Religious Diversity In Austria: Exploring The Main Faiths

Austria is a country with a rich religious history and diversity. While it maintains strong ties to the Catholic faith, with around 55% of the population identifying as Roman Catholic, the country also guarantees freedom of religion in its constitution. This has led to a diverse religious landscape, with the number of Catholics declining and other religions gaining popularity. Islam is the second-largest religion in Austria, practised by nearly 8% of the population, followed by Eastern Orthodox Christians at 6%. The number of Muslims in Austria has grown exponentially in recent decades, largely due to immigration from countries with a predominantly Islamic religion. The Jewish community, which once had a significant presence in the country, now numbers fewer than 10,000 members, the majority residing in Vienna. Other recognised religions in Austria include Buddhism, Protestantism, and smaller Christian churches such as the Greek Oriental, Serbian Orthodox, and Russian Orthodox churches.

Religious Freedom in Austria

Austria has a long history of religious diversity, and its commitment to freedom of religion is enshrined in its constitution. The country has taken active steps to promote religious freedom and protect religious minorities, both domestically and internationally.

Legal and Historical Context

Austria's legal system is founded on the principle of religious neutrality, ensuring a secular stance. The right to freedom of religion is guaranteed by the Austrian Constitution and has been developed over two centuries, with key milestones including:

• The Patents of Tolerance of 1781/82, which granted limited freedom of worship to confessions other than Catholicism.
• The Basic Law on the General Rights of Nationals of 1867, which includes Article 14, guaranteeing freedom of conscience and creed.
• The Law regarding Inter-confessional Relationships of 1868, which gives residents the right to join, leave, or abstain from any church or religious community.
• The State Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye (1919) and the European Convention on Human Rights (1950), which further enhanced and specified religious freedom rights.

Religious Landscape in Austria

Austria has experienced a significant shift in its religious landscape over the past century. While Christianity, particularly Roman Catholicism, remains the predominant religion, there has been a consistent decline. In 2021, 55.2% of Austrians identified as Roman Catholic, down from 73.8% in 2001. The rise of secularism and the decline of Catholicism can be attributed to various factors, including the revelation of past mistreatment of children by Catholic religious leaders.

Islam is the second-largest religion in Austria, with 8.3% of the population identifying as Muslim in 2022. The Muslim community has grown exponentially due to immigration, particularly from Turkey, the former Yugoslavia, and the Balkans. The Austrian government officially recognized Muslims as a religious community, referred to as the 'Islamic Religious Community', in the 1912 Act of Recognition.

Other religious groups in Austria include Eastern Orthodox Christians (4.9%), Protestants (3.8%), and Jews (0.1%). Additionally, 22.4% of Austrians declared no religious affiliation.

Efforts to Promote Religious Freedom

Austria has demonstrated its commitment to promoting religious freedom and protecting religious minorities through various initiatives:

• The Federal Ministry for Europe, Integration, and Foreign Affairs established an interreligious dialogue platform, bringing together representatives of all 16 legally acknowledged religious communities in Austria.
• The King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue (KAICIID), based in Vienna, provides a forum for dialogue and promotes freedom of religion, combating discrimination based on religion or belief.
• Austria actively participates in the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and hosted the 5th Global Forum in 2013, resulting in the "Vienna Declaration" highlighting the commitment to global religious freedom.
• Austria has made religious freedom a priority during its membership in the UN Human Rights Council (2011-2014), raising awareness about the situation of religious minorities and strengthening international protection mechanisms.
• The Austrian government established a new staff unit in 2021 to combat antisemitism sentiment and violence.

Challenges and Criticisms

While Austria has made significant strides in promoting religious freedom, there have been some challenges and criticisms:

• The Law on the Status of Religious Confessional Communities (1998) has been criticized for creating a two-tier system, with some religious groups claiming it obstructs recognition and formalizes a second-class status for non-recognized groups.
• The treatment of certain religious groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses and the Church of Scientology, has been a subject of controversy, with these groups denied acknowledgement or facing discrimination.
• There have been reports of societal mistrust and discrimination against members of unrecognized religious groups, particularly those considered sects or cults.
• The rise of far-right political parties and xenophobic attitudes has raised concerns about potential negative attitudes towards religious minorities, such as Muslims and Jews.

History of Roman Catholicism in Austria

Christianity was introduced to Austria when the country was part of the Roman Empire, and the presence of Catholicism, in particular, predates the establishment of Austria as a nation-state. The country has long been considered at the crossroads of Europe due to its location along the Danube.

