Austria's Catholic Roots: Exploring Religious Influence

Austria is a country with a rich religious history and diversity. While it is predominantly a Christian country, with 68.2% of its population identifying as such according to the 2021 national survey, there are also significant populations of Muslims, Jews, and Buddhists, among other faiths. The country's religious landscape has been shaped by historical events like World War II and immigration, resulting in a decline in Catholicism and the rise of other religious groups. Austria's constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and the country is committed to maintaining a secular stance while providing equal rights and protection to all religious communities.

Catholicism's influence in Austria

Catholicism has historically been the predominant religion in Austria, with the country having been the centre of the Habsburg monarchy (1273–1918) which championed Roman Catholicism. The Catholic Church's influence in Austria is evident through the presence of Catholic churches, shrines, cathedrals and monasteries throughout the country.

Austria's strong Catholic identity is also reflected in its culture and traditions. Many Austrians continue to practise Catholic traditions that mark seminal life events such as baptism, confirmation, marriage and funerals. For instance, it is common for Austrians to baptise their babies even if they do not regularly attend church services. Additionally, Catholicism has played a significant role in shaping the country's history and development.

The Catholic Church in Austria is governed by the Austrian Conference of Catholic Bishops, which is made up of the hierarchy of the two archbishops (Vienna and Salzburg), the bishops and the abbot of the territorial abbey of Wettingen-Mehrerau. The current president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops is Cardinal Christoph Schönborn.

However, it is important to note that there has been a consistent decline in Catholicism in the country in recent years. This decline can be attributed to various factors, including the revelations of past mistreatment of children by Catholic religious leaders and the imposition of a stricter secularism after World War II. The younger generation of Austrians also tends to be less devout than the older generation, with many withdrawing their membership from the Catholic Church when they become adults due to the 'Kirchensteuer' (church tax).

Despite the decline, Catholicism continues to have a significant influence in Austria, with just over half (55.2%) of the population identifying as Roman Catholic as of 2021. The Austrian government also recognises the special rights of the Catholic Church, as outlined in the Concordat of 1933 and other legal enactments.

Religious freedom in Austria

Austria has a long history of Catholicism, and the Catholic Church has played a significant role in shaping the country. However, religious freedom is a statutorily guaranteed right in Austria, with a legal foundation created over a period of about two centuries. The Austrian constitution guarantees freedom of religion, and the country has taken an active role in promoting freedom of religion and protecting religious minorities at the bi- and multilateral levels.

The Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration, and Foreign Affairs established an interreligious dialogue platform in 2014, bringing together representatives of all 16 legally acknowledged religious communities in Austria. Additionally, the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue (KAICIID), based in Vienna, provides another important forum for dialogue and engagement. Austria has also participated in the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and has made religious freedom a priority during its membership in the UN Human Rights Council.

The legal system in Austria is religiously neutral, and the state does not identify with any specific church or religious community. The tasks and objectives of the state are exclusively worldly and non-spiritual. The Austrian constitution guarantees every resident the right to join or leave any church or religious community of their choice or to abstain from belonging to any religious group. This right is further enhanced by various international treaties and conventions, such as the State Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Austria has a two-tier system for recognizing religious communities. The first tier consists of churches and religious communities recognized by statute, while the second tier includes confessional communities that are not bodies corporate under public law but are endowed with a legal personality and are entitled to the designation of "state-registered confessional community." There are currently 16 legally recognized churches and religious communities and 10 state-registered confessional communities in Austria.

The concept of freedom of religion in Austria encompasses freedom of creed, public worship, confession, and conscience. Austrian law allows individuals over the age of fourteen to choose their religion freely. Parents have the exclusive right to decide their child's religion until the age of ten, after which the child must be consulted. However, between the ages of twelve and fourteen, a change of confession cannot be imposed on the child against their will.

All citizens in Austria are equal before the law and enjoy the same civil and political rights, regardless of their religious beliefs. The free exercise of religion is guaranteed for everyone, and all religious communities enjoy special protection under the law. Offenses such as the denigration of religious doctrines and the disturbance of religious events are prosecuted under criminal law, and religious facilities and property are protected against theft and willful damage.

Islam in Austria

Islam is the largest minority religion in Austria, with 7.9% of the total population practising it as of 2016, according to the Austrian Academy of Sciences. This amounts to 745,608 Muslims living in the country, as per the 2021 census. The majority of Muslims in Austria belong to the Sunni denomination. Most Muslims came to Austria during the 1960s as migrant workers from Turkey and Yugoslavia.

Muslims have been present in Austria for over a century. After the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the population living in Austrian territory included a substantial number of Muslims. Austria was one of the first European countries to recognise Muslims as a religious community in the 1912 Act of Recognition. The Muslim population in Austria is expected to grow significantly in the future. The Austrian Academy of Science projected that Muslims would account for between 12% and 21% of the population by 2046.

