Austria's Secularization: The Complex Historical Factors

Secularization is a process in which the sacred gives way to the secular, whether in matters of personal faith, institutional practice, and political power. It involves a transition in which things once revered become ordinary, the sanctified becomes mundane, and the otherworldly loses its prefix. The term secularity refers to a state of sacredlessness and secularism is the ideology devoted to that state, secularization is a historical dynamic that may occur gradually or suddenly and may be replaceable (if not reversible).

The concept of secularization has been both an organizing theme and a source of contention among scholars of religion since the beginning of the European Enlightenment in the seventeenth century. Secularization has taken on different meanings in different camps. It matters whether the reference is to religion's displacement, decline, or change; to the sacred at the level of the individual, the institution, the community, or the culture; or to a pattern that is long term, linear, and inevitable or short term, cyclical, and contingent.

The Austrian Empire was dominated by the House of Habsburg and House of Habsburg-Lorraine from 1273 to 1918. In 1806, when Emperor Francis II of Austria dissolved the Holy Roman Empire, Austria became the Austrian Empire, and was also part of the German Confederation until the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. In 1867, Austria formed a dual monarchy with Hungary: the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When this empire collapsed after the end of World War I in 1918, Austria was reduced to the main, mostly German-speaking areas of the empire (its current frontiers), and adopted the name, the Republic of German-Austria.

The influence of the Roman Catholic Church

In the 7th century, many dioceses and monasteries were built in Western Austria by the Bavarians. The first churches and monasteries rose in the 8th and 9th centuries in East Austria. The 17th and 18th centuries were marked by a Catholic Baroque Culture throughout the country.

The Roman Catholic Church is the oldest and most predominant religious faith in Austria, with 61% of the total population identifying with the faith. The religion is bound to strong traditions and a majority of church buildings within the city centres. Vienna was once the capital of the Holy Roman Empire.

The Austrian culture is greatly influenced by centuries-old Roman Catholicism, despite the country's religious neutrality. The law protects all types of religion in the country, and citizens enjoy the right to abstain from religious activities or identify with a religion.

The influence of the Enlightenment

The Enlightenment's philosophic influences of scientific realism, positivism, materialism, nationalism, secularism, and liberalism impinged upon and ended the intellectual and political roles of religion and the Catholic Church in Austria. The Age of Reason reduced society's financial debts to the Church and rendered the public sphere of society secular, establishing the state's supremacy concerning the content and administration of public education.

The Enlightenment's influence on the Austrian government was such that it passed the 1874 Law on Recognition of Churches, which established the status of "confessional communities". Religious organizations were divided into three legal categories: officially recognized religious societies, religious confessional communities, and associations. Each category of organizations possessed a distinct set of rights, privileges, and responsibilities.

The Enlightenment's influence on the Austrian people was such that by the 1800s, the Austrian population was divided into those who were religious and those who were not. The religious population was predominantly Roman Catholic, while the non-religious population was a significant following of atheists, Protestants, Muslims, and Christians of the Orthodox faith.

The Enlightenment's influence on the Austrian culture was such that it became increasingly tolerant of religious freedom, with legislation run strictly on secularism. Despite the religious neutrality of the legal system in the country, the Austrian culture was greatly influenced by centuries-old Roman Catholicism.

The influence of the French Revolution

The French Revolution was a major event that contributed to the secularization of Austria. The Revolution began in 1789 and ended in 1799, during which time the country was in a state of political and social upheaval. The Revolution led to the execution of King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette, who was the sister of Emperor Leopold II of Austria. This event caused outrage in Austria, and Leopold II and King Frederick William II of Prussia issued the Declaration of Pillnitz in August 1791, expressing concern about the developments in France. The French government interpreted this declaration as a threat to its sovereignty and responded with a series of provocations, which led to a French declaration of war on Austria in April 1792. This marked the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars, which lasted until 1802 and resulted in France conquering territories in the Italian Peninsula, the Low Countries, and the Rhineland.

