Exploring Germany-Austria Borders: Differences And Similarities

The border between Germany and Austria is 815.9km long, making it Germany's longest border, and Austria's longest international border. The border was established in 1955 and runs from the Obersee part of Lake Constance in the west to the tripoint of Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic in the east. The border does not pass through any significant lakes, but it does follow the Danube, Inn, and Salzach rivers. Germany and Austria share the same official language, which facilitates the development of cross-border cooperation.

The Austria-Germany border is 815.9km long

The border does not pass through any significant lakes besides Lake Constance, but it does follow the Danube, Inn, and Salzach rivers in its eastern part and the Leiblach in its western part. The border also follows the western part of the Northern Limestone Alps, although a few valleys cross the border, including the Inn Valley near Kufstein. The Austrian states of Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Upper Austria run along the international border, as does the German state of Bavaria.

The Austria-Germany border was established in 1871. The first Austro-German border was created in 1363 with the independence of the Duchy of Tyrol. The border underwent changes in 1805, including the acquisition of the Salzburg region by the Habsburgs. The founding of the Republic of Austria in 1918 stabilized the border, but it disappeared in 1938 with the annexation of Austria by Germany. The border was restored at the end of World War II and has not changed since.

The border was confirmed in a treaty between the countries in 1972, after being defined by several agreements and conflicts between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Bavaria in the 19th century. Border controls were removed in 1997 with the Schengen Area, but temporary controls were reinstated in 2015 in response to the European migrant crisis.

Border controls were reintroduced in 2015

Border controls between Germany and Austria were reintroduced in 2015 in response to the European migrant crisis. The border between the two countries is 815.9 km (507.0 mi) long, or 817.0 km (507.7 mi) long, according to some sources. It is the longest international border of Austria and is tied with the border Germany shares with the Czech Republic as Germany's longest border. The border concerns two German Länder—Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria—and four provinces in the north-west of Austria—Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Upper Austria.

The Schengen Area removed border controls at the Austria-Germany border in 1997. The temporary border controls introduced in 2015 were scheduled to be removed on 12 May 2020, but they could be extended in six-month periods. As of 16 October 2023, temporary border checks were still in place.

The Schengen Borders Code (SBC) allows member states to reintroduce border controls at internal borders in the event of a serious threat to public policy or internal security. The reintroduction of border controls is meant to be a last resort and must be proportional to the threat. The duration of the temporary border controls is limited and depends on the legal basis invoked by the member state.

The border between Germany and Austria was first established in 1363 with the independence of the Duchy of Tyrol. It has since undergone several changes, including the acquisition of the Salzburg region by the Habsburgs in 1805. The founding of the Republic of Austria in 1918 stabilized the border, but it disappeared in 1938 with the annexation of Austria by Germany. The border was restored at the end of World War II and has not changed since.

The border runs through the Northern Limestone Alps

The Austria-Germany border is 815.9 km (507.0 mi) long, or 817.0 km (507.7 mi) long, according to some sources. It is the longest international border of Austria and is tied with the border of the Czech Republic as Germany's longest border. The border runs from west to east, separating Baden-Württemberg and Austria in the northwest, and then moving east up to the tripoint formed by the German-Czech and Czech-Austrian borders in the Bohemian Forest.

The border follows the western part of the Northern Limestone Alps, including the Allgäu Alps, Ammergau Alps, Wetterstein, Karwendel, Bavarian Prealps, Kaiser Mountains, Chiemgau Alps, and Berchtesgaden Alps. The border also follows several rivers, including the Danube, Inn, Salzach, and Leiblach. A few valleys cross the border, such as the Inn Valley near Kufstein.

The Austrian states of Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Upper Austria run along the international border, as does the German state of Bavaria. The border between these countries was confirmed by a treaty in 1972, though it has existed since the founding of the Republic of Austria in 1918. The border disappeared temporarily in 1938 with the annexation of Austria by Germany, but it was restored at the end of World War II. Border controls were removed in 1997 with the Schengen Area, but temporary controls have been reinstated at various times since then, such as during the 2015 European migrant crisis and UEFA European Football Championship.

The border is Austria's longest and Germany's joint-longest

The border between Germany and Austria is 815.9 km (507.0 mi) or 817.0 km (507.7 mi) long, making it the longest international border of Austria and the joint-longest border of Germany with another country (the other being the border with the Czech Republic). The border concerns two German Länder (Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria) and four Austrian provinces (Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Upper Austria).

The border begins in the northwest at Lake Constance, which separates Baden-Württemberg and Austria, before moving east up to the tripoint formed by the German-Czech and Czech-Austrian borders in the Bohemian Forest. Within its western part, the border runs roughly from east to west, but from a point south of Salzburg to its eastern end, it runs in a mainly northeastward direction. The border does not pass through any significant lakes besides Lake Constance, but it does follow the Danube, Inn, and Salzach rivers in its eastern part and the Leiblach in its western part.

The border follows the western part of the Northern Limestone Alps, including the Allgäu, Ammergau, Wetterstein, Karwendel, Bavarian Prealps, Kaiser, Chiemgau, and Berchtesgaden Alps. A few valleys also cross the border, such as the Inn Valley near Kufstein. The Austrian states of Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Upper Austria run along the international border, as does the German state of Bavaria.

The eastern tripoint between Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic is located near the villages of Schwarzenberg am Böhmerwald and Bayerischer Plöckenstein. The western tripoint is located between Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in the eastern part of Upper Lake Constance. The exact course of the international borders within Lake Constance has never been defined.

The border was confirmed by a treaty in 1972

The border between Germany and Austria is 815.9km (507.0mi) or 817km (507.7mi) long, depending on the source. It is the longest international border of Austria and is tied with the border Germany shares with the Czech Republic as the longest border Germany has with another country. The border was first established in 1871, following the independence of the Duchy of Tyrol in 1363, which gave birth to the first Austro-German border.

The border between the two countries has a complex history. In 1938, Austria and Germany merged through the Anschluss, or annexation of Austria into the German Reich. This was reverted in 1955 by the Austrian State Treaty, which re-established Austria as a sovereign state. The border was then confirmed by a treaty between the two countries in 1972.

The Schengen Area removed border controls at the border in 1997. However, temporary border controls were reinstalled in 2015 in response to the European migrant crisis. These temporary border controls were scheduled to be removed on 12 May 2020, but they are liable to be extended in six-month periods.

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