Lexi Webster
Austria's present borders were created at the end of World War I. The country's roots, however, reach back more than 1000 years. During the Roman Empire, the territory of present-day Austria was known as the Roman province of Noricum, which was annexed by the empire around 15 BC, marking the beginning of 500 years of Austria Romana. The country's borders have since evolved, with the Hungarians arriving in the 9th century and the Bavarians in the 10th century. The Austrian lands were united under Maximilian in 1490, and the country continued to experience a repeated pattern of division and unification.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of present borders being created | End of World War I |
| Previous name | Part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire |
| Ancient history | Annexed by the Roman Empire around 15 BC |
| Roman cities | Vindobona (Vienna), Juvavum (Salzburg), Valdidena (Innsbruck), and Brigantium (Bregenz) |
| Virunum (north of the modern Klagenfurt), Teurnia (near Spittal), and Lauriacum (Enns) | |
| Roman settlements: Kleinklein (Styria) and Zollfeld (Magdalensberg) | |
| Medieval history | Reunification of Austrian lands in 1490 |
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What You'll Learn
Austria's borders were created at the end of World War I
Austria's present-day borders were created at the end of World War I. However, the country's history and the evolution of its borders date back much further. During the Roman Empire, the territory of present-day Austria was part of the Roman province of Noricum, which was annexed around 15 BC, marking the beginning of 500 years of "Austria Romana". The Romans founded several cities in Austria, including Vindobona (Vienna), Juvavum (Salzburg), and Valdidena (Innsbruck).
In the centuries that followed, Austria's borders changed hands several times. In the Late Middle Ages, the country was divided into Further Austria and the heartlands of Austria. In 1490, Maximilian reunited all the Austrian lands, establishing peace with Hungary and making Innsbruck the capital due to its safer location between his Burgundian and Austrian territories.
However, the dynamic nature of Austria's borders continued, with repeated patterns of division and unification. The mid-1800s saw potential changes to Austria's borders, with some sources suggesting that the country's present borders were formed during this period. This was a time of significant political and military developments, including the defeat of Napoleon and the formation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
It was only at the end of World War I that Austria's present-day borders were firmly established. The country's roots reach back more than 1000 years, and its history is characterised by dynamic border changes influenced by various empires, alliances, and military conflicts.
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The country's roots go back over 1,000 years
Austria's present-day borders were created at the end of World War I. However, the country's roots go back over 1,000 years.
During the Roman Empire, the territory of present-day Austria corresponded roughly with the Roman province of Noricum, which was annexed by the empire around 15 BC. This marked the beginning of 500 years of "Austria Romana", a term coined in the 19th century. The Romans built many Austrian cities that survive today, including Vindobona (Vienna), Juvavum (Salzburg), and Brigantium (Bregenz).
In the centuries that followed, Austria's borders shifted as different groups rose to power and settled in the region. In the late 4th century AD, the Romans suffered a major defeat at the hands of the Goths, Alans, and Huns, leading to the settlement of one of the armed groups, led by Alatheus and Saphrax, in the eastern part of Austria.
In the 9th century, the Hungarians arrived and by 896, they had defeated the Moravians and the Bavarians, establishing their presence in the region. During the Late Middle Ages, the heartlands of Austria took shape, but there were also territories known as "Further Austria" to the west.
In the late 15th century, Maximilian I reunited all the Austrian lands, which had been divided since 1379, and established peace with Hungary. However, the pattern of division and unification continued, and the borders remained unsettled. It wasn't until the end of World War I that Austria's present borders were formed, marking the separation of Austria and Hungary into distinct countries.
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The Romans built many Austrian cities that survive today
The present borders of Austria were created in 1815. However, the country has a long and complex history that dates back to the Roman Empire.
The Romans built many Austrian cities that survive to this day. During the Roman Empire, the territory of present-day Austria corresponded roughly with the Roman province of Noricum, which was annexed by the empire around 15 BC, marking the beginning of 500 years of "Austria Romana". The Romans built several cities in Noricum, including Vindobona (Vienna), Juvavum (Salzburg), Valdidena (Innsbruck), and Brigantium (Bregenz). Other important Roman towns in the region included Virunum, located north of the modern Klagenfurt, Teurnia, near Spittal, and Lauriacum, in Enns.
In addition to these cities, the Romans also established fortified hilltop settlements, such as Kulm in east Styria, Idunum (modern-day Villach), Burg (Schwarzenbach), and Braunsberg (Hainburg). These settlements served as centers of public life and featured impressive defensive structures. The city of Linz, for example, dates back to this period and was once a Roman trading outpost called Magdalensberg.