In 2015, a new Islamgesetz was passed by the Austrian parliament, making it illegal for foreign bodies to sponsor mosques or pay the salaries of imams. The law also gave Muslims additional rights, such as the rights to halal food and pastoral care in the military. In 2017, the Austrian government passed a law banning face veils such as the burqa and niqab in public settings.

In recent years, there has been an increase in anti-Muslim rhetoric within the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), with the party engaging in political campaigns that scapegoated Muslims and criticised Islamic culture. This has influenced other political parties in Austria, leading to a shift in the public discourse on Islam and the implementation of more restrictive policies towards Muslim immigrants.

Judaism in Austria

The history of Jews in Austria goes back to the 3rd century CE, with the discovery of a 3rd-century amulet in the form of a gold scroll with the words of the Jewish prayer "Shema Yisrael" in a Jewish infant's grave in Halbturn providing the earliest surviving evidence of a Jewish presence in the region. The first Jews are thought to have immigrated to Austria following the Roman legions after the Roman occupation of Israel.

Over the centuries, the political status of Jews in Austria has fluctuated between periods of prosperity and equality, and eras of persecution, deportations, and antisemitism. In the 10th century, a document from Vienna determined equal rights between Jewish and Christian merchants, and in the 12th century, two synagogues existed in the city. In the 13th century, Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II declared Jews to be a separate ethnic and religious group, and issued a bill of rights that encouraged Jewish immigration to the area. However, this also caused increased tensions with the Christian population, and when the area came under the control of the Catholic House of Habsburg in 1282, Austria's prominence as a religious centre for Jewish scholarly endeavours declined due to the highly antisemitic atmosphere.

In the 14th century, a fixed Jewish tax was imposed, followed by persecution and massacres. In 1420, all Austrian Jews were arrested, with 270 burned at the stake and the rest expelled and their property confiscated. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the condition of Jews in Austria worsened due to the rise of religious fanaticism and the establishment of the anti-Catholic movement of Jan Hus in Bohemia. During this time, Jews were subjected to excessive taxes, forced to wear a mark of disgrace, and expelled from Styria.

In the 18th century, Emperor Joseph II issued an "Edict of Tolerance", granting civil rights to Jews and allowing them to establish factories, hire Christian servants, and study at higher education institutions. However, this decree was not fully implemented due to resistance from both the Jewish and Christian communities.

In the 19th century, Austrian Jews enjoyed a period of prosperity and equality, with Emperor Franz Joseph I granting Jews equal rights and stating that "the civil rights and the country's policy is not contingent on the people's religion". During this time, many Austrian Jews made significant contributions to Austrian culture, including in the fields of law, journalism, literature, music, medicine, business, and art.

However, antisemitism remained an issue, and in the lead-up to World War II, the situation for Jews in Austria deteriorated. The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938 led to the persecution and deportation of thousands of Jews, with more than 65,000 deported and killed during the Holocaust. The Jewish population in Austria was drastically reduced, and those who remained faced continued discrimination and violence.

After World War II, the Jewish community in Austria began to rebuild, with immigration from the Soviet Union and the former Soviet Union contributing to its growth. Today, the Austrian Jewish community is primarily made up of Holocaust survivors and their families, returning Austrian expatriates, and refugees from Eastern Europe and Iran. The community is represented by the Federation of Austrian Jewish Communities (Bundesverband der Israelitischen Kultusgemeinden Österreichs), and there are synagogues, kosher restaurants, schools, and cultural institutions in several cities, including Vienna, Graz, and Salzburg. While antisemitism remains an issue in some parts of the country, Austria has implemented various programs and incentives to support Holocaust education and combat antisemitism.

Austria's religious landscape

Austria has a long history as a Catholic country, dating back to its time as the centre of the Habsburg monarchy (1273–1918), which championed the religion. While many Austrians converted to Protestantism during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, the Habsburgs responded with harsh Counter-Reformation measures, and Catholicism once again became the dominant religion.

However, since the 1970s, there has been a notable decline in Christianity (except for Orthodox churches), and a rise in other religions, particularly in Vienna. Between the 1971 and 2021 censuses, Catholicism decreased from 87.4% to 55.2% of the population, and Protestantism decreased from 6% to 3.8%. In the same period, Islam grew from 0.2% to 8.3%, and those with no religious affiliation rose from 4.3% to 22.4%.

Austria guarantees freedom of religion as a statutorily protected right, with legal foundations laid over a period of about two centuries. The Austrian constitution provides for freedom of religious belief and affiliation and prohibits religious discrimination. The law also prohibits public incitement to hostile acts against religious groups and provides antidiscrimination legislation that prohibits discrimination on religious grounds. Citizens can sue the government for constitutional violations of religious freedom.

The Austrian government actively works to address hate crimes, including those motivated by religion, and has implemented measures to combat antisemitism. The government also monitors the finances of mosques and Muslim cultural associations, focusing on financial flows from foreign institutions. While physical violence against individuals or vandalism of property based on religion is rare, there have been incidents of hate speech, insults, and incitement of violence.

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