Austria And The Czech Republic: Understanding Their Border

Lower Austria is a province in the country of Austria, which shares a border with the Czech Republic. The Austro-Czech border was established in 1918 after World War I, the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the creation of Czechoslovakia. The border has a length of 466.3 km and crosses the rivers Inn and Morava. The two countries have a long common history, having been united under the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia from 1253 to 1276, and later joined together with Hungary under the Habsburg dynasty from 1526 until 1918. Today, both Austria and the Czech Republic are members of the European Union, with the Czech Republic joining in 2004 and Austria in 1995.

The Austro-Czech border

During the Second World War, the region was annexed by Germany, becoming the protectorate of "Bohemia-Moravia". The demarcation remained unchanged, with the border becoming part of the "Iron Curtain" during the Cold War. On January 1, 1969, Czechoslovakia officially became a federation made up of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, establishing the Austro-Czech border with the dissolution of Czechoslovakia on December 31, 1992, and the independence of the Czech Republic on January 1, 1993.

Cross-border cooperation between Austria and the Czech Republic has intensified since the latter's accession to the European Union and the Schengen Area in 2004 and 2007, respectively. Before the Czech Republic joined the EU, the Austro-Czech border was a crossing point for illegal immigrants travelling from Eastern Europe to Western Europe, leading to the development of cross-border cooperation between the two countries' police forces.

The border region is characterised by numerous protected natural areas that attract many visitors each year. Tourism is thus considered a potential factor in the region's development. The use of new technologies should increase the competitiveness of this sector and enable it to rival other popular destinations.

Austria and the Czech Republic share a long common history. For the first time, they were united from 1253 to 1276 under the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia. Later, they joined again with Hungary to form a major European power under the Habsburg dynasty, which lasted from 1526 until 1918.

Czechs in Austria

The Czechs are a historically significant migrant group within Austria, with a notable presence in Vienna dating back to the 19th century. In the 1880s and 1890s, around 230,000 Czechs and Slovaks emigrated to Austria, primarily to find work in construction and other manual labour jobs in larger cities, especially Vienna. This migration was driven by an economic depression in the Czech and Slovak regions during this period.

Following the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, 150,000 people returned to Czechoslovakia after it gained independence. The Czech population in Austria decreased significantly, from over 300,000 to approximately 10,000 by 1991. However, since the Czech Republic joined the European Union in 2004, several dozen thousand Czech citizens have emigrated to Austria due to the open borders facilitated by the Schengen Agreement. As of 2016, there were around 40,324 self-identified Czechs in Austria, reflecting a fourfold increase in the Czech population since 1991.

The integration of Czech migrants in Austria is evident through the existence of Czech associations and political parties, such as the Barák Workers Association and the Czechoslovak Social Democratic Workers Party in the Republic of Austria. Additionally, there is a vibrant expat community of Czechs in Austria, with various events and activities organised by groups like InterNations. These gatherings provide opportunities for socialising, networking, and exploring hobbies, enabling Czech expatriates to connect with one another and adapt to life in Austria.

While Austria and the Czech Republic have distinct languages and nationalities, they share a long common history. Both countries were united under the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia in the 13th century and later joined with Hungary under the Habsburg dynasty from 1526 until 1918. This shared history has contributed to the neighbourly relations between the two countries, with Austria supporting the Czech Republic's membership in the European Union.

Austria–Czech Republic relations

Lower Austria is not in the Czech Republic. However, Austria and the Czech Republic have historically shared a border and have a long common history. Both countries were united under the reign of Ottokar II of Bohemia from 1253 to 1276. Later, they joined Hungary to form a major European power under the Habsburg dynasty from 1526 until 1918.

During this period, the monarchy was centralised and ruled mostly from Vienna. However, the Czechs demanded to be ruled by a government in Prague, their kingdom's capital. As part of their strategy of passive resistance, they refused to participate in the political discussions and decisions of the Austrian Reichsrat, the parliament in Vienna representing all nations of the Austrian part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. At the same time, ethnic Germans within the empire wanted to participate in the German unification process.

