Who Are The Indigenous Austrians?

The term Austrians was first used to refer to the population of Habsburg Austria in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the 19th century, it was used to refer to the citizens of the Empire of Austria and Cisleithania. Historically, Austrians were considered Germans and viewed themselves as such, as they were part of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Confederation until the Austro-Prussian War in 1866. However, after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918 at the end of World War I, Austrians developed their own separate and distinct national identity. Today, Austrians are considered more of a nationality than an ethnic group, and the vast majority of them do not identify as German.

Austrian History

The history of Austria is a long and complex one, with the region having been inhabited since at least the Paleolithic period. Around 400 BC, it was inhabited by the Celts and then annexed by the Romans in the late 1st century BC. Christianization in the region began in the 4th and 5th centuries, during the late Roman period, followed by the arrival of numerous Germanic tribes during the Migration Period.

Medieval Austria

In the Middle Ages, the area that is now Austria was settled by various Celtic tribes and became the core of the Hallstatt Celtic culture by the 6th century BC. The Celtic Kingdom of Noricum, which included most of modern Austria and parts of modern Slovenia, was conquered by the Roman Empire in 16 BC and made into a province called Noricum, which lasted until 476. The regions of today's Austria that were not located within Noricum were divided between the Roman provinces of Pannonia and Raetia.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, the area was invaded by various Germanic tribes, including the Rugii, Ostrogoths, Alemanni, Baiuvarii, Slavs, and Avars. In 788, Charlemagne, King of the Franks, conquered the area, encouraged colonisation, and introduced Christianity. As part of Eastern Francia, the core areas that now encompass Austria were bequeathed to the House of Babenberg. The area was known as the March of Austria and was given to Leopold of Babenberg in 976.

In the 12th century, the Margraviate of Austria was elevated to the status of a duchy, and in 1453 it became an archduchy. During this time, the area was known as Ostarrîchi, meaning "eastern realm" in Old High German. The name is seemingly comparable to Austrasia, the early medieval term for the "eastern lands" of Francia.

Early Modern Austria

In the 16th century, many Austrians converted to other denominations (particularly Lutheranism) as the Protestant Reformation spread across Europe. The Habsburgs, who had ruled the territory of Austria since the Late Middle Ages, responded with measures of Counter-Reformation and harshly repressed Austrian evangelicalism. From the 16th century, Vienna also served as the Holy Roman Empire's administrative capital.

In the 18th century, Austria became one of the centres of European musical life, with composers such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Joseph Haydn making lasting innovations.

19th Century

In the 19th century, the term "Austrians" referred to the citizens of the Empire of Austria (1804-1867) and, from 1867 until 1918, to the citizens of Cisleithania. In 1866, Prussia expelled the Austrian Empire from the German Confederation, resulting in Austria being excluded from the founding of the German nation-state in 1871. In 1867, Austria was reformed into the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a dual empire with Hungary.

World War I and Interwar Period

The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 led to the outbreak of World War I, which ended in defeat for the Austro-Hungarian Empire and its subsequent collapse. This led to the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria in 1918 and the First Austrian Republic in 1919. During the interwar period, anti-parliamentarian sentiments culminated in the formation of an Austrofascist dictatorship under Engelbert Dollfuss in 1934.

World War II and Post-War Period

In 1938, Austria was annexed into Nazi Germany by Adolf Hitler, and it became a sub-national division. After its liberation in 1945 and a decade of Allied occupation, the country regained its sovereignty and declared its perpetual neutrality in 1955. The contemporary state was created in 1955, with the Austrian State Treaty, and is officially called the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich).

Modern Austria

Since the end of World War II, Austrians have developed their own separate and distinct national identity, and today, the vast majority do not identify as German. Austria has become a stable and socially progressive nation, with a flourishing cultural life and strong traditions in classical music, folk music, baroque architecture, coffee culture, winter sports, and Alpine traditions.

Austrian Language

Austrians are the citizens and nationals of Austria. The English term "Austrians" was applied to the population of Habsburg Austria from the 17th or 18th century. The term "Austria" is a Latinisation of "Österreich", the German name for Austria. This, in turn, is derived from "Ostarrîchi", which first appeared in 996 and meant "eastern realm".

