are mandatory A state is a political association with effective Sovereignty over a geographic Area and representing a Population. Optional kindergarten education is provided for all children between the ages of three and six years. ( German, literally means "children's garden" is a form of education for young children which serves as a transition from home to the commencement of more formal schooling School attendance is compulsory for nine years, i. Compulsory education is Education which children are required by law to receive and governments to provide e. usually to the age of fifteen. The Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, currently ranks Austria's education as the 18th best in the world, being significantly higher than the OECD average. [1]
Primary education lasts for four years. Primary education is the first stage of Compulsory education. Alongside Germany, secondary education includes two main types of schools based on a pupil's ability as determined by grades from the primary school: the Gymnasium for the more gifted children which normally leads to the Matura which is a requirement for access to universities and the Hauptschule which prepares pupils for vocational education but also for further education (HTL = institution of higher technical education; HAK = commercial academy; HBLA = institution of higher education for economic business; etc. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Australia See also Education A gymnasium (pronounced with ɡ- in several languages is a type of school providing Secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar Matura (Matur Maturita Maturità Maturität матура is the word commonly used in Austria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria A "Hauptschule" (general school is a Secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of Elementary schooling Any student Höhere Technische Lehranstalten (HTL Higher Technical Institute also called Höhere Technische Bundeslehranstalten (HTBLA Federal Higher Technical Institute or Höhere ), where you also get the Matura. Matura (Matur Maturita Maturità Maturität матура is the word commonly used in Austria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria
The Austrian university system had been open to any student who passed the Matura examination until recently. Matura (Matur Maturita Maturità Maturität матура is the word commonly used in Austria, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria A 2006 bill allowed the introduction of entrance exams for studies such as Medicine. Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Currently all EU students are charged a fee of about €370 per semester for all university studies. A recent OECD report criticized the Austrian education system for the low number of students attending universities and the overall low number of academics compared to other OECD countries.
Demographics
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Austria's population estimate in October 2006 was 8,292,322. Austrians are a homogeneous people although four decades of strong immigration have significantly altered the composition of the population of Austria. The population of the capital, Vienna, exceeds 1. Vienna ( in Wien; see also other names) is the Capital of Austria, and is also one of the nine States of Austria. 6 million (2. 2 million with suburbs) , representing about a quarter of the country's population and is known for its vast cultural offerings and high standard of living.
In contrast to the capital, other cities do not exceed 1 million inhabitants: the second largest city Graz is home to 250,099 inhabitants, followed by Linz (188,968), Salzburg (150,000), and Innsbruck (117,346). Graz (etymologically from Slovene: Gradec IPA /gradeʦ/ "little castle" with a population of around 290000 as of 2008 (of which 252852 have principal Linz is the third largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria (Oberösterreich is the fourth-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Salzburg. Innsbruck is the capital city of the federal state of Tyrol in western Austria. All other cities have fewer than 100,000 inhabitants.
German-speaking Austrians, by far the country's largest group, form roughly 90% of Austria's population. The Austrian federal states of Carinthia and Styria are home to a significant indigenous Slovenian speaking minority with around 14,000 members (Austrian census; unofficial numbers of Slovene groups speak of up to 50,000). Carinthia (Kärnten Koroška is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Styria (Steiermark is a state or Bundesland, located in the southeast of Austria. Carinthian Slovenes (Koroški Slovenci Kärntner Slowenen are the Slovene-speaking population group in the Austrian State of Carinthia. In the east-most Bundesland, Burgenland (formerly part of the Hungarian half of Austria-Hungary) about 20,000 Austrian citizens speak Hungarian and 30,000 speak Croatian. Burgenland ( Croatian Gradišće, Slovenian Gradiščansko, Hungarian Várvidék, Őrvidék or Felsőőrvidék The remaining number of Austria's people are of non-Austrian descent, many from surrounding countries, especially from the former East Bloc nations. A number is an Abstract object, tokens of which are Symbols used in Counting and measuring. During the Cold War, the term Communist Bloc (or Soviet Bloc) was used to refer to the Soviet Union and countries it either controlled or that were So-called guest workers (Gastarbeiter) and their descendants, as well as refugees from Yugoslav wars and other conflicts, also form an important minority group in Austria. expatriate foreign worker is a person who works in a country other than the one of which he or she is a Citizen. The Yugoslav Wars were a series of violent conflicts in the territory of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY that took place between 1991 and Since 1994 the Roma-Sinti (gypsies) are an officially recognized ethnic minority in Austria. The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins Sinti or Sinta (Singular masc=Sinto sing fem=Sintisa is the name of a European Ethnic group.
