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Austria's official language is German, and it is the most widely spoken language in the country. Austrian German is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, which is the primary native language of Austria outside of Vorarlberg. In 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria, an event known as the Anschluss, which means connection or joining in German. This act of aggression was the first of its kind by Nazi Germany, and it incorporated Austria into Nazi territory, with the support of many Austrians.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Official language | German |
| Lingua franca | German |
| Dialects | Austro-Bavarian, Alemannic |
| Minority languages | Serbo-Croatian, Turkish, Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian, Slovene |
| Annexation by Nazi Germany | 1938 |
| Nazi concentration camps in Austria | Mauthausen |
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What You'll Learn
German was the official language
Before the annexation, German was already the primary language of Austria, with Austro-Bavarian being the main dialect outside of Vorarlberg. Austrian German, influenced by Austro-Bavarian, was the variety of German used in the country. It served as the lingua franca and de facto first language, with most Austrians being able to speak it. The language was used in the media, schools, and formal announcements.
Alemannic, or Swiss German, was the main dialect in Vorarlberg and was difficult to understand for German speakers from other regions. Austro-Bavarian, the primary native language of Austria outside Vorarlberg, also differed significantly from Standard German. Certain phrases and greetings in Austro-Bavarian, such as "Griaß God" ("greet God") and "Servus/Servas" ("at your service"), were rarely used in Standard German.
During World War II, Austria was an integral part of Nazi Germany, with approximately 10% of the population joining the Nazi Party. The Wehrmacht drafted more than 1.3 million Austrians between 1938 and 1945, and Austrians participated in Nazi atrocities on the Eastern Front. The annexation of Austria was a significant step in Nazi Germany's expansionist agenda and transformed the country into a province of the Third Reich.
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Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in 1938
Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany in March 1938. This event is known as the Anschluss, which translates to "connection" or "joining" in German. The annexation was the first act of territorial aggression and expansion committed by Nazi Germany and violated the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of the two countries.
In the years leading up to the annexation, Austria was weakened by economic stagnation, political dictatorship, and intense Nazi propaganda. Many Austrians hoped to solve the country's economic woes by uniting with Germany, a desire that dated back to the 19th century. In 1936, Austrian Chancellor Kurt Schuschnigg signed an agreement with the German ambassador, agreeing to the release of imprisoned Nazis in Austria in exchange for a promise of sovereignty. However, the Nazis continued to pursue their goal of unification. On March 12, 1938, German troops entered Austria, receiving the enthusiastic support of most of the population.
The next day, on March 13, 1938, Austrian Nazi Chancellor Arthur Seyss-Inquart signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law, formally incorporating Austria into Nazi Germany. Austria was no longer an independent country but a province of Nazi Germany, initially referred to as the Ostmark. The Nazis worked to erase any traces of a separate Austrian identity and quickly extended anti-Jewish legislation to the country. The Mauthausen concentration camp was established in the summer of 1938, and the mass deportation of Austrian Jews began in October 1941.
The official language of Austria during World War II was German, which constituted the lingua franca and de facto first language. The variety of German spoken in Austria, Austrian German, was influenced by Austro-Bavarian dialects. Austro-Bavarian was the main dialect outside of Vorarlberg, while Alemannic was the primary dialect in that region.
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Austrian German is influenced by Austro-Bavarian
During World War II, German was the official language of Austria, and it remains so today. Austrian German is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, which is a group of Upper German varieties spoken in the southeast of the German language area, including the German state of Bavaria, most of Austria, and South Tyrol in Italy. Bavarian is considered a dialect of German, but some classify it as a separate language. It differs significantly from Standard German in pronunciation, vocabulary, and grammar, making it challenging for native German speakers to understand.
Austro-Bavarian comprises Central Austro-Bavarian dialects, such as those spoken in northeastern Austria, and Southern Austro-Bavarian dialects in the southern regions. These dialects differ from each other and from Standard German, with unique phrases and terms that are rarely used in Standard German. For example, "Griaß God" ("greet God") is used as a greeting in Austro-Bavarian, while "Servus/Servas" ("at your service") is also a common greeting. Additionally, "Pfiat di / Pfiat eich (euch)" ("may God watch over you") is used to say "goodbye."
The dialects of Austrian German vary across different provinces of Austria, with speakers from Carinthia, Styria, Vienna, Upper Austria, and Tyrol having very distinctive accents. The dialect of Carinthia has been influenced by bilingualism with Slovene, while the dialect of Vienna has been influenced by immigration during the Austro-Hungarian period, particularly from the area of today's Czech Republic.