Austrian German is the dominant language in Austria, although the country has a diverse linguistic landscape. Austrian German differs from German as it is influenced by the Austro-Bavarian dialect. Almost all Austrians learn and speak German, with roughly 97-98% of people in Austria speaking it and a little over 93% calling it their mother tongue. Official publications, announcements, the media, and public schools all use German.

However, Austrian German is not the only language spoken in the country. The individual Austrian regions recognise languages of various autonomous ethnic groups as official languages. These include Burgenland Croatian, Romani, Slovak, Slovenian, Czech, and Hungarian. Austria's linguistic and cultural diversity is preserved through initiatives such as native language schooling and official communication with the authorities in these languages.

In addition to the influence of other European languages, Austrian German has also borrowed numerous words and idioms from Yiddish.

Austrian German exists as a written and spoken high language and is considered a standard variety of the German language. It differs in vocabulary and grammar from German as spoken and written in Germany and Switzerland.

While Austrian German is the official language, the de facto common spoken languages of Austria are Bavarian and Alemannic dialects. Two Upper German local languages, or a collection of dialects with varying degrees of difficulty being understood by each other, are thus spoken natively by 88.6% of the population.

The Austrian federal state of Carinthia is home to a significant indigenous Slovene-speaking minority, while the easternmost federal state, Burgenland, has significant Hungarian- and Croatian-speaking minorities.

Austrian Culture

Austrians are the citizens and nationals of Austria. The English term "Austrians" was applied to the population of Habsburg Austria from the 17th or 18th century. Today, Austrians are typically described as open-hearted, but cautious when dealing with unfamiliar things. They value punctuality, orderliness, and thoroughness, but also enjoy socialising, warmth, and lively conversation. They are direct communicators, and like to speak honestly and clearly.

Austria is a landlocked country in Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, of which the capital, Vienna, is the most populous city. The country is bordered by Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein.

Austria's culture is heavily influenced by its history as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Habsburg monarchy. The country's culture is also shaped by its geography, with the Alps being one of the most prominent parts of its landscape.

German is the official language of Austria, although each region has its own dialect. The country's culture is also influenced by its neighbours, with Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Croatian, and Slovene recognised as official languages in some regions. Austrian German differs from German as it is spoken in Germany, with some vocabulary differences, such as the word for "potato", which is "Erdapfel" in Austrian German and "Kartoffel" in German.

Austria is known for its music, with Vienna being the European capital of classical music in the 18th and 19th centuries. The country is also associated with operetta and waltz music. Classical composers such as Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, and Schubert are among the country's most famous musical exports.

Austrian cuisine is influenced by the country's history as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, as well as neighbouring countries such as Italy and Hungary. Popular dishes include Wiener Schnitzel, sausages, and goulash. The country also has a strong coffee culture and is known for its cakes and pastries, such as apple strudel and Sachertorte.

Austria is a secular country, although its culture is greatly influenced by its centuries-long Catholic tradition. The majority of Austrians are traditionally Catholic, but secularism has been on the rise since the 1980s. Islam and Orthodox Christianity are also practised in the country, with growing numbers of adherents.

Austrians value their country's beautiful landscape and work hard to preserve it. Outdoor activities and sports are popular, with skiing, hiking, and mountain climbing being common pursuits. Austrians also enjoy taking leisurely walks, known as "Spaziergänge".

In terms of social structure, Austria places great value on egalitarianism and has a fairly extensive welfare system. The country also has a high literacy rate, with all children given the right to free education.

Overall, Austrian culture is characterised by its appreciation of art, music, rich food and drink, and the natural landscape. The country's history and geography have shaped its unique cultural identity, distinct from its Germanic counterparts.

Austrian Religion

Historical Context

Austria has historically been a strongly Catholic country, having been the centre of the Catholic Habsburg monarchy (1273–1918) which championed Roman Catholicism. In the 16th century, many Austrians converted to Protestantism, particularly Lutheranism, as the Protestant Reformation spread across Europe. However, the Habsburgs enacted measures of Counter-Reformation as early as 1527, harshly repressing Austrian Protestantism. This campaign proved successful, and the Habsburgs viewed themselves as the vanguard of Catholicism, repressing all other confessions and religions.