According to census information published by Statistik Austria for the year 2001 [46] there were a total of 710,926 foreign nationals living in Austria. A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population Of these, 124,392 speak German as their mother tongue (presumably immigrants from Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, the Slovenes and also the South Tyrolian part of northern Italy. ) The next largest populations of linguistic and ethnic groups are 240,863 foreign nationals from the former Yugoslavia (Serbian being the largest number of these at 135,376, followed by Croatian at 105,487); 123,417 Turkish nationals; 25,155 whose native tongue is English; 24,446 Albanian; 17,899 Polish; 14,699 Hungarian; 12,216 Romanian; 7,982 Arabs; 6,902 Slovenes (not including the autochthonous minority); 6,891 Slovaks; 6,707 Czech; 5,916 Persian; 5,677 Italian; 5,466 Russian; 5,213 French; 4,938 Chinese; 4,264 Spanish; 3,503 Bulgarian. The populations of the rest fall off sharply below 3,000.
The mother tongue of the population by prevalence, is German (88. 6%) followed by Turkish (2. 3%) , Serbian (2. 2%) , Croatian (1. 6%) , Hungarian (0. 5%) and Bosnian (0. 4%). [47]
The official language, German, is spoken by almost all residents of the country. The German language (de ''Deutsch'') is a West Germanic language and one of the world's major languages. Austria's mountainous terrain led to the development of many distinct German dialects. All of the dialects in the country, however, belong to Austro-Bavarian groups of German dialects, with the exception of the dialect spoken in its western-most Bundesland, Vorarlberg, which belongs to the group of Alemannic dialects. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity Austro-Bavarian or Bavarian is a major group of Upper German varieties. Vorarlberg is the westernmost state ( Land) of Austria. Though it is the second smallest in terms of area ( Vienna is the smallest it borders Alemannic German ( Alemannisch) is a group of Dialects of the Upper German branch of the Germanic language family. There is also a distinct grammatical standard for Austrian German with a few differences to the German spoken in Germany. Austrian German ( Österreichisches Deutsch, Austrian Standard German) is the national standard variety of the German language spoken in
As of 2006, some of the Austrian states introduced standardised tests for new citizens, to assure their language ability, cultural knowledge and accordingly their ability to integrate into the Austrian society. [48]
Politics concerning ethnic groups (Volksgruppenpolitik)
An estimated 13,000 to 40,000 Slovenes in the Austrian state of Carinthia (the Carinthian Slovenes) as well as Croatians (around 30,000[49]) and Hungarians in Burgenland were recognized as a minority and have enjoyed special rights following the Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag) of 1955. Slovenes or Slovenians ( Slovene Slovenci, dual Slovenca, singular Slovenec, feminine Slovenke, dual Slovenki Carinthia (Kärnten Koroška is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Carinthian Slovenes (Koroški Slovenci Kärntner Slowenen are the Slovene-speaking population group in the Austrian State of Carinthia. Croats (Hrvati are a South Slavic people mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries Hungarians (or Magyars, magyarok are an Ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. [37] The Slovenes in the Austrian state of Styria (estimated at a number between 1,600 and 5,000) are not recognized as a minority and do not enjoy special rights, although the State Treaty of July 27, 1955 states otherwise. Styria (Steiermark is a state or Bundesland, located in the southeast of Austria. Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar)
The right for bilingual topographic signs for the regions where Slovene- and Croat-Austrians live alongside the Germanic population (as required by the 1955 State Treaty) is still to be fully implemented. Many Carinthians are afraid of Slovenian territorial claims, pointing to the fact that Yugoslav troops entered the state after each of the two World Wars and considering that some official Slovenian atlases show parts of Carinthia as Slovenian cultural territory. Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia (Republika Slovenija) is a Country in southern Central Europe bordering Italy to the west The current governor, Jörg Haider, has made this fact a matter of public argument in autumn 2005 by refusing to increase the number of bilingual topographic signs in Carinthia. Jörg Haider (January 26 1950 – October 11 2008 was an Austrian politician A poll by the Kärntner Humaninstitut conducted in January 2006 states that 65% of Carinthians are not in favour of an increase of bilingual topographic signs, since the original requirements set by the State Treaty of 1955 have already been fulfilled according to their point of view. Another interesting phenomenon is the so called "Windischen-Theorie"[50] stating that the Slovenes can be split in two groups: actual Slovenes and Windische (a traditional German name for Slavs) , based on differences in language between Austrian Slovenes, who were taught Slovenian standard language in school and those Slovenes who spoke their local Slovenian dialect but went to German schools. The term Windische was applied to the latter group as a means of distinction. This theory was never generally accepted and fell out of use some decades ago.
