Austrians Reflect On The Legacy Of Austria-Hungary

Austria-Hungary, an empire home to Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, Croats, Serbs, Slovaks, Romanians, Poles, Ukrainians, Jews, Slovenians, and Italians, was a complicated place. It had two political centres: the Austrian Parliament in Vienna and the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest. It was multiethnic and multilingual, with a modern urban culture and a solid economy. The politics were a little weird, but the Austrian side was democratizing. If World War I hadn't happened, it could've become a model for the European Union. A decentralized federal state with a constitution.

Hungarians and Austrians have a close history. Austrians (osztrákok) are seen as better than Germans, and some Hungarians feel sad that they can't experience the golden days of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. However, the relationship between the two countries is ambivalent, and they have a long history of conflict. In the past, Hungarians were even referred to as barbaric by Austrians. Today, the image of Hungary in Austria is poor due to the relentless demonization of the Orbán government in the media. Nevertheless, Austrians enjoy visiting Budapest and appreciate Hungarian hospitality and business opportunities.

Austrians and Hungarians share a close history, including the ruling dynasty of Austria, the Habsburgs, inheriting the Hungarian throne in the 16th century

The House of Habsburg, also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most prominent and important dynasties in European history. The family name is derived from the Habsburg Castle, a fortress built in the 1020s in present-day Switzerland. The first Habsburg who can be reliably traced was Radbot of Klettgau, who was born in the late 10th century. The Habsburg name was first used by his grandson, Otto II, who added "Count of Habsburg" to his title.

The history of the Habsburg monarchy can be traced back to the election of Rudolf I as King of Germany in 1273. In 1282, Rudolf I acquired the Duchy of Austria for the Habsburgs, thus establishing the "Austrian hereditary lands". The Habsburgs continued to expand their influence through arranged marriages and political privileges.

In 1482, Maximilian I acquired the Netherlands through marriage. These realms, along with the Duchy of Austria, were passed on to his grandson and successor, Charles V. Charles V also inherited the Spanish throne and its colonial possessions, thus becoming the ruler of the Habsburg Empire at its greatest territorial extent.

The abdication of Charles V in 1556 led to a division within the dynasty between his son, Philip II of Spain, and his brother, Ferdinand I, who had served as his lieutenant and was the elected king of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. This division created the Spanish branch and the Austrian branch of the Habsburg dynasty.

The Austrian branch of the Habsburgs, which ruled over the Holy Roman Empire, Hungary, Bohemia, and various other lands, was further split into different branches in 1564 but reunited 101 years later. It became extinct in the male line in 1740 but continued through the female line as the House of Habsburg-Lorraine.

The Habsburg monarchy was a union of crowns, with shared laws and institutions under the Habsburg court. The territories were united only by virtue of a common monarch. Over time, the Habsburg realms expanded and contracted, with various territories being gained and lost.

In 1804, the Habsburg realms were unified with the formation of the Austrian Empire. However, in 1867, the Austro-Hungarian Compromise split the monarchy into two states, Austria and Hungary, under one crowned ruler. This arrangement gave Hungary equal sovereignty and ended its status as a crownland of the Austrian Empire.

During World War I, the monarchy began to fracture in the face of inevitable defeat. Ultimately, the Habsburg monarchy disbanded with the proclamation of the Republic of German-Austria and the First Hungarian Republic in 1918.

Thus, the history of the Habsburg dynasty, with its complex family branches and acquisitions of territories, is deeply intertwined with the history of both Austria and Hungary. The inheritance of the Hungarian throne by the Habsburgs in the 16th century marked a significant development in this shared history, shaping the destinies of both nations for centuries to come.

Austrians and Hungarians have a complicated relationship, being enemies, neighbours, and friends

In the final decades of the Dual Monarchy, Austria and Hungary developed side by side, with the Hungarian Nationalities Law (1868) reinstating the full equality of all citizens and introducing the first minority rights in Europe. However, the Magyar aristocracy and bourgeoisie attempted to "Magyarize" the ethnicities within the multi-national kingdom, primarily impacting education, language, and administration. During this time, voting rights in the Kingdom of Hungary were restricted to the upper classes, while in Austria, universal, equal, and direct voting for all men was established in 1907.