In 1781, Emperor Joseph II issued a Patent of Tolerance, allowing other confessions a limited freedom of worship. Religious freedom was later declared a constitutional right in Cisleithania after the Austro-Hungarian Ausgleich in 1867. This paid tribute to the fact that the monarchy was home to numerous religions besides Catholicism, including Greek, Serbian, Romanian, Russian, and Bulgarian Orthodox Christians, Calvinists, Lutherans, and Jews. In 1912, after the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1908, Islam was officially recognised in Austria.

Current Religious Landscape

According to a 2021 national survey, 68.2% of Austrians identify as Christian, with 80.9% of those being Catholic. In the same survey, 8.3% of Austrians identified as Muslim, 1.2% followed other non-Christian religions, and 22.4% declared no religion.

Austria's religious landscape has been changing in recent decades, with a decline in Christianity (except Orthodox Christianity) and a rise in Islam and irreligion. Between the censuses of 1971 and 2021, Christianity declined from 93.8% to 68.2% of the population, while Islam grew from 0.2% to 8.3%. The proportion of Austrians with no religious affiliation rose from 4.3% to 22.4%.

Austria's legal system is religiously neutral, with the state and church considered equal partners. The country guarantees freedom of religion as a statutory right, with each citizen being free to join, leave, or abstain from any church or religious community. There are currently 16 legally recognised churches and religious communities, and 10 state-registered confessional communities in Austria.

Austrian Christians, both Catholic and Protestant, are obliged to pay a mandatory membership fee (calculated by income—about 1%) to their church, known as the "Kirchenbeitrag" ("Ecclesiastical/Church contribution").

Austrian Ethnicity

Austrians are the citizens and nationals of Austria. The term 'Austrian' was applied to the population of Habsburg Austria from the 17th or 18th century. During the 19th century, it referred to the citizens of the Empire of Austria (1804-1867), and from 1867 until 1918 to the citizens of Cisleithania.

Historically, Austrians were regarded as Germans and viewed themselves as such. The Austrian lands (including Bohemia) were part of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Confederation until the Austro-Prussian War in 1866, which resulted in Prussia expelling the Austrian Empire from the Confederation. Thus, when Germany was founded as a nation-state in 1871, Austria was not a part of it.

After the defeat of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe, the union with Germany became associated with Nazism, resulting in Austrians developing their own separate and distinct national identity. Today, the vast majority of Austrians do not identify as German.

The English word Austrian is a derivative of the proper name Austria, which is a latinization of Österreich, the German name for Austria. This, in turn, is derived from Ostarrîchi, which first appears in 996 and means 'eastern realm' in Old High German.

The territory of what is today Austria in the Roman era was divided into Raetia, Noricum and Pannonia. Noricum was a Celtic kingdom, while the Pannonii were of Illyrian stock. The Raetians were an ancient alpine people probably akin to the Etruscans. During the Migration period (c. 6th century), these territories were settled by the Bavarians and other Germanic groups in the west (Alemanni in Vorarlberg, Lombards in Tyrol), and by Slavic groups (principality Carantania), Huns and Avars in the east.

In the 8th century, the former territories of Raetia and Noricum fell under Carolingian rule, and were divided into the duchies of Swabia, Bavaria and principality Carantania. Pannonia until the end of the 8th century was part of the Avar Khaganate.

The unification of the various territories of Austria outside of the March of Austria proper (i.e. parts of Bavaria, Swabia and Carinthia) was a gradual process of feudal politics during the High and Late Middle Ages, at first in the Archduchy of Austria under the House of Babenberg during the 12th to 13th centuries, and under the House of Habsburg after 1278 and throughout the 14th and 15th centuries. The various populations of these territories were not unified under the single name of 'Austrians' before the early modern period.

Today, Austria is a multicultural country with a diverse linguistic landscape. German is the official language, with Austrian German recognised as the dominant dialect. However, individual Austrian regions recognise languages of various autonomous ethnic groups as official languages. These include Burgenland Croatian, Romani, Slovak, Slovenian, Czech and Hungarian.

Austria is a largely mountainous country in south-central Europe, with mountains and forests giving the Austrian landscape its character. It is bordered to the north by the Czech Republic, to the northeast by Slovakia, to the east by Hungary, to the south by Slovenia, to the southwest by Italy, to the west by Switzerland and Liechtenstein, and to the northwest by Germany.

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