The Romans also built watchtowers or "Burgi" along the Danube River to strengthen their defences. Some of these towers, such as the large bastion-shaped tower at Mautern and similar towers attached to the walls at Traismauer and Tulln, still stand today. Roman influence in Austria extended beyond urban development, with the arrival of Christianity in the 2nd century and the establishment of Church organizations by the 4th century.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, Austria's borders and rulers changed repeatedly. In the Migration Period of the 6th century, the Bavarii, a Germanic people, occupied the lands south of the Danube until they were conquered by the Frankish Empire in the 9th century. The name "Ostarrîchi" (Austria) has been in use since 996 AD when it was a margravate of the Duchy of Bavaria. In 1156, Austria became an independent duchy (later an archduchy) within the Holy Roman Empire, which lasted until 1806. During this period, the country was dominated by powerful dynasties such as the House of Habsburg.
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The territory of present-day Austria was once part of the Roman province of Noricum
In the 2nd century BC, fortified central places (oppida) were built, and Norian coins were shaped according to Greek models. In the 1st century BC, the Regnum Noricum reached its greatest extent east and north. The economic foundations of Noricum were iron, mining, industry, agricultural products, and trade. The centre of Regnum Noricum was presumably the settlement on the Magdalensberg (later Virunum), where a spring-Roman inscription was found with the names of eight Celtic tribes.
In 16 BC, Noricum was incorporated into the Roman Empire under Emperor Augustus. At first, it retained some autonomy as a tributary principality, but under Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD), it became a Roman province. It included the present-day Austrian provinces of Carinthia, Salzburg, Upper Austria, Lower Austria, and Styria, as well as the southeast of Bavaria with the Chiemgau. Parts of Tyrol also belonged to it. Under Diocletian (284-305), Noricum was divided into Noricum ripense ("Noricum along the river", the northern part southward from the Danube) and Noricum mediterraneum ("landlocked Noricum", the southern, more mountainous district).
During the Migration Period in the 6th century, the Bavarii, a Germanic people, occupied these lands until they fell to the Frankish Empire in the 9th century. The name Ostarrîchi (Austria) has been in use since 996 AD when it was a margravate of the Duchy of Bavaria. In the 14th century, the Habsburgs began to accumulate other provinces in the vicinity of the Duchy of Austria. In 1490, Maximilian I reunited all the Austrian lands and established peace with Mathias's successor Vladislaus II at the Peace of Pressburg in 1491. However, the dynastic pattern of division and unification would repeat itself over time.
It is worth noting that the borders of present-day Austria were not definitively created until 1815, and the country has a long history of territorial changes and disputes.
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The Austro-Hungarian Empire was formed during the mid-1800s
The formation of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, also known as the Dual Monarchy, was the result of a complex interplay of historical, political, and military factors that unfolded over centuries. The roots of the Empire can be traced back to the Roman Empire, which established settlements and cities in the region that became the foundation of present-day Austria. During the Roman Empire, the territory of what is now Austria was roughly equivalent to the Roman province of Noricum, which was annexed around 15 BC, marking the beginning of a 500-year period known as "Austria Romana".
However, the direct precursor to the Austro-Hungarian Empire was the Austrian Empire, which came into existence in 1804 when Francis II, the last of the Holy Roman Emperors, proclaimed himself Emperor of Austria as Francis I. Two years later, the Holy Roman Empire officially ended. In the following decades, the Austrian Empire faced challenges and tensions, particularly with the Kingdom of Hungary, which sought greater self-governance and independence. This culminated in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, which was crushed by Austrian and Russian forces, leading to absolutist rule over Hungary from Vienna.
The defeat of the Austrian forces in the Second Italian War of Independence and the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 marked a turning point. These losses weakened Austrian dominance and provided an opportunity for Hungarians to push for autonomy once again. Recognizing the need for compromise, negotiations between the central government in Vienna and Hungarian political leaders commenced. This led to the historic Ausgleich or Compromise of 1867, which established the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The Compromise created a unique arrangement where the Emperor of Austria, Francis Joseph, also became the King of Hungary, with Hungary granted its own parliament and significant internal autonomy.
The Austro-Hungarian Empire, thus formed in the mid-1800s, was a multinational constitutional monarchy in Central Europe. It consisted of two sovereign states, Austria and Hungary, with a single monarch presiding over a diverse and geographically vast realm. The Empire endured until 1918, when it collapsed following its defeat in World War I and revolutions by various nationalist groups within its territories.
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Frequently asked questions
Austria's present borders were created at the end of World War I.
During the Roman Empire, the territory of present-day Austria was known as the province of Noricum.
For centuries, the Danube River served as a border between Austria and other regions, with the power of the Marcomanni, one of the groups controlling this border region, being broken by 300 AD.
