About Austria
From ExecutivePlanet.com
An introduction
About Austria
An Introduction
The Republic of Austria [die Republik Österreich] is situated geographically, historically, and culturally at the heart of central Europe [Mitteleuropa]. Its official language is German, although some accents and regional dialects may prove difficult to comprehend even for a highly proficient German-speaker, but it would be a foolish, offensive and potentially highly expensive misconception to regard Austria as merely an extension of its much bigger neighbour. Germany is indeed Austria's most important trading partner by far and certainly there is a common bond that unites all the alpine regions not just geographically and linguistically but also culturally. It is worth distinguishing, therefore, between 'German' and 'Germanic.' Austrians are indeed Germanic but they are not German any more than Canadians are American or New Zealanders Australian. Through the Habsburg dynasty, Austria was a leading player in the Holy Roman Empire of German Nations for over 500 years until its dissolution in 1806 but, apart from the Anschluss of 1938-45, it can be argued that Austria has not been 'part of Germany' since Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa created the Duchy of Austria, independent from the Duchy of Bavaria, in 1156.
The Habsburgs ruled Austria-Hungary until 1918 and the post-war settlement defined the nation's borders and created a republic but the history of modern Austria really begins in 1955 when the Allied Powers that had occupied Vienna since 1945 ratified the State Treaty that proclaimed Austria to be a permanently neutral, independent, sovereign republic and Austria joined the United Nations.
Austria has been a member of the European Union since 1995 and is one of the twelve member states to have embraced the single currency [the euro]. With the imminent accession of a further ten states it looks set to consolidate its position in central Europe and to enhance its historical ties to the east, particularly with Hungary.
Nearly 20% of the total population of 8.1m live in Vienna [Wien] and the cosmopolitan sophistication of the capital contrasts somewhat with the simpler lifestyle and mentality of the provinces but, perhaps surprisingly, this federal republic of nine states [Bundesländer] is not highly centralised; Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck are also significant commercial centres with distinctive rhythms of their own.
In terms of culture and ethnicity [and religion], Austria is remarkably homogeneous. Its varying geography creates different balances between agriculture and tourism in the alpine areas and industry and commerce elsewhere, but the Austrian character is consistently conservative. Moreover, despite its long history as a trading nation and the heart of a great empire, Austria has remained a closed, even introverted, society. Tradition plays an important part in their way of life from the wearing of national costume [Tracht] to delight in the glories of Austrian classical music.
Finally, you are likely to find relatively few Austrians speak much English outside the senior management [also secretaries and receptionists] of multinational companies and/or in the larger cities and that even competent English-speakers prefer to communicate in German whenever possible.
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