Religion
ruler and one of the major figures of the Counter-Reformation. Adherence Figures Among religions in Austria, Roman Catholic Christianity is the predominant one Charles V (24 February 1500 &ndash 21 September 1558 was Habsburg Monarchy (alternatively Habsburg Empire) refers to the territories ruled by the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg, and then by the successor The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the
At the end of the twentieth century, about 74% of Austria's population were registered as Roman Catholic,[51] while about 5% considered themselves Protestants. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation. [51] Both these numbers have been in decline for decades, especially Roman Catholicism, which has suffered an increasing number of seceders from the church. Austrian Catholics are obliged to pay a mandatory tax (calculated by income —about 1%) to the Austrian Roman Catholic Church, which might (have) act(ed) as an incentive to leave the church.
About 12% of the population declare that they have no religion. Irreligion is a lack of religion indifference to religion or hostility to religion [51] Of the remaining people, about 180,000 are members of Eastern Orthodox Churches and about 8,100 are Jewish. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut [51] It has to be noted that the Austrian Jewish Community of 1938 – Vienna alone counted more than 200,000 - was reduced to solely 4,000 to 5,000 after the Second World War. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The influx of Eastern Europeans, especially from the former Yugoslav nations, Albania and particularly from Turkey largely contributed to a substantial Muslim minority in Austria — around 340,000 are registered as members of various Muslim communities. Eastern Europe is a general term that refers to the Geopolitical region encompassing the easternmost part of the European continent. Turkey (Türkiye known officially as the Republic of Turkey ( is a Eurasian Country that stretches [51] Buddhism, which was legally recognized as a religion in Austria in 1983 has a following of 20,000 (10,402 at the 2001 census). Buddhism is a legally recognized religion in Austria and it is followed by more than 10000 Austrians A census is the procedure of acquiring information about every member of a given population
According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,[52]
- 54% of Austrian citizens responded that "they believe there is a God". Eurobarometer is a series of surveys regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission since 1973
- 34% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force".
- 8% answered that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force".
While northern and central Germany was the origin of the Reformation, Austria (and Bavaria) was the heart of the Counter-Reformation in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, when the absolute monarchy of Habsburg imposed a strict regime to maintain Catholicism's power and influence among Austrians. The Protestant Reformation was a reform movement in Europe that began in 1517 though its roots lie further back in time The Counter-Reformation (also Catholic Reformation denotes the period of Catholic revival from the pontificate of Pope Pius IV in 1560 to the close of the [53][54] The Habsburgs viewed themselves as the vanguard of Roman Catholicism and all other confessions and religions were oppressed. In 1781, Emperor Joseph II issued a Patent of Tolerance that allowed other Christian confessions a limited freedom of worship. Heir and co-regent Joseph was born in the midst of the early upheavals of the War of the Austrian Succession. Freedom of religion is the freedom of an individual or community in public or private to manifest religion or belief in teaching practice worship and observance Religious freedom was declared a constitutional right in the Austro-Hungarian Ausgleich in 1867 thus paying tribute to the fact that the monarchy was home of numerous religions beside Roman Catholicism such as Greek, Serbian, Romanian, Russian, and Bulgarian Orthodox Christians (Austria neighboured the Ottoman empire for centuries) , and both Calvinist and Lutheran Protestants. The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (Ausgleich Kiegyezés established the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish Calvinism (sometimes called the Reformed tradition, the Reformed faith, or Reformed theology) is a theological system and an approach to the Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation.
Austria continued to remain largely influenced by Catholicism. After 1918, First Republic Catholic leaders such as Theodor Innitzer and Ignaz Seipel took leading positions within or close to Austria's government and increased their influence during the time of the Austrofascism —Catholicism was treated much like a state religion by Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg. Theodor Cardinal Innitzer ( December 25, 1875 &ndash October 9, 1955) was Archbishop of Vienna and a cardinal of the Ignaz Seipel ( 19 July 1876, Vienna - 2 August 1932, Pernitz) was an Austrian politician who served as Chancellor Austrofascism (Austrofaschismus is a term which is frequently used by historians to describe the authoritarian rule installed in Austria between 1934 and 1938 A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or Creed officially Kurt Alois Josef Johann Schuschnigg ( December 14, 1897 - November 18, 1977) was an Austrian Politician who in 1934 succeeded the assassinated Although Catholic leaders welcomed the Germans in 1938 during the Anschluss of Austria into Germany, Austrian Catholicism stopped its support of Nazism later on and many former religious public figures became involved with the resistance during the Third Reich. The ( German: "link-up" also known as the, was the 1938 Annexation of Austria into Greater Germany by the Nazi Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Nazism, which was a short name for National Socialism (Nationalsozialismus refers primarily to the Ideology and practices of the National Socialist German Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers After 1945, a stricter secularism was imposed in Austria, and religious influence on politics declined.