Before World War I, many aristocratic Hungarian families, such as Esterházy, Batthyány, and Pálffy, had palaces in Vienna, where their king, who was also the Emperor of Austria, resided. Some of these families still own these premises today. Despite their shared history, the two nations found themselves on opposing sides during World War I, leading to their treatment as defeated enemies by the Allies.

Following World War I, Hungary had to cede its westernmost part, Deutsch-Westungarn, to Austria, as these districts had been inhabited by Germans for centuries. This cession was formalized in the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, and the area was renamed Burgenland by the Austrians. The decision was not without controversy, as Hungary initially refused to relinquish the city of Sopron, leading to a referendum that ultimately resulted in Sopron remaining a part of Hungary.

During World War II, Hungarian prisoners of war were among those held in the Stalag 317/XVIII-C German POW camp in German-annexed Austria. The political developments in Hungary and Czechoslovakia towards communist regimes after 1945 made Austrian politicians extremely cautious in their relations with the Communist Party of Austria. The Iron Curtain that divided Europe also had a personal impact on Hungarians and Austrians living near the border.

During the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Austrians supported the revolutionaries and, despite their neutrality policy, deployed their army at the eastern border to prevent any foreign soldiers from entering Austria. Tens of thousands of Hungarian refugees fled to Austria, receiving a warm welcome. Among them was Archbishop Cardinal József Mindszenty, the Primate of Hungary, who lived in Vienna until his death in 1975.

In the 1970s, Hungary under János Kádár implemented a new policy called "Goulash Communism," which led to a thaw in official relations between the two countries. During this period, commentators spoke of a new "K & K era," referring to the names of the two politicians, Bruno Kreisky of Austria and János Kádár of Hungary. In the 1980s, the two countries even discussed plans for a joint world exhibition in Vienna and Budapest, although this idea was ultimately rejected in a referendum.

In 1989, Hungary decided to tear down the Iron Curtain at the border with Austria, staging a symbolic "tear-down action" with Austrian politicians. This event prompted many East Germans vacationing in Hungary to cross into Austria and subsequently move to West Germany. Today, both countries are members of the European Union, and the Schengen Agreement allows citizens to cross the border without control. Austrian entrepreneurs have invested in Hungary, and there are various joint enterprises between the two countries, such as the Győr–Sopron–Ebenfurth Railway.

Despite their shared history and current cooperation, the relationship between Austrians and Hungarians remains complex. While some Hungarians express nostalgia for the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and view Austrians favourably compared to Germans, others acknowledge the negative aspects of their shared history, particularly the loss of territory and the traumatic experiences during World War I and its aftermath.

The Austrian-Hungarian Empire was a multiethnic and multilingual state, with two political centres in Vienna and Budapest

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was a multiethnic and multilingual state with two political centres in Vienna and Budapest. The Empire was formed in 1867 after the Austro-Prussian War and the Hungarian Wars of Independence against Habsburg rule. It was a constitutional monarchy consisting of two sovereign states, with a single monarch acting as both Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. The Austrian and Hungarian states were co-equal in power and shared unified diplomatic and defence policies.

The Empire was divided into two halves: Cisleithania, the northern and western parts of the former Austrian Empire, and Transleithania, the Kingdom of Hungary. The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia was an autonomous region under the Hungarian crown. Following the 1878 Congress of Berlin, Bosnia and Herzegovina came under Austro-Hungarian joint military and civilian rule until it was fully annexed in 1908.

The two halves of the Empire shared a common monarch and both foreign relations and defence were managed jointly. However, all other state functions were handled separately, and there was no common citizenship. Each half had its own parliament, with its own executive government appointed by the monarch. The Austrian half was officially designated the "Lands Represented in the Imperial Council", while the Hungarian half was known as the "Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen".