The Christianization of Austria occurred in three phases over several centuries. The first period of Christianization coincided with the conversion of Bavarians during the 6th century. St Rupert founded the bishopric of Salzburg during this time. The second period began with Charlemagne's establishment of an empire and his expansion eastward. The third period of Christianization was marked by Charlemagne's victory over the Magyars and the erection of a fortified frontier along the Danube, making the Church more secure against invasions from the east.

In the 16th century, many Austrians converted to Protestantism, especially Lutheranism, as the Protestant Reformation spread across Europe. By the Council of Trent in 1545, almost half of the Austrian population had converted to Lutheranism. However, the Habsburgs, who viewed themselves as the vanguard of Catholicism, responded with harsh Counter-Reformation measures as early as 1527, successfully restoring Catholicism as the dominant religion. They imposed a strict regime to suppress all other Christian confessions and religions.

In the 18th century, under the Austrian enlightenment, Emperor Joseph II issued a Patent of Tolerance in 1781, allowing other confessions limited freedom of worship. Religious freedom was later declared a constitutional right in Cisleithania after the Austro-Hungarian Ausgleich in 1867.

During World War II, the Catholic Church in Austria was subject to oppression and persecution. Many religious leaders and laypersons were deported to concentration camps, tortured, executed, or driven to commit suicide. Since the end of the war, the Catholic religion and the Church's influence have been in decline.

In recent decades, Catholicism has gradually declined in Austria, with an increasing number of Catholics withdrawing their membership from the Church when they become adults due to the 'Kirchensteuer' (church contribution/tax). Additionally, revelations of past mistreatment of children by Catholic religious leaders have contributed to the decline. However, Catholicism continues to play a significant role in shaping the country, with Catholic churches, shrines, cathedrals, and monasteries found throughout Austria.

Islam in Austria

Islam is the largest minority religion in Austria, with 7.9% of the total population practising it in 2016, according to the Austrian Academy of Sciences. This figure rose to 8.3% in the 2021 census. The majority of Muslims in Austria belong to the Sunni denomination and have a Turkish or Bosniak background. Most Muslims came to Austria during the 1960s as migrant workers from Turkey and Yugoslavia, with others coming from Arab and Afghan countries.

Muslims have been present in Austria for over a century, with their population increasing significantly after the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908. In 1912, Austria officially recognised Muslims as a religious community, affording them the same religious rights as Christians and Jews.

In recent years, the Islamic community has seen changes in how they receive funds and certain practices. In 2015, the Islamgesetz was introduced, making it illegal for foreign bodies to sponsor mosques or pay the salaries of imams. In 2017, the Austrian government passed a law banning face veils in public settings such as courts and schools.

Muslims in Austria face high unemployment and access barriers to the labour market. They also face increasing structural forms of racism and Islamophobia, particularly from the Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), which has utilised anti-Muslim rhetoric in its political campaigns. Despite these challenges, Muslims in Austria have become more educated, vocal, and organised in their protest against state policies that target their community.

Judaism in Austria

The history of the Jews in Austria dates back to the 3rd century CE, with the earliest surviving evidence of their presence being a third-century amulet discovered in a Jewish infant's grave in Halbturn. The first Jews are thought to have immigrated to Austria following the Roman legions after the Roman occupation of Israel.

In the 10th century, a document determining equal rights between Jewish and Christian merchants in the Danube implies a Jewish population in Vienna at this time. The existence of a Jewish community in the area is known for certain after the start of the 12th century, when two synagogues were built. In the same century, the Jewish settlement in Vienna increased with the absorption of Jewish settlers from Bavaria and the Rhineland.

At the start of the 13th century, the Jewish community began to flourish. Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II declared the Jews a separate ethnic and religious group, and issued a bill of rights for them in July 1244. This barred them from many jobs, businesses, and educational opportunities, but allowed them to work in sales and money lending, and promised protection and autonomous rights.

During this period, the Jewish population mainly dealt with commerce and the collection of taxes, and also gained key positions in many other aspects of life in Austria. In 1204, the first documented synagogue in Austria was constructed. In addition, Jews went through a period of religious freedom and relative prosperity; a group of families headed by notable rabbis settled in Vienna and established a beit midrash that was considered to be the most prominent school of Talmudic studies in Europe at the time.

The prosperity of the Jewish community caused increased tensions and jealousy from the Christian population, along with hostility from the Catholic Church. In 1282, when the area became controlled by the Catholic House of Habsburg, Austria's prominence as a religious center for Jewish scholarly endeavors decreased due to the highly anti-Semitic atmosphere.

Over the course of many centuries, the political status of the community rose and fell many times. During certain periods, the Jewish community prospered and enjoyed political equality, and during other periods, it suffered pogroms, deportations to concentration camps, and mass murder, and antisemitism.