Culture
These are articles of the List of Austrians series |
| Artists and architects |
| Monarchs |
| Mountaineers |
| Music |
| Politicians |
| Scientists |
| Sports |
| Writers |
Music
Austria's past as a European power and its cultural environment have generated a broad contribution to various forms of art, most notably among them music. Austria has been the birthplace of many famous composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Franz Schubert, Anton Bruckner, Johann Strauss, Sr., Johann Strauss, Jr. and Gustav Mahler as well as members of the Second Viennese School such as Arnold Schoenberg, Anton Webern and Alban Berg. Vienna has long been an important center of musical innovation Anton Bruckner (4 September 1824 &ndash 11 October 1896 was an Austrian composer known primarily for his symphonies, masses, and Motets Johann Strauss I (German Johann Strauß (Vater) born in Vienna, (March 14 1804 &ndash September 25 1849 was an Austrian Romantic Johann Strauss II (also known as Johann Strauss the Younger, Johann Strauss Jr The Second Viennese School is the term generally used in English -speaking countries to denote the group of Composers that comprised Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg ( pronounced ˈʃøːnbɛrk (13 September 1874 &ndash 13 July 1951 was an Austrian and later American Composer, associated with WikipediaWikiProject Composers#Lead section --> Anton Webern (December 3 1883 &ndash September 15 1945 was an Austrian Composer Alban Maria Johannes Berg (February 9 1885 &ndash December 24 1935 was an Austrian Composer.
Vienna has long been especially an important center of musical innovation. Eighteenth and nineteenth century composers were drawn to the city due to the patronage of the Habsburgs, and made Vienna the European capital of classical music. During the Baroque period, Slavic and Hungarian folk forms influenced Austrian music. Vienna's status began its rise as a cultural center in the early 1500s, and was focused around instruments including the lute. Ludwig van Beethoven spent the better part of his life in Vienna. Ludwig van Beethoven ( English ˈlʊdvɪg væn ˈbeɪtoʊvən, 16 December 1770 &ndash 26 March 1827 was a German Composer and Pianist.
Austria's current national anthem was chosen after World War II to replace the traditional Austrian anthem by Joseph Haydn. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The composition, which was initially attributed to Mozart, was most likely not composed by Mozart himself.
Austria has also produced one notable jazz musician, keyboardist Josef Zawinul who helped pioneer electronic influences in jazz as well as being a notable composer in his own right. Josef Erich Zawinul ( July 7 1932 &ndash September 11 2007) was a Jazz keyboardist and Composer. Falco was an internationally acclaimed pop and rock musician. Johann (Hans Hölzel ( February 19, 1957 &ndash February 6, 1998) better known by his stage name Falco, was an Austrian Pop music as a genre features a noticeable rhythmic element catchy melodies and hooks, a mainstream style and conventional structure Rock music is a genre of Popular music often though not necessarily employing Electric guitar, Bass guitar, and Drums.
Art and architecture
- See also: List of Austrian artists and architects
Among Austrian Artists and architects one can find painters Gustav Klimt, Oskar Kokoschka, Egon Schiele and Friedensreich Hundertwasser, photographer Inge Morath or architect Otto Wagner. Gustav Klimt (July 14 1862 – February 6 1918 was an Austrian Symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Art Nouveau Oskar Kokoschka (1 March 1886 – 22 February 1980 was an Austrian Artist, Poet and Playwright, best known for his intense expressionistic Egon Schiele (12 June 1890 &ndash 31 October 1918 (ˈʃiːlə approximately SHEE-luh was an Austrian painter, a protégé of Gustav Klimt, and a Friedensreich Regentag Dunkelbunt Hundertwasser, born Friedrich Stowasser, (December 15 1928 &ndash February 19 2000 was an Austrian painter, Ingeborg Morath ( May 27, 1923 in Graz, Austria &ndash January 30, 2002 in New York City) was an Austrian Otto Koloman Wagner ( 13 July 1841 – 11 April 1918) was an Austrian Architect.
