Lyla Lindsey
Austria is a small country in Central Europe that has been at the centre of European traffic between east and west along the Danubian trade route. The country has had high levels of immigration since the 1970s, with the largest immigrant group being Turks, who make up 3% of the Austrian population. The second-largest foreign national group is Germans, who have historically been associated with Austria, as Austrians were considered Germans during their time as part of the Holy Roman Empire. Other nationalities that make up Austria include Hungarians, Czechs, and Moravians, who were historically part of the Austrian-Hungarian empire.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official language | German |
| Native language speakers | 88.6% |
| Foreign-born population | 19% (2018) |
| Most common foreign resident groups | Germans (88.8%) |
| Turks (350,000) | |
| Carinthian Slovenes (14,000-50,000) | |
| Croats (25,000) | |
| Hungarians (20,000) | |
| Religion | Roman Catholic (74%) |
| Muslim (12,514 mothers in 2017) | |
| Protestant (5%) |
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What You'll Learn
Turks, the largest ethnic minority in Austria
Turks are the largest ethnic minority in Austria, with an estimated total of 350,000 ethnic Turks living in the country in 2010, accounting for 3% of the Austrian population. The Turkish community in Austria is made up of ethnic Turkish people who have migrated from Turkey, as well as their Austrian-born descendants, and ethnic Turkish communities from the Balkans (especially Bulgaria, Greece, and Romania) and the Levant.
The first mass migration of Turks to Austria began in the 1960s, with Turkish Macedonians and Turkish Kosovars joining other Yugoslav citizens as "guest workers" in the construction and export industries. This migration intensified between 1970 and 2010 due to political and economic reasons and was further facilitated by an agreement between the Austrian and Turkish governments in 1964. From 1971 onwards, Turkish migrants also included political refugees from Turkey and Kurdistan. Since the 1970s, Turks in Austria have focused on family reunification and seeking Austrian citizenship, which requires 10 years of residence in the country.
The Turkish community in Austria is predominantly concentrated in Vienna, with an estimated population of 200,000, followed by Lower Austria, Vorarlberg, Upper Austria, Tyrol, and Salzburg. Turkish is recognized as a minority language in Austria, and since 1979, Turkish-language education has been offered to Turkish children in Vienna and some other provinces. The Islamic faith, the majority religion among Turks, was also officially recognized in 1979, and a representative council was established.
Turks in Austria have faced challenges in terms of discrimination, particularly in employment and housing, and underrepresentation in higher education. There has been an increase in harassment and racial violence against the community since the September 11, 2001, attacks and the 2005 Madrid and London bombings. Turkish women, especially those who wear headscarves, often face additional barriers to employment and are denied the right to work if they are family members of male workers. However, there are also community support organizations, such as Islamic and Turkish women's organizations, that provide assistance and advocate for the rights of the Turkish community in Austria.
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Carinthian Slovenes, Croats, and Hungarians
The Carinthian Slovenes are an indigenous minority group of Slovene ethnicity living within the borders of the Austrian state of Carinthia, which neighbours Slovenia. They are one of the native groups of Austria that speak a minority language, along with Croats and Hungarians. The present-day Slovene-speaking area was settled by West Slavic peoples and then by South Slavs, who became the predominant group. A South Slavic informal language with western Slavonic influence arose, and at the end of the migration period, a Slavic proto-state called Carantania, the precursor of the later Duchy of Carinthia, arose.
The Carinthian Slovenes have historically been discriminated against. During the interwar period, German nationalism in Austria grew, and ethnic tensions led to increasing discrimination against the Carinthian Slovenes. Promises made to the Slovenes were broken, and they were forced to assimilate by dividing them into "nationalist" Slovenes and "Germanophile" Windisch. Even the status of their language, a Slovene dialect with many borrowed German words, was denied. The Carinthian Slovenes' political influence has also been reduced by gerrymandering, where the area of their settlement was divided up and combined with purely German-speaking parts of the province.
During the dissolution of Austria-Hungary at the end of World War I, the Carinthian provisional assembly proclaimed adhesion to German-Austria, while the newly established State of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs briefly occupied the districts where the greater majority still used Slovene. Armed clashes followed, and a plebiscite was held on 10 October 1920, resulting in 59.1% of votes for adhesion to Austria and 40.9% for annexation by the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. The region was placed under Austrian administration and declared part of the sovereign Austrian Republic on 22 November 1920.