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was one of the major powers in Europe, geographically the second-largest country on the continent and the third most populous. It was among the ten most populous countries worldwide and had the fourth-largest machine-building industry globally. However, the Empire was also ethnically and linguistically diverse, with multiple nationalities and languages represented within its borders. This diversity presented challenges in terms of governance and led to tensions between different ethnic groups, particularly as the Empire began to disintegrate during World War I.

The Empire's multiethnic nature was a significant factor in its eventual collapse. As the war progressed, nationalist movements within the Empire gained strength, and the Allies encouraged breakaway demands from minorities. The leftist and liberal movements in the capital cities of Vienna and Budapest supported the separatism of ethnic minorities, further contributing to the Empire's disintegration. The military breakdown of the Italian front marked the start of the rebellion for the various ethnicities within the Empire, as they refused to continue fighting for a cause that no longer seemed worthwhile.

By the end of October 1918, there was little left of the Habsburg realm, and the Emperor had lost much of his power. The Hungarian Parliament voted to terminate the union with Austria, and the Empire was officially dissolved shortly after. The Austro-Hungarian Empire's demise was a significant political event that reshaped the map of Europe, leading to the formation of new states and changing the course of history in the region.

Hungarians are nostalgic for the days of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire, which they see as a time of cultural and industrial flourishing

The Austro-Hungarian Empire, also known as the Dual Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was a military and diplomatic alliance consisting of two sovereign states with a single monarch, who was titled Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary. The Austro-Hungarian Empire was geographically the second-largest country in Europe and the third most populous, while also being among the ten most populous countries worldwide.

Hungarians have a mixed view of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the Habsburgs. On the one hand, they are portrayed as evil, especially before 1848, when Hungary was seeking greater self-governance and independence from the Austrian Empire. The ensuing Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was crushed by the Austrian military with Russian assistance, and the level of autonomy that Hungary had previously enjoyed was replaced with absolutist rule from Vienna. This further increased Hungarian resentment of Habsburg dominion. However, after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, which gave Hungary full internal autonomy, the period that followed is often referred to as a "golden age" or a time of "cultural and industrial flourishing". This compromise, which created the Dual Monarchy, is seen by some Hungarians as a time when their country was at the centre of the Jewish world in Europe, and when Jews did extremely well under the Habsburgs compared to many other European countries.

The Austro-Hungarian Empire was one of the Central Powers in World War I, which began with an Austro-Hungarian declaration of war on the Kingdom of Serbia on 28 July 1914. The Empire was already effectively dissolved by the time the military authorities signed the armistice of Villa Giusti on 3 November 1918. The Kingdom of Hungary and the First Austrian Republic were treated as its successors de jure.

Austrians and Hungarians have different views on their shared history, with Austrians seeing Hungarians as barbaric and Hungarians seeing Austrians as caricatures of men

Austrians and Hungarians have had a complex relationship since the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. While some Austrians and Hungarians may not hold strong opinions about each other, there are underlying tensions and differing views on their shared history.

Austrians tend to view Hungarians as barbaric, especially in relation to the current political climate in Hungary. They perceive the Hungarian government and its policies as nationalist and far-right, with an increase in neo-Nazis. There is also a sentiment among Austrians that Hungarians are responsible for breaking their banking sector. Additionally, some Austrians hold negative views towards Romani people in Hungary and use derogatory terms to refer to them.

On the other hand, Hungarians see Austrians as caricatures of men. Being ruled by the House of Habsburg for over a century is considered a national trauma for Hungarians, and they continue to resent the Habsburg dominion. Hungarians also view Austrians as having a superior attitude, and the term "Labanc" is used offensively to refer to Austrians, similar to how Germans use derogatory terms to describe people with a foreign background.

Despite these differing views, there are also positive aspects to the relationship. Austrians appreciate Hungarian cuisine, such as goulash, and admire the country's beautiful landscapes. Hungarians, likewise, appreciate Austrian food and consider Austria a good friend in need. They also acknowledge the historical connection through the Austro-Hungarian Empire, sometimes nostalgically referring to the idea of re-establishing it as a democracy.

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