Science, philosophy and economics
- See also: Austrian School and List of Austrian scientists
Austria was the cradle of numerous scientists with international reputations. The Austrian School, also known as the “ Vienna School ” or the “ Psychological School ” is a heterodox school of economics that advocates This is a list of Austrian scientists and scientists from the Austria of Austria-Hungary. Sigmund Freud (ˈziːkmʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt born Sigismund Shlomo Freud (May 6 1856 &ndash September 23 1939 was an Austrian Psychiatrist who founded Among them are Ludwig Boltzmann, Ernst Mach, Victor Franz Hess and Christian Doppler, prominent scientists in the nineteenth century. Ludwig Eduard Boltzmann ( February 20, 1844 &ndash September 5, 1906) was an Austrian Physicist famous for his founding Ernst Mach (max ( February 18, 1838 &ndash February 19, 1916) was an Austrian Physicist and Philosopher and Victor Francis Hess ( June 24, 1883 &ndash December 17, 1964) was an Austrian American Physicist, and Christian Andreas Doppler ( November 29, 1803 &ndash March 17, 1853) was an Austrian Mathematician and Physicist In the twentieth century, contributions by Lise Meitner, Erwin Schrödinger and Wolfgang Pauli to nuclear research and quantum mechanics were key to these areas' development during the 1920s and 1930s. Lise Meitner (7 or 17 November 1878 &ndash 27 October 1968 was an Austrian born later Swedish physicist who studied Radioactivity and A present-day quantum physicist is Anton Zeilinger, noted as the first scientist to demonstrate quantum teleportation. Anton Zeilinger (born on 20 May 1945 in Ried im Innkreis, Austria) is an Austrian quantum physicist Quantum teleportation, or entanglement-assisted teleportation, is a technique used to transfer information on a Quantum level usually from one Particle
In addition to physicists, Austria was the birthplace of two of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century, Ludwig Wittgenstein and Karl Popper. Sir Karl Raimund Popper ( July 28 1902 &ndash September 17 1994) was an Austrian and British Philosopher and a professor In addition to them biologists Gregor Mendel and Konrad Lorenz as well as mathematician Kurt Gödel and engineers such as Ferdinand Porsche and Siegfried Marcus were Austrians. Gregor Johann Mendel ( July 20, 1822 &ndash January 6, 1884) was Konrad Zacharias Lorenz ( November 7, 1903 in Vienna &ndash February 27, 1989 in Vienna) was an Austrian Kurt Gödel (kʊɐ̯t ˈgøːdl̩ (April 28 1906 – January 14 1978 was an Austrian American Logician, Mathematician and Philosopher Prof Dr Ing hc Ferdinand Porsche ( Siegfried Samuel Marcus ( September 18, 1831 &ndash July 1, 1898) was a German -born Austrian inventor and Automobile
A focus of Austrian science has always been medicine and psychology, starting in medieval times with Paracelsus. Paracelsus (11 November or 17 December 1493 in Einsiedeln Switzerland – 24 September 1541 in Salzburg, Austria) was an alchemist, Eminent physicians like Theodore Billroth, Clemens von Pirquet, and Anton von Eiselsberg have built upon the achievements of the 19th century Vienna School of Medicine. Christian Albert Theodor Billroth ( 26 April 1829 at Bergen auf Rügen in the Kingdom of Prussia. Clemens Peter Freiherr von Pirquet ( May 12[[ 874]]&ndash February 28[[ 929]] was an Austrian scientist and pediatrician best known for his contributions Anton Freiherr von Eiselsberg was born on July 31, 1860 at castle Schloss Steinhaus, Upper Austria. Austria was home to psychologists Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Paul Watzlawick and Hans Asperger and psychiatrist Viktor Frankl. Sigmund Freud (ˈziːkmʊnt ˈfʁɔʏt born Sigismund Shlomo Freud (May 6 1856 &ndash September 23 1939 was an Austrian Psychiatrist who founded Alfred Adler ( February 7 1870 &ndash May 28 1937) was an Austrian medical doctor, psychologist and founder of Paul Watzlawick PhD ( July 24 1921 - March 31 2007) was a theoretician in Communication Theory and Radical Constructivism Hans Asperger ( February 18 1906 – October 21 1980) was the Austrian Pediatrician after whom Asperger syndrome Viktor Emil Frankl MD, PhD, ( March 26, 1905 - September 2, 1997) was an Austrian neurologist
