Austria History, Language and Culture

The lands of present-day Austria were inhabited by Celtic peoples before much of the region was incorporated into the Roman Empire. Following the decline of Roman rule, the area passed through periods of Germanic and Frankish control. The name Austria derives from Ostarrîchi, recorded in a document in 996 and referring to a territory on the eastern frontier of the Holy Roman Empire.

The Habsburg dynasty gained control of Austria in the late 13th century and went on to dominate Central European politics for centuries. Vienna became the centre of an expanding collection of territories, and successive Habsburg rulers frequently held the title of Holy Roman Emperor. The Ottoman Empire twice threatened Vienna, most notably during the sieges of 1529 and 1683, but was repelled on both occasions.

Following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806, Austria became the centre of the Austrian Empire. In 1867, political compromise with Hungary created the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a vast multinational state ruled by Emperor Franz Joseph I. The assassination of his heir, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, in Sarajevo in 1914 helped trigger World War I. Defeat in 1918 brought the empire and centuries of Habsburg rule to an end.

A republic was proclaimed in November 1918, but the new state faced severe economic hardship and growing political divisions. Parliamentary democracy collapsed in the 1930s and an authoritarian government was established under Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. In March 1938, Nazi Germany annexed Austria in the Anschluss. Austria remained part of Nazi Germany until its defeat in 1945, and Austrian citizens participated both in the Nazi regime and in resistance to it; tens of thousands of Austrian Jews and other persecuted groups were murdered during the Holocaust.

Austria was re-established as a republic in 1945 but remained under occupation by the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom and France for a decade. The Austrian State Treaty restored the country's sovereignty in 1955, and parliament subsequently declared Austria permanently neutral. During the Cold War, its position between Western and Eastern Europe helped Vienna develop into an important centre for international diplomacy.

Austria joined the European Union in 1995 following a referendum in which two-thirds of voters supported membership. It later joined the Schengen area and adopted the euro. Today, Austria is a federal republic comprising nine states, with Vienna serving as the capital and the seat of numerous international organisations.

Did You Know?

Founded in 1752, Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna is the world's oldest zoo and remains in operation today. It began as the imperial menagerie of Emperor Franz I and is now part of the Schönbrunn UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Austria is not a member of NATO. The country declared permanent neutrality in 1955, although it has participated in NATO's Partnership for Peace programme since 1995.

Austria's national flag is considered one of the world's oldest national flag designs still in use. According to legend, its red-white-red colours originated from the bloodstained tunic of Duke Leopold V during the Crusades, although the story is not regarded as historical fact.