In the 17th century, despite the 1669 Edict of Expulsion, several privileged Hofjuden (court Jews) were allowed to live in Austria. By 1757, about 454 Jews, all members of 12 prominent families, lived in Vienna. By 1781, when Emperor Joseph II issued an “Edict of Tolerance,” more than 1,500,000 Jews lived within the borders of the Habsburg Empire.

During the first part of the 19th century, Austrian Jewry enjoyed a stealthy existence of sorts. In 1824, Rabbi Isak Noa Mannheimer was brought to Vienna as a preacher to the city’s growing Jewish population, but since no Jewish community was formally recognized, he was given the title of “Director of the Official Imperial and Royal Jewish Religious School of Vienna.” Four years later, when Rabbi Lazar Horowitz was invited to serve as Chief Rabbi of Vienna, he received the official title of Ritualienaufseher ("Rituals Supervisor"). The Vienna Synagogue was consecrated in 1826, and that same year Salomon Sulzer was appointed Head Cantor.

In 1849, Emperor Franz Joseph formally sanctioned an autonomous Jewish religious community, and the Jews of the Austro-Hungarian Empire were accorded full civil rights in 1867. The Jewish community grew very quickly: in 1860, it numbered 6,200, but was already up to 40,200 by 1870 and to 147,000 by around 1900.

Before the Holocaust, Austria had a considerably important Jewish population that was mostly concentrated in Vienna, including renowned figures such as Theodor Herzl, Sigmund Freud, Alfred Adler, Arthur Schnitzler, and Stefan Zweig. In the 1930s, some 180,000 Jews lived in Vienna, and 20,000 more lived in other parts of Austria. While Austrian Jewry thrived in the final decades of the Habsburg Empire, antisemitism became an ever-growing presence.

The Jewish Community (Kultusgemeinde) was established as a result of a Habsburg statute of 1890, which granted Austrian Jews religious autonomy. In January 1938, there were approximately 190,000 Jews living in Austria, most of whom were members of the Kultusgemeinde. One-third of these were no longer alive in May 1945. The pre-1938 Austrian Jewish community was strong not only in numbers but also in breadth and spirit. Before 1938, there were 34 Jewish communities in Austria. In Vienna alone, there were 22 synagogues, over 50 prayer houses, a Jewish museum, Jewish libraries, schools, hospitals, orphanages, sports clubs, Yiddish theaters, kosher kitchens, Zionist organizations, political associations, and newspapers and journals.

The Anschluss (the annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany) in 1938 marked the beginning of the persecution and deportation of Austrian Jews. In

Paganism in Austria

Austria has a long history of Germanic neopaganism, which has strongly influenced the form of paganism in the country. In the 1890s to 1930s, occultist Germanic mysticism pioneered by Guido von List and Jörg Lanz von Liebenfels laid the foundations for the Germanic neopagan movement. Several groups were founded during this time, including the Guido von List Society in 1908, the Deutschgläubige Gemeinschaft in 1911, the Germanenorden in 1912, and the Germanische Glaubens-Gemeinschaft in 1907. These groups held a variety of beliefs, from "national Christianity" based on Arianism, to German mysticism, Humanism, and free thought. Some groups also embraced racialist ideas of a native Nordic or Aryan religion, with a pronounced hostility towards Christianity and the Church.

In the 1930s, some Germanic neopagan groups became associated with the Nazi Party, and esoteric organisations were suppressed by the regime. However, some elements of Germanic mysticism were reflected in Nazi symbolism, largely due to Heinrich Himmler's interest in the occult. After the fall of the Third Reich, the Deutschgläubig movement was finished, but völkisch religiosity resurfaced in the 1950s and saw a revival in the 1970s, influenced by the New Age movement and the revival of pre-war occultist societies.

In the 1980s, the New Age movement gave rise to a significant neopagan movement in Austria, including Wicca and the Goddess movement. During this time, the Heidnische Gemeinschaft ("Heathen Community") was founded by Géza von Neményi, who urged members to reject racial and fascist ideals, respect nature, and participate in democracy.

Celtic Neopaganism and Neo-Druidism are also particularly popular in Austria due to the country's connection to the proto-Celtic Hallstatt culture. The Keltendorf in Diex, Kärnten combines archaeological reconstruction with European geomancy and has been active since 1998. The Pagan Federation also has a chapter in Austria.

Austria's legal system is religiously neutral, guaranteeing freedom of religion and conscience for all residents. The state does not identify with any specific church or religious community, and its tasks and objectives are non-religious and non-spiritual.

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