Brief History of Austria
Austria s location in central Europe today
Prehistory The most famous early image of a human is the so-called "Venus of Willendorf. She was found in 1908 about 30m above the Danube near the town of Willendorf in Austria. Venus of Willendorf ca. 24 000-22 000 B.C. 11,1 cm high (Naturhistorisches Museum, Vienna)
Celts I Diffusion of the Celts and the most important habitats: The Romans called them celtae or galli in German we call them Kelten. They were the first people we know who lived in Austria.
Celts II At Hallstatt, a tiny village in Upper Austria, archaeologists found more than 2000 Celtic graves the place gave name to a historical era. Town of Hallstatt
Noricum was a Celtic kingdom (on modern Austrian territory) which was incorporated into the Roman Empire in 15 B.C. It was famous for its iron and gold. Celts III
Romans Also the Romans left many traces in our country.
Middle Ages I During the era of the migration of peoples many tribes crossed Austria two Germanic ones remained: the Bavarians and the Alemanni. The Goblet of Tassilo, duke of Bavaria (742 794), a present to the Benedictine monastery of Kremsmünster
Middle Ages II Österreich (Austria) in its medieval form. ostarrichi i.e. eastern empire or realm is used the first time in a charter of 996 A.D.
Middle Ages III The first dynasty of Austria were the Babenberger. They ruled, first as margraves then as dukes, the country for 270 years.
Middle Ages IV After 270 years of Babenberger ruling the Austrian nobility elected Ottokar Premysl, the king of Bohemia, to be the new duke of Austria.
Middle Ages V The imperial Habsburg family was named after the family castle of Habsburg (=Hawk's Castle). The Habsburgs came into European prominence with the election of Count Rudolf as the German Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf I. in 1273. Rudolf of Habsburg
Modern times I Emperor Archduke Maximilian: his children and grandchildren married into important European families and inherited Spain with its colonies in South America, Bohemia and Hungary. The Habsburg - family is famous for its wedding politics. Bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria, nube! - Let others make war, you happy Austria, marry!
Modern times II Maria Theresia and her husband Franz Stephan of Lorraine. Maria Theresia is one of Austria s best-known monarchs. She was the archduchess of Austria, King of Hungary and Bohemia, etc. But it was her husband Franz Stephan of Lorraine who was the emperor.
Modern times III Emperor Joseph II (1780 1790) - attracted to the ideas of Enlightenment was a very ambitious reformer: he abolished the death penalty and the use of torture, instituted religious freedom to Jews and Protestants and built hospitals for mentally ill people. Emperor Joseph II son of Maria Theresia
Modern times IV After many years of Napoleonic wars the sovereigns of Europe met at the Viennese Congress (1814/15) Austrian chancellor Metternich and other european princes
Modern times V The Austrian emperor Franz Joseph was one of the longest ruling monarchs in history: He reigned from 1848-1916. Franz Joseph II The dual-monarchy In 1867 he transformed the Austrian Empire into the Austro Hungarian Dual monarchy. Hungarian coat of arms and crown
Modern times VI Franz Josef was married with a Bavarian princess: Elisabeth called Sisi. Sisi a difficult and melancholic character
Modern times VIIa World War I started with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand the heir to the Austrian throne and his wife Sophie and Franz Ferdinand Countess Sophie Chotek in Sarajevo
Modern times VIIb and ended with the splitting of the dual - monarchy in many different states: Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Romania, Bulgaria and Czechoslovakia. Parts of the monarchy are now part of Italy and Poland.
Modern times VIII In 1918 Austria became a republic. The country had many problems, most of them were economical. 1934 chancellor Dollfuss erected a semi fascist one-party state. He was assassinated by Austrian Nazis. 1938 Austria was occupied by Nazi Germany. State Flag 1919 In his claws the eagle holds the sickle and the hammer - signs of the working population: peasants and workers. It bears the civic crown: sign of the middle class and of democracy.
Modern times IX Hitler in one of his favourite poses In a strict sense Austria was not a participant in World War II because it did not formally exist when the war began. However, some 900,000 Austrians fought in the German army.
Modern times X 1945 the results of 7 years of war and dictatorship were terrible: 67.000 Jewish Austrians died in the Shoah 247.000 soldiers were killed in action 24.000 civilians were killed in bombings 16.000 Austrians died in Gestapo imprisonment 16.000 in concentration camps and 2.700 were executed
Contemporary history I In 2005 Austria celebrates several anniversaries:
Contemporary history II 1905 2005: Bertha von Suttner was the first woman and Austrian who got the Nobel Prize for Peace
Contemporary history III 1945 2005: 27th of April 1945: declaration of independence 5th of May 1945: liberation of the KZ Mauthausen 9th of May 1945: end of World War II in Europe Austrian eagle after WW II disrupted chains were added
Contemporary history IV 1955 2005: 15th of May: Austria regained its full liberty. American, British, French and Soviet occupying armies agreed to leave the country. The foreign ministers of the Allies and Austria sign the Austrian state treaty
Contemporary history V 1995 2005: 1st of January 1995 Austria became a member of the European Union! We are happy to be with you all!