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Austrian immigration to the United States has been influenced by various factors, including religious and political persecution, economic opportunities, and the impact of World Wars. The migration history is complex due to the diverse nationalities and ethnicities within the historical Austrian empires. The earliest recorded migration occurred in 1734 when 50 Protestant families from Salzburg fled religious persecution and settled in Georgia. Between 1876 and 1910, approximately 3.5 million people migrated from the Habsburg Monarchy to the US, with 1.8 million originating from Austrian provinces. Many Austrian immigrants were Jewish, escaping Nazi persecution, especially after the Annexation of Austria in 1938. Others sought economic opportunities, with some finding success in various fields, including business, law, arts, and science. Since the 1960s, Austrian immigration has decreased due to Austria's development and the reduction of poverty and political oppression.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Years with the most significant numbers of Austrian immigrants | Before the American Revolution, 1848, the first decade of the 20th century, and during World War II |
| Reasons for immigrating | Religious freedom, religious persecution, political and ethnic conflicts, escaping Nazi persecution, escaping the Holocaust, escaping desolation and disorganization after the war |
| Number of Austrian immigrants to the US | Between 1876 and 1910: 3.5 million people from the Habsburg Monarchy (1.8 million from Austrian provinces and 1.7 million from Hungarian provinces); Between 1902 and 1911: 7.5% of Pittsburgh's population came from Austria-Hungary; Between 1933 and 1945: 29,000 Jewish Austrians; Between 1945 and 1960: 40,000 Austrians; Between the mid-1930s and mid-1950s: 70,000 Austrians |
| US states with the largest Austrian populations | New York, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey, and Ohio |
| US cities with notable Austrian populations | Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Savannah, and Chicago |
| Notable Austrian immigrants to the US | Isidor Bush, Anthony J. Drexel, Katherine Drexel, Johann Michael Kohler, Michael Kohler, August Brentano, Nathan M. Ohrbach, Joe Weinstein, John David Hertz, Nettie Rosenstein, Rudi Gernreich, Frederick Ungar, and Frederik Amos Praeger |
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What You'll Learn
Religious freedom
The United States has historically been a destination for immigrants from all over the world, and Austria is no exception. One of the primary reasons for Austrian immigration to America has been the pursuit of religious freedom.
During the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries, much of German-speaking Europe, including Austria, was divided into small duchies, principalities, and kingdoms. The religious preferences of their rulers—who could be either Roman Catholics or Protestants—were typically established as the state religions. Citizens who subscribed to other faiths were often discriminated against or even persecuted. This religious intolerance frequently drove Austrian emigrants to seek refuge in the United States.
The first Austrian immigrants to America, who arrived in 1734, were a group of approximately 50 Protestant families from Salzburg, Austria. They settled in what is now the state of Georgia, establishing a community called Ebenezer near Savannah. These early Austrian pioneers sought religious freedom in America, escaping the dominance of Roman Catholicism in their homeland.
In the nineteenth century, religious repression continued to play a role in Austrian immigration to America. For example, between 1860 and 1974, thousands of Jews emigrated from Austria to the United States, particularly after the Annexation of Austria in 1938, when they faced Nazi persecution. Many of these Jewish emigrants were professionals, including doctors, lawyers, architects, artists, composers, writers, and filmmakers.
It is worth noting that the concept of Austria before 1918 was different from the modern nation. Prior to that, the region was part of the sprawling Habsburg Empire, which encompassed various nationalities and ethnicities. As a result, pre-1918 immigration statistics for "Austria" may include citizens of other nationalities within the empire, such as Germans, Poles, Czechs, Slovaks, Hungarians, and others.
Overall, religious freedom has been a significant factor in Austrian immigration to America, particularly during the early waves of immigration, with Austrians seeking to escape religious intolerance and persecution in their homeland.
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Nazi persecution
Austrian immigration to the United States has a long history, with the first documented Austrian settlers arriving in 1734. However, the specific reasons for immigration varied over time, and one notable period of Austrian immigration to America was during the Nazi persecution of Jews in the late 1930s and early 1940s.
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, which was an important centre of Jewish culture, Zionism, and education. However, after a period of economic stagnation, political dictatorship, and intense Nazi propaganda, German troops entered Austria on March 12, 1938, and received the enthusiastic support of most of the population. Austria was quickly incorporated into Germany, and anti-Jewish legislation was swiftly extended to the country. The Mauthausen concentration camp, established in the summer of 1938, became the main Nazi camp in Austria.
The annexation of Austria by Germany directly led to a greater number of refugees. Many Jews fled Austria to escape Nazi persecution, and between 1933 and 1937, about 130,000 Jews left Germany. While some went to South Africa, Palestine, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, thousands remained in Northern and Western Europe. The United States, however, did not make it significantly easier for Jewish refugees to enter the country, and getting the right papers was complicated. By 1941, some 29,000 Jewish Austrians had emigrated to the United States, and most of them were professionals, including doctors, lawyers, architects, and artists.
During World War II, the Nazis began the systematic mass deportation of Jews from Vienna to ghettos and concentration camps in Eastern Europe. By November 1942, only about 7,000 Jews remained in Austria, and many of them were in hiding. After the war ended in 1945, another 40,000 Austrians emigrated to the United States between 1945 and 1960.
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Austria's developed status
Austria's status as a developed nation has significantly reduced Austrian immigration to the United States since the 1960s. The country has become a prosperous, democratic country with low levels of poverty and political oppression.