The French Revolution also led to the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, which had a significant impact on Austria as it had been a part of the Empire since 962. The Empire was dissolved by Emperor Francis II of Austria, who then established the Austrian Empire and became its first Emperor. This marked a shift in the political and social landscape of Austria, as the country was no longer under the rule of the Holy Roman Empire.

The French Revolution also contributed to the spread of revolutionary principles and ideas across Europe, including Austria. These ideas challenged the traditional social order and led to a shift in power dynamics, as the power of the monarchy and aristocracy was diminished. The Revolution also sparked nationalist sentiments across Europe, which further contributed to the secularization of Austria.

The influence of the Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution, which spread to Austria in the 1840s, has been cited as a key factor leading up to the 1848 revolution. The industrial revolution hurt small businesses and brought poor working conditions, which made ordinary citizens – namely the middle and lower classes – more receptive to revolutionary thought.

The industrial revolution, which had been ongoing in the Austrian Empire since the 1840s, had a profound effect on the social and political landscape. The industrial revolution hurt small businesses and brought poor working conditions, which made ordinary citizens – namely the middle and lower classes – more receptive to revolutionary thought.

The industrial revolution had also led to the rise of an impoverished intelligentsia. Educational opportunities in 1840s Austria had far outstripped employment opportunities for the educated. This led to a radicalized intelligentsia, who were receptive to revolutionary thought.

The industrial revolution had also led to a decline in the power of the Catholic Church. The industrial revolution had hurt small businesses and brought poor working conditions, which made ordinary citizens – namely the middle and lower classes – more receptive to revolutionary thought. This, in turn, led to a decline in the power of the Catholic Church, which had previously been a powerful force in Austrian society.

The industrial revolution had also contributed to the rise of nationalism in the Austrian Empire. The industrial revolution had led to a decline in the power of the Catholic Church, which had previously been a powerful force in Austrian society. This, in turn, contributed to the rise of nationalism in the Austrian Empire, as people sought alternative sources of authority and community.

The industrial revolution had also led to a change in the balance of power between the Austrian Empire and other European powers. The industrial revolution had contributed to a change in the balance of power between the Austrian Empire and other European powers, as it led to the rise of new industrial powers such as Prussia and France. This change in the balance of power contributed to the outbreak of the 1848 revolution, as the Austrian Empire sought to maintain its position in Europe.

The influence of the rise of nationalism

The rise of nationalism in Europe was stimulated by the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars. Nationalism calls on people to identify with the interests of their national group and to support the creation of a state – a nation-state – to support those interests. Nationalism was the ideological impetus that, in a few decades, transformed Europe. Rule by monarchies and foreign control of territory was replaced by self-determination and newly formed national governments.

Austrian nationalism originally developed as a cultural nationalism that emphasized a Catholic religious identity. This in turn led to its opposition to unification with Protestant-majority Prussia, something that was perceived as a potential threat to the Catholic core of Austrian national identity. It was also used to protect the rule of the Habsburgs. Austrian nationalism first arose during the Napoleonic Wars, with Joseph von Hormayr as a prominent Austrian nationalist political leader at the time.

In the post-World War II period, proponents who recognize an Austrian nation have rejected a German identity and have emphasized the non-Germanic heritage of Austrian culture, including Celtic, Illyrian, Roman, Slavic, and Magyar. Contemporary Austrians express pride in having Celtic heritage, and Austria possesses one of the largest collections of Celtic artifacts in Europe. Austrian nationalism has been challenged internally, with the main rival nationalism being German nationalism.

In the 1930s, the Fatherland Front government of Engelbert Dollfuss and Kurt Schuschnigg rejected current pan-German aspirations to join Austria with a Protestant-dominated Germany, while not wholly rejecting a potential union and claiming that any unification of Austria with Germany would require a federal German state where Austria and Austrians were guaranteed a privileged status. Following the events of World War II and Nazism, Austrians began to reject the German identity, and a broader Austrian identity replaced it. After the war, Austrians went as far as describing themselves as "Hitler's first victim".

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