The Austrian School of Economics, which is prominent as one of the main competitive directions for economic theory, is related to Austrian economists Joseph Schumpeter, Eugen von Böhm-Bawerk, Ludwig von Mises, and Friedrich Hayek. The Austrian School, also known as the “ Vienna School ” or the “ Psychological School ” is a heterodox school of economics that advocates Joseph Alois Schumpeter ( February 8, 1883 &ndash January 8, 1950) was an Economist and Political scientist born in Eugen Ritter von Böhm-Bawerk ( February 12, 1851 in Brno &ndash August 27, 1914 in Vienna) was an Austrian Ludwig Heinrich Edler von Mises (ˈluːtvɪç fɔn ˈmiːzəs ( September 29, 1881 – October 10, 1973) was an Austrian Friedrich August von Hayek CH ( May 8, 1899 March 23, 1992) was an Austrian British Economist
Other noteworthy Austrian-born émigrés include the management thinker Peter Drucker and the 38th Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger. Peter Ferdinand Drucker ( November 19, 1909 – November 11, 2005) was a writer management consultant and self-described “social ecologist Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger ( German ˌaɐnɔlt aloʏs ˈʃvaɐtsənɛɡɐ born July 30 1947 is an Austrian American Bodybuilder, Actor
Literature
- See also: List of Austrian writers and Austrian literature
Complementing its status as a land of artists and scientists, Austria has always been a country of poets, writers, and novelists. This is a list of Austrian writers and poets. A Ilse Aichinger, writer (born 1921 Peter Altenberg, writer and poet Austrian literature is the literature written in Austria which is mostly but not exclusively written in the German language. It was the home of novelists Arthur Schnitzler, Stefan Zweig, Thomas Bernhard, Franz Kafka, and Robert Musil, of poets Georg Trakl, Franz Werfel, Franz Grillparzer, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Adalbert Stifter, and of writer Karl Kraus. Arthur Schnitzler ( May 15, 1862 - October 21, 1931) was an Austrian writer, Dramatist and doctor Stefan Zweig ( November 28, 1881, Vienna, Austria &ndash February 22, 1942, Petrópolis, Brazil) Thomas Bernhard (born Nicolaas Thomas Bernhard, February 9, 1931 - February 12, 1989) was an Austrian Playwright Robert Musil born Robert Edler von Musil ( November 6, 1880, Klagenfurt, Austria &ndash Georg Trakl ( February 3, 1887 – November 3, 1914) was a pre-eminent Austrian poet Franz Werfel ( September 10, 1890 &ndash August 26, 1945) was an Austrian - Bohemian Novelist Playwright Franz Seraphicus Grillparzer ( January 15, 1791 – January 21, 1872) an Austrian dramatic Poet, was born in Rainer Maria Rilke (also Rainer Maria von Rilke (4 December 1875 &ndash 29 December 1926 is considered one of the German language 's greatest 20th century Poets Adalbert Stifter ( 23 October 1805 &ndash 28 January 1868) was an Austrian Writer, Poet, painter, For the theologian see Karl Christian Friedrich Krause. Karl Kraus ( April 28, 1874 - June 12, 1936)
Famous contemporary playwrights and novelists are Nobel prize winner Elfriede Jelinek and writer Peter Handke. Elfriede Jelinek (ˀɛlˈfʀiːdɛ ˈjɛlinɛk (born 20 October, 1946) is an Austrian feminist Playwright and Novelist Peter Handke (born 6 December 1942, in Griffen Austria) is an Avant-garde Austrian Novelist and Playwright
Cuisine
Austria's cuisine is derived from the cuisine of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Cuisine of Austria, which is often incorrectly equated with Viennese cuisine, is derived from the cuisine of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. In addition to native regional traditions, it has been influenced above all by Hungarian, Czech, Jewish, Italian and Bavarian cuisines, from which both dishes and methods of food preparation have often been borrowed. Hungary (Magyarország 'mɔɟɔrorsaːg) officially in English the Republic of Hungary ( Magyar Köztársaság, literally Magyar (Hungarian Republic The Czech Republic ( ˈt͡ʃɛskaː ˈrɛpuˌblɪka short form in Česko ˈt͡ʃɛskɔ also called Czechia, PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest The Austrian Cuisine is therefore one of the most multi and transcultural cuisines in Europe.