After the end of World War I, the Austrian Empire was dissolved, and the Czechoslovakian Republic was established as one of its successor states. Czechoslovakia covered around 20% of the area of the former Monarchy and was the largest of the successor states. The new state was divided into four provinces: Bohemia, Moravia and Silesia, Slovakia, and the Carpathian Ukraine.

Austria and the Czech Republic established diplomatic relations on January 20, 1920. However, when Austria entered dictatorial rule in 1934, Austrian Social Democrats sought refuge in the Czechoslovak Republic. In March 1938, Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany, and once again, some Austrian politicians fled to Czechoslovakia.

During World War II, many Germans in the Czech lands welcomed Hitler's annexation of the Sudetenland and participated in the occupation of the remaining Czech area. This led the Czechs to expel nearly all Germans in 1945 and 1947 and redistribute their properties among the Czech population. In 1948, the Iron Curtain descended, cutting off many transport connections between the two countries.

In recent decades, relations between Austria and the Czech Republic have improved. In 1995, Austria joined the European Union, and it gave full support to the Czech Republic's membership, which was achieved in 2004. Both countries maintain resident diplomatic missions in each other's capitals.

The Czechoslovakian Republic as a successor state to Austria-Hungary

Lower Austria is not in the Czech Republic. However, the Czechoslovakian Republic, or Czechoslovakia, was a successor state to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed at the end of the First World War in 1918.

The Czechoslovakian Republic was acknowledged according to international law through the Paris Peace Conference and the Paris Suburb Contracts of 1919/1920. The Czechoslovakian National Council declared its independence from Austria-Hungary on 18 October 1918. The newly established state was divided into four provinces: Bohemia (Čechy) with its capital Prague (Praha), Moravia and Silesia (Morava a Slezsko) with the capital of Brno (Brünn), Slovakia (Slovensko) with its capital Bratislava, and the Carpathian Ukraine with its capital Uzhhorod.

The Czechoslovakian Republic covered around 20% of the area of the former Monarchy and was the largest of the successor states. It was founded on excellent economic premises; prior to 1918, 70% of Austria-Hungary's industrial production was based on the territories of Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia. Czechoslovakia inherited some 80% of the Austro-Hungarian Empire's industry, making it one of the world's ten most industrialised states.

The Czechoslovakian Republic, like the other successor states, had to struggle against the effects of the post-war depression. The traditional market was lost as the former Monarchy was now separated by new customs borders, and the economic protectionism of the successor states complicated matters further. Moreover, Czechoslovakia had to contend with the extreme imbalance between the industrially highly developed Bohemian lands and the comparatively underdeveloped Slovakia and Carpathian Ukraine.

The Czechoslovakian Republic was a multi-ethnic nation, with strong minorities of Germans (23%), Magyars (5.5%), Ruthenians (3.4%), and Poles (0.8%). Jews were, for the first time, assigned the status of their own nation (1.3%). "Czechoslovakism", the movement among Czechs and Slovaks for a common nation, formed the ideological foundation of the newly established state. Despite national differences, parliamentary and democratic order was rapidly established, which helped to mitigate national antagonisms.

The Czech Republic's admission to the European Union

Lower Austria is not in the Czech Republic. However, the Czech Republic and Austria are neighbouring countries and both are members of the European Union. Austria supported the Czech Republic's membership of the European Union, and the Czech Republic joined the EU on 1 May 2004.

The Czech Republic is a parliamentary republic with a prime minister and a president. It was formed in 1993 when Czechoslovakia was split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The country is now divided into 14 regions, including the capital, Prague.

The Czech Republic's GDP per capita is below the EU average, and it accounts for 1.9% of the EU's total GDP. There are 21 representatives from the Czech Republic in the European Parliament, and the country has had two presidencies of the Council of the EU, in 2009 and 2022.

The Czech Republic is not a member of the euro area and still uses its own currency, the Czech koruna (CZK). However, it is currently preparing to adopt the euro. The Czech Republic is also a member of the Schengen Area, having joined in 2007.

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