The Austrian State Treaty of 1955 included regulations for the rights of the Slovene and Croat minorities in Austria. However, the 1976 Ethnic Groups Act restricted their constitutional rights, and the Minority Schools Act of 1988 reinforced segregationist tendencies. Bilingual road signs put up by the federal government in 1972 were destroyed by nationalist mobs in 123 villages, and bilingual education remains limited. Slovene organizations estimate the total number of Slovenes in all of Austria to be 50,000, most of whom live in Carinthia.
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Austrians who identify as German
The concept of Austrians identifying as German is a complex one, with historical and cultural nuances. Historically, Austrians were regarded as Germans and saw themselves as such. The Austrian lands, including Bohemia, were once 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. When Germany became a nation-state in 1871, Austria was not included. This exclusion of Austrian Germans from the unified German nation-state posed a challenge to their identity.
The Austrian identity has been described as a "double identity," with the German-speaking subjects of the Habsburg Monarchy having a complex relationship with their German counterparts. The Austrian lands experienced an independent cultural development influenced by the unification programmes of Maria Theresa and Joseph II, who aimed to create a unified Austrian state. This led to the emergence of Austrian nationalism, particularly within the Christian Social Party, which identified Austrians based on their predominantly Catholic religious identity, setting them apart from the predominantly Protestant Prussians.
The rise of Nazism and the association of pan-Germanism with Nazi ideology further contributed to Austrians developing a distinct national identity separate from Germany. After World War II, Austria was considered a victim of Nazi Germany, and Austrians actively cultivated a separate identity from their German neighbours, emphasising their cultural achievements, geopolitical neutrality, language variations, and the Habsburg legacy. By 1987, only 6% of Austrians identified themselves as Germans.
Today, the vast majority of Austrians do not identify as German, and Austria has developed its own separate and distinct national identity. However, it is worth noting that Austria has a high level of immigration, and as of January 2018, Germans constituted the largest group of foreign nationals in the country, with 186,891 Germans living in Austria. Additionally, the Austro-Bavarian dialects spoken in some regions of Austria are considered subgroups of Central Austro-Bavarian or Southern Austro-Bavarian.
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Austrian Standard German speakers
Austria has experienced high levels of immigration since the 1970s, with the largest immigrant group being Turks, who make up 3% of the Austrian population. In addition to Turks, there are also significant numbers of Germans, Slavs, Hungarians, and Croats living in Austria. As of January 2018, there were 186,891 Germans residing in the country, making them the largest group of foreign nationals.
The native name for Austria is "Österreich," which derives from the Old High German "Ostarrîchi," meaning "eastern realm." The term "Austrian" was historically used to refer to the population of Habsburg Austria in the 17th and 18th centuries and later to the citizens of the Empire of Austria and Cisleithania in the 19th century. Austrians were once considered Germans due to their shared history as part of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Confederation. However, after the Austro-Prussian War of 1866, Austria was expelled from the German Confederation, and Austrians began to develop their own distinct national identity separate from Germany.
Today, the vast majority of Austrians do not identify as German, and the country has established itself as a separate nationality and ethnic group. The Austrian standard German dialect is widely spoken throughout the country, taught in schools, and used in official contexts. However, various regional dialects and minority languages are also prevalent, reflecting the diverse cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped Austria's history.
Austrian Standard German, also known as Standard Austrian German or Austrian High German, is the standardized variety of the German language used in Austria. It differs from the German spoken in Germany in some aspects of vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar, but the differences are relatively minor and do not impede mutual understanding. Austrian Standard German is the language used in education, media, and formal settings in Austria and is considered the country's official language.
While German is the dominant language in Austria, it's important to note that the country also recognizes and values its regional dialects and minority languages. The Austro-Bavarian dialects, for example, are widely spoken in regions like Vienna, Burgenland, Upper Austria, and Lower Austria. Additionally, minority languages like Slovene, Croatian, and Hungarian are officially recognized and spoken in certain states of Austria. This linguistic diversity adds to the cultural richness and uniqueness of Austria, showcasing the interplay between standardization and regional variation within the German-speaking world.
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Jews or adherents of Judaism
Jews, or adherents of Judaism, have had a long and complex history in Austria, with their presence dating back to the Middle Ages. Medieval Austria witnessed the arrival of Jewish refugees from various parts of Europe, including Spain and Portugal during the Inquisition, as well as from other
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Frequently asked questions
The largest groups of foreign nationals in Austria are Germans, Turks, Carinthian Slovenes, Croats, and Hungarians.
The minority languages spoken in Austria are Slovene, Croatian, and Hungarian.
The predominant religion in Austria is Roman Catholic, with 74% of the population registered as Roman Catholic in 2001.
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