Typical Austrian dishes include Wiener Schnitzel, Schweinsbraten, Kaiserschmarren, Knödel, Sachertorte and Tafelspitz. Wiener Schnitzel (from German Wiener Schnitzel, meaning Viennese cutlet) is a traditional Austrian dish and popular part of Viennese Kaiserschmarrn ( "Kaiser", meaning "Emperor's" and "Schmarrn" is "Mishmash" in Austrian German) is one of the best For small boiled dumplings served as a Side dish, see Spätzle German cuisine Klöße (singular Kloß) or Kartoffelknödel Sachertorte ˈzɑxərˌtɔrtə is a Chocolate Cake, invented by Franz Sacher in 1832 for Klemens Wenzel von Metternich in Vienna Tafelspitz ( German Tafelspitz, meaning table point) is boiled beef Viennese style There are also Kasnockn, a macaroni dish with fresh Pinzgauer cheese and parsley, and Eierschwammerl (chanterelle) dishes. Cantharellus is a genus with many popular Edible mushrooms It is a Mycorrhizal edible Fungus, meaning it forms Symbiotic associations The Eierschwammerl are the native yellow, tan mushrooms. These mushrooms are delicious, especially when in a thick Austrian soup, or on regular meals.
The candy PEZ was invented in Austria. PEZ is the brand name of an Austrian candy the pocket mechanical dispensers for such candy and an abbreviation of PEZ Candy Inc Austria is also famous for its Apfelstrudel.
Sports
The most popular sport in Austria is alpine skiing and Austria shows constant dominance in the Nations-Cup. Sankt Anton am Arlberg is a village in Tyrol, western Austria, with a population of c Alpine skiing (or downhill skiing) is a recreational activity and Sport involving sliding down Snow -covered hills with long Skis attached Similar sports such as snowboarding or ski-jumping are also widely popular. Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a Snow -covered slope on a Snowboard attached to a participant's feet using a special boot set into a mounted binding Ski jumping is a Sport in which skiers go down an "inrun" with a take-off ramp (the jump attempting to go as far as possible The most popular team sport in Austria is football. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered However, Austria rarely has international success in this discipline, though the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship is jointly being held with Switzerland. The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Football Championship, a quadrennial football Besides football, Austria also has professional national leagues for most major team sports including ice hockey and basketball. The Austrian Hockey League ( German: Österreichische Eishockey-Liga) called the Erste Bank Eishockey Liga for sponsorship reasons is the highest-level Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m Bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton are also popular events with a permanent track located in Igls, which hosted bobsleigh and luge competitions for the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics held in Innsbruck. Bobsleigh, bobsled or bobsledge is a Winter sport invented by Englishmen in the late 1860s in which teams make timed runs down narrow twisting banked A luge is a small one- or two-person Sled on which one sleds supine (face up and feet-first Skeleton is a Winter sport in which competitors aim to drive a one-person Sled in a prone head-first position down an ice track in the fastest time The Igls bobsleigh luge and skeleton track is a venue for Bobsleigh, Luge and skeleton located in Igls, Austria (southeast of The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated February Innsbruck is the capital city of the federal state of Tyrol in western Austria.
See also
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Notes and References
- ^ CIA map 1
- ^ Brook-Shepherd 4
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 17
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 155–156
- ^ Jelavich 267
- ^ CIA par. This article details the use of Telephone numbers in Austria. The Austrian Colonial empire From the 17th century through to the 19th century the Austrian Empire and Austro-Hungarian Empire attempted to profit from Austrian folk dancing ( see Austria) is mostly associated with Schuhplattler, Ländler, Polka or Waltz. Austrian German ( Österreichisches Deutsch, Austrian Standard German) is the national standard variety of the German language spoken in Austrians (Österreicher are a nation and an ethnic group originating from the Republic of Austria and its historical predecessor states ( March of Austria, The Cuisine of Austria, which is often incorrectly equated with Viennese cuisine, is derived from the cuisine of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The Republic of Austria has a free and public school system, and nine years of education are mandatory The Federal Investigation Bureau Bundeskriminalamt (BK (translated "Federal Criminal Office" was created in Austria as a Federal police The 1955 Austrian State Treaty ended the four-power occupation and recognized Austria as an independent and sovereign state Euro gold and silver commemorative coins are special Euro coins minted and issued by member states of the Eurozone. Austria is a small predominantly mountainous country geographically located in Central Europe, approx The following is a list of cities and towns in Austria: List by population size Vienna - 1664146 (capital of Austria and a state in its own General Germany magazines and (private TV stations has affected Austria since they were founded The current name of the Military of Austria is Österreichs Bundesheer ("Federal Army of Austria " official English name Austrian Armed Forces This article deals with the stamps and postal history of Austria. This article concerns the systems of telecommunication in Austria. Visits to Austria mostly include trips to Vienna with its Cathedral, its "Heurigen" (wine pubs and romantic Waltz music events This article provides an overview of the transportation infrastructure in the country of Austria. 1
