German In Austria: Official Language Status And History

German has been the official language of Austria since 1920, based on article 8 of its constitution. Austrian German, or Austrian, is a variety of Standard High German and is usually written in Austria and Italian South Tyrol. It has been standardised in Austria since the publication of the Österreichisches Wörterbuch in 1951, though it is primarily used in education, publications, announcements, and websites. The de facto common spoken languages of Austria are Bavarian and Alemannic dialects.

German has been the official language of Austria since 1920

The de facto common spoken languages of Austria are not Austrian German taught in schools but Bavarian and Alemannic dialects: two Upper German local languages or collections of dialects with varying degrees of difficulty being understood by each other as well as by speakers of non-Austrian German dialects. In less formal situations, Austrians use Bavarian and Alemannic dialects, which are traditionally spoken but rarely written in Austria.

Austrian German has its beginnings in the mid-18th century, when Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II introduced compulsory schooling in 1774, and several reforms of administration in their multilingual Habsburg Empire. Until 1918, the spoken standard in Austria was Schönbrunner Deutsch, a sociolect spoken by the imperial Habsburg family and the nobility of Austria-Hungary. The sociolect, a variety of Standard German, is influenced by Viennese German and other Austro-Bavarian dialects spoken in eastern Austria but is slightly nasalised. For many years, Austria had a special form of the language for official government documents that is known as Österreichische Kanzleisprache, or "Austrian chancellery language".

Austrian German is the variety of Standard German written and spoken in Austria

German has been the official language of Austria since 1920, according to article 8 of the country's constitution. Austrian German, or Austrian (a variety of Standard High German) is usually written in Austria and Italian South Tyrol. It has been standardised in Austria since the publication of the Österreichisches Wörterbuch in 1951, though it is primarily used in education, publications, announcements, and websites. The de facto common spoken languages of Austria are not Austrian German, but Bavarian and Alemannic dialects.

Until 1918, the spoken standard in Austria was Schönbrunner Deutsch, a sociolect spoken by the imperial Habsburg family and the nobility of Austria-Hungary. The sociolect, a variety of Standard German, is influenced by Viennese German and other Austro-Bavarian dialects spoken in eastern Austria but is slightly nasalised. For many years, Austria had a special form of the language for official government documents that is known as Österreichische Kanzleisprache, or "Austrian chancellery language".

Austrian German is mutually intelligible with Standard German, with some differences in terms of accent and vocabulary. German-speaking visitors might get tripped up by certain regional dialects in some parts of the country, including the local Viennese dialect, which is far less recognisable to German speakers. Austrian German is a version of German that’s influenced by Austro-Bavarian, which is the unofficial native language of Austria.

Austrian German is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, the unofficial native language of Austria

German has been the official language of Austria since 1920, according to article 8 of its constitution. Austrian German, or Austrian Standard German, is a variety of Standard High German that is written and spoken in Austria and South Tyrol. It is the variation used in the media and for other formal situations. In less formal situations, Austrians use Bavarian and Alemannic dialects, which are traditionally spoken but rarely written in Austria.

Austro-Bavarian is also used to refer to the dialect group that includes the Austro-Bavarian dialect, as well as the Cimbrian, Hutterite German, and Mócheno dialects of Germany. The Schönbrunner Deutsch sociolect, spoken by the imperial Habsburg family and the nobility of Austria-Hungary until 1918, was influenced by Viennese German and other Austro-Bavarian dialects spoken in eastern Austria.

The dialects of Austrian German vary from region to region, with speakers from different provinces easily distinguished by their particular accents. The dialects of the deeper valleys of the Tyrol, for example, are often unintelligible to other Tyroleans. The dialect of Carinthia has been influenced by contact with non-Germanic linguistic groups, with many speakers being bilingual in Slovene. The dialect of Vienna has been influenced by immigration during the Austro-Hungarian period, particularly from what is today the Czech Republic.

German is the de facto first language of Austria

Austrian German has its roots in the mid-18th century, when Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II introduced compulsory schooling in 1774, along with several reforms of administration in their multilingual Habsburg Empire. Until 1918, the spoken standard in Austria was Schönbrunner Deutsch, a sociolect spoken by the imperial Habsburg family and the nobility of Austria-Hungary. This sociolect was influenced by Viennese German and other Austro-Bavarian dialects spoken in eastern Austria. For many years, Austria had a special form of the language for official government documents, known as Österreichische Kanzleisprache, or "Austrian chancellery language".

Austrian German is the lingua franca and official language of Austria, used in education, media and administrative communications. It is mutually intelligible with Standard German, with some differences in terms of accent and vocabulary. German-speaking visitors might get tripped up by certain regional dialects in some parts of the country, including the local Viennese dialect, which is far less recognisable to German speakers. Austrian German is a version of German that is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, which is the unofficial native language of Austria.

German is used in media, schools and formal announcements

German has been Austria's official language since 1920, based on article 8 of its constitution. Austrian German, or Austrian, is a variety of Standard High German and is usually written in Austria and Italian South Tyrol. It has been standardised in Austria since the publication of the Österreichisches Wörterbuch in 1951, though it is primarily used in education, publications, announcements, and websites.

German is used in the media, schools, and formal announcements. Austrian German has the highest sociolinguistic prestige locally, as it is the variation used in the media and for other formal situations. In less formal situations, Austrians use Bavarian and Alemannic dialects, which are traditionally spoken but rarely written in Austria. German is the de facto first language of Austria: most Austrians other than (mostly rural) seniors are able to speak it.

Austrian German has its beginnings in the mid-18th century, when Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II introduced compulsory schooling in 1774, and several reforms of administration in their multilingual Habsburg Empire. Until 1918, the spoken standard in Austria was Schönbrunner Deutsch, a sociolect spoken by the imperial Habsburg family and the nobility of Austria-Hungary.

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