The second wave of Austrian immigration to America occurred after World War II, as people fled the desolation and disorganization left in its wake. This wave included around 40,000 Austrians, who, like earlier immigrants, quickly adapted to American society due to their cosmopolitan nature and the diverse cultural and linguistic landscape of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
The third wave of Austrian immigration was much smaller and occurred between the mid-1930s and mid-1950s, with approximately 70,000 Austrians arriving in the United States. This wave was primarily motivated by the rise of Nazism and the persecution of Jews in Austria. Many Jewish Austrians, who were often highly educated professionals, fled to the United States during this time.
While it is difficult to determine precise emigration patterns due to changing borders and ethnic identifications, it is clear that Austrian immigration to the United States has been significantly influenced by the social, political, and economic conditions in Austria. However, as Austria has developed and progressed, it has become a stable and prosperous nation, reducing the push factors driving emigration.
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Austrian Americans' impact on the economy
Austrian Americans have had a significant impact on the US economy, with their influence felt across various sectors, from entrepreneurship and trade to labour and consumerism.
Entrepreneurship and Trade
Austrian immigrants have a long history of entrepreneurship and trade in the United States. One notable example is the Austrian hauler Gottfried August Schenker, who, in 1895, partnered with Scottish shipping merchant William Burell to form the Austro-Americana Line. This shipping line facilitated freight transport between Austria and North America, catering specifically to the Austrian textile industry. The company later expanded into passenger service, providing transport between Trieste and New York City.
Labour
Austrian immigrants also made significant contributions through their labour, particularly in industrial centres on the East Coast and Midwest. Between 1902 and 1911, 7.5% of Pittsburgh's population was comprised of immigrants from the Habsburg Monarchy, and they worked predominantly in gruelling labour industries such as coal and steel. This labour force was instrumental in the development of American industries during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Consumerism
Austrian immigrants have also left their mark on consumerism in the United States. Viennese immigrant Victor Gruen, for example, is credited with conceiving the modern shopping mall, a concept that has defined decades of American consumer culture.
Professional Fields
Austrian Americans have excelled in various professional fields, including business, finance, entertainment, sports, and technology. Bob Iger, the longtime CEO of The Walt Disney Company, was born in New York City to an Austrian-Jewish father. Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber Technologies, has Austrian ancestry. Jillian Michaels, a well-known fitness expert and nutritionist, is also of Austrian descent.
Austrian Americans have also thrived in the entertainment industry, with notable figures such as actress and inventor Hedy Lamarr, who made significant contributions to modern technology, particularly the precursors of today's WiFi and Bluetooth. Max Steiner, an Austrian composer, arrived in Hollywood in 1929 and became one of the first composers of film music scores, winning numerous Academy Awards and a Golden Globe.
Current Impact
Today, hundreds of Austrian companies are active in the United States, continuing the tradition of Austrian-American business relations. Machinery and motor vehicles are among the top exports from Austria to the US, with Austrian car part suppliers and engine manufacturers leading the way. Additionally, medical and pharmaceutical products, as well as base metal manufactures, are important exports from Austria to the US market.
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Waves of immigration
Austrian immigration to the United States has occurred in waves, with four distinct periods seeing the most significant numbers of immigrants. The first wave of Austrian immigrants to America began in 1734, when around 50 families from Salzburg, Austria, migrated to Georgia to escape Catholic repression. These Protestant settlers established the community of Ebenezer near Savannah, where they engaged in subsistence farming and built corn and lumber mills. Despite initial challenges, they prospered as new families arrived, and one of their members, Johann Adam Treutlen, became the first governor of Georgia in 1777.
The second wave of Austrian immigration to the US began in 1848, when a series of pro-democracy rebellions were suppressed in what would become modern Austria. This wave consisted of intellectuals who had led the rebellions, known as the "Forty-eighters". They tended to settle in large cities in the North and Midwest and actively participated in the abolitionist movement.
The third wave, which was the largest, took place during the first decade of the twentieth century. Between 1876 and 1910, approximately 3.5 million people migrated to the US from the Habsburg Monarchy, with 1.8 million coming from Austrian provinces and 1.7 million from Hungarian provinces. This wave was driven by political and ethnic conflicts that eventually led to World War I. Many immigrants from this period worked in gruelling labour conditions in industries such as coal and steel.
The fourth and final wave of Austrian immigration was prompted by World War II. Beginning in the late 1930s, many Austrian Jews fled Nazi persecution, with 29,000 emigrating to the US by 1941. These refugees were predominantly professionals, including doctors, lawyers, architects, and artists. After the war ended in 1945, a more diverse group of Austrians immigrated to the US to escape the devastation it had caused. From the mid-1930s to the mid-1950s, about 70,000 Austrians arrived in the United States.
Since the 1960s, Austrian immigration to the US has significantly decreased due to Austria's development into a prosperous and democratic nation with minimal political oppression and poverty.
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Frequently asked questions
Austrians have immigrated to America for a variety of reasons, including religious persecution, poverty, political oppression, and to escape the oppressive Metternich regime.
Austrians started immigrating to America as early as 1734, when 50 families from Salzburg, Austria, migrated to Georgia.
It is difficult to determine exact numbers due to changing borders and ethnic identifications, but between 1820 and 1920, over 3,700,000 people emigrated from the Austrian-Hungarian Empire to the United States.
The states with the largest Austrian-American populations are New York, California, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Jersey, and Ohio.
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