- ^ Law, Gwillim (2006-01-09). Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. States of Austria. Statoids. Retrieved on 2008-04-14. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 43 BC - Battle of Forum Gallorum: Mark Antony, besieging Julius Caesar 's assassin Decimus Junius Brutus in
- ^ CIA § Government
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 17
- ^ a b Johnson 19
- ^ a b Johnson 20–21
- ^ a b Johnson 21
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 23
- ^ a b Lonnie Johnson 25
- ^ a b Brook-Shepherd 11
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 26
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 26–28
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 34
- ^ a b Johnson 36
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 55
- ^ Schulze 233
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 59
- ^ Johnson 52–54
- ^ Brook-Shepherd 246
- ^ Brook-Shepherd 245
- ^ Brook-Shepherd 257-8
- ^ a b Lonnie Johnson 104
- ^ a b Brook-Shepherd 269-70
- ^ Brook-Shepherd 261
- ^ a b Johnson 107
- ^ Brook-Shepherd 283
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 109
- ^ Brook-Shepherd 292
- ^ a b Lonnie Johnson 112–3
- ^ a b Lonnie Johnson 135–6
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 137
- ^ a b Lonnie Johnson 153
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 139
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 165
- ^ Brook-Shepherd 447,449
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 17, 142
- ^ Willkommen beim Österreich Konvent
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 168–9
- ^ Population statistics. near as long as it used to be several months ago It has been actively summarized and split into sub-articles and there is a dynamic talk page discussion of all www. statistik. at. Retrieved on 2007-02-24. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 303 - Galerius, Roman Emperor, publishes his edict that begins the persecution of Christians in his portion of the
- ^ Real GDP Growth – Expenditure Side, provided by the Austrian National Bank (German)
- ^ Statistik Austria, Die Bevölkerung nach Umgangssprache, Staatsangehörigkei und GeburtslandPDF (41. 3 KiB) (German)
- ^ Statistik Austria, Die Bevölkerung nach Umgangssprache, Staatsangehörigkei und Geburtsland, page 75. PDF (German)
- ^ Requirements to become an Austrian citizen, provided by the Viennese state government (German)
- ^ HKDC Geschichte - Frame
- ^ http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windischen-Theorie
- ^ a b c d e Census 2001: Population 2001 according to religious affiliation and nationality (PDF) (German). A kibibyte (a contraction of ki lo bi nary byte) is a unit of Information or Computer storage, established by the International Statistik Austria. Retrieved on December 17, 2007.
- ^ Eurobarometer on Social Values, Science and technology 2005 - page 11. Retrieved on 2007-05-05. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 553 - The Second Council of Constantinople begins 1215 - Rebel Barons renounce their allegiance to King John
- ^ Lonnie Johnson 28
- ^ Brook-Shepherd 16
References
- Brook-Shepherd, Gordon (1997). The Austrians: A thousand-year odyssey. Carroll & Graf Publishers, Inc. ; 19 West 21st Street; New York, NY 10010. ISBN 0-7867-0520-5.
- CIA World Factbook—Austria. Retrieved on December 7, 2007.
- Lonnie Johnson (1989). Introducing Austria: A short history. Ariadne Press, 270 Goins Court, Riverside, CA 92507. ISBN 0-929497-03-1.
- Jelavich, Barbara (1987). Modern Austria. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-31625-1.
- Schulze, Hagen (1994). States, Nations and Nationalism. Blackwell Publishers Inc, 350 Main Street, Malden, Massachusetts 02148, USA.
External links
- Austrian Industry information.
- Austria travel guide from Wikitravel
- Travel tips Austria
- Connections Europe to Austria
- aeiou Encyclopedia homepage
- Austrians Yesterday and Today
- Austria.info Official homepage of the Austrian National Tourist Office
- History of Austria: Primary Documents
- Federal Chancellery of Austria
- Austrian Law Information on Austrian Law
- Austria entry at The World Factbook
- Library of Congress Portals on the World - Austria
- US Department of State Facts and Information (updated February 2005)
- World Intellectual Property Handbook: Austria
- Austria News News from Austria in English language
- Entry Requirements to Austria
- Photos
Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. February 2005: ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August
Dictionary
Austria
-proper noun
- A country in Central Europe, a member state of the European Union. Official name: Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich).
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