The variety of German used in Austria, known as Austrian German, Austrian Standard German, or Austrian High German, is influenced by Austro-Bavarian. It has its roots in the mid-18th century when compulsory schooling was introduced in 1774 by Empress Maria Theresa and her son Joseph II. However, the written standard at the time, Oberdeutsche Schreibsprache (Upper German written language), was not based on Austro-Bavarian due to political considerations and the desire to unify the multilingual Habsburg Empire. As a result, Austrian German today is influenced by both Austro-Bavarian and Middle German.
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Austria had a Jewish population of about 192,000 in 1938
German was the official language in Austria during World War II. Austrian German, the variety of German used in Austria, is influenced by Austro-Bavarian, which is the main dialect outside Vorarlberg. Austro-Bavarian differs greatly from Standard German, making it difficult for German speakers from other regions to understand the native population.
Before World War II, Jews played an important role in Austria's economic and cultural life. In 1938, Austria had a Jewish population of about 192,000, representing almost 4% of the total population. The overwhelming majority of Austrian Jews lived in Vienna, the capital, which was an important center of Jewish culture, Zionism, and education. Jews comprised about 9% of the city's population.
The German annexation of Austria in 1938, known as the Anschluss, resulted in an outburst of public violence against the country's Jewish population. The German racial Nuremberg Laws were immediately applied to Austria, and Jews were expelled from all cultural, economic, and social life. Jewish businesses were 'aryanised' and either sold for a fraction of their value or seized outright.
Following the German incorporation of Austria, the Mauthausen concentration camp was established in the summer of 1938. It became the main Nazi camp in Austria, designated as a special penal camp with a harsh regimen. The November 1938 Kristallnacht ("Night of Broken Glass") pogroms were particularly brutal in Austria, with most synagogues in Vienna destroyed and Jewish businesses vandalized and ransacked.
As a result of the German annexation and the Kristallnacht, Jewish emigration from Austria increased dramatically. Between 1938 and 1940, 117,000 Jews left the country. By December 1939, the Jewish population in Austria had decreased to 57,000, and by October 1942, only about 2,000 to 5,000 Jews remained in the country. The total number of Austrian Jews murdered during the Holocaust is estimated to be around 65,000 people.
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Austria welcomed Hitler and the Anschluss
The primary language in Austria during World War II was German, which was the country's official language and lingua franca. German was spoken by most Austrians, except for some rural seniors. The variety of German used in Austria, Austrian German, was partially influenced by Austro-Bavarian, the main dialect outside Vorarlberg.
Austria welcomed Hitler warmly as he first traveled to Linz and then on to Vienna. On March 11–13, 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria, an event known as the Anschluss, which means "connection" or "joining" in German. The annexation was the Nazi regime's first act of territorial aggression and expansion, violating the Treaty of Versailles and the Treaty of Saint-Germain, which expressly forbade the unification of Austria and Germany.
The idea of Austria joining Germany had been gaining popularity since the 1920s, particularly among Austrian citizens of the political left and center. Many Austrians believed that their country could not survive economically without the lands previously held by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed after World War I. The hope of uniting Austria and Germany was not new, with discussions dating back to the 19th century.
When Hitler rose to power in Germany, the desire for unification became associated with the Nazis, who saw it as an integral part of their "Heim ins Reich" ("back home to the realm") concept. The Austrian Nazi Party's popularity grew in the 1930s, and they used propaganda slogans such as "Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Führer" ("One People, One Empire, One Leader") to convince Austrians to support the Anschluss.
On March 13, 1938, Austrian Nazi Chancellor Seyss-Inquart signed the "Reunification of Austria with Germany" law, formally incorporating Austria into Nazi Germany. Austria was no longer an independent country but a province of Nazi Germany, and the Nazis worked to erase any traces of a separate Austrian identity. The annexation was met with enthusiasm by most Austrians, who participated in the Nazification of their country and persecuted the Jewish population.
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Frequently asked questions
German was the official language of Austria during World War 2, and it was spoken by most Austrians. Austrian German was influenced by Austro-Bavarian, which was the main dialect outside Vorarlberg.
Besides German, several minority languages were spoken in Austria during World War 2, including:
- Burgenland Croatian
- Hungarian
- Serbian
- Slovene
- Turkish
After the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War 1, many people in the newly formed country of Austria still considered themselves German and spoke German as their primary language.
The annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany in 1938, known as the Anschluss, resulted in the Nazification of Austrian life. While German was already the primary language in Austria, the Nazis sought to eradicate any traces of a separate Austrian identity.
