The German name for Austria, Österreich, means "Eastern realm", it derives from the word Ostarrîchi, which first appears in the "Ostarrîchi document" of 996. This word is probably a translation of Medieval Latin Marchia orientalis into a local (Bavarian) dialect.
The contemporary state was created in 1955, with the Austrian State Treaty, and is officially called the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich).
No, Austria and Germany are two separate countries. However, they do have some shared history, and both have German as an official language (in Austria, German is one of four official languages).
Prussia (/ˈprʌʃə/; German: Preußen, pronounced [ˈpʁɔʏsn̩] ( listen), Old Prussian: Prūsa or Prūsija) was a German state located on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire when it united the German states in 1871.
At its peak Prussia included half of modern Poland and all but southern Germany.
Historically, Austrians were regarded as Germans and viewed themselves as such. The Austrian lands (including Bohemia) were part of the Holy Roman Empire and the German Confederation until the Austro-Prussian War in 1866 which resulted in Prussia expelling the Austrian Empire from the Confederation.
The reason why Austria doesn't have its “own” official language is because a large chunk of its history was tied up with Germany's (as in, it was part of Germany for some time). It wasn't until after the First World War that Austria began the process of becoming the nation we know it as today.
Austria and the Ostmark
The nation known today as Austria (Österreich, ers-ter-rykh) had its modest beginnings as the “Eastern March” (Ostmark), a military colony established by the Frankish ruler Karl der Große (Charlemagne).
The German government believed that the onset of war and its support of Austria-Hungary was a way to secure its place as a leading power, which was supported by public nationalism and further united it behind the monarchy.
Austria was the German-speaking heartland of the Holy Roman Empire (until 1806), the Austrian Empire (until 1867), and the Austro-Hungarian Empire (until 1918).
In late April 1945, the Allied Powers entered Austria and removed the country from the Third German Reich. A provisional Austrian government, led by Karl Renner, declared the country's regained independence in the context of after the fall of Third Reich.
Can Austrians and Germans understand each other? Simply put, yes, for the most part. Austrian German is mutually intelligible with Standard German, which means speakers of these languages can understand each other. Most of where they differ is in the accent and vocabulary.
Is German Different In Austria? Austrian German is almost the same as Standard German. But, spoken Austrian German has lots of different dialects, some of which are easier to understand than others. Many of the differences involve vocabulary and expressions.
This is a considerable debate among immigrants in Austria. The short answer is: yes, it is possible to find work even if you speak little to no German in Austria. You can even find higher-paying jobs in certain international companies, and the IT and startup sectors recruit continuously.
If this is calculated per inhabitant, taking purchasing power parity into account, then Austria ranks 17th in the list of the richest countries. Inflation in Austria in 2022 was around 8.55%. Within the EU, the average in the same year was 9.22 percent. In the United States, it was most recently 8.00%.
The Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation encompassed both Austrians and Germans, and for several centuries the Holy Roman Emperors came from the House of Habsburg. As neighbours, Germany and Austria maintain especially close political relations based on mutual trust.
Austria is famous for its castles, palaces and buildings, among other architectural works. Some of Austria's most famous castles include Festung Hohensalzburg, Burg Hohenwerfen, Castle Liechtenstein, and the Schloß Artstetten. Many of Austria's castles were created during the Habsburg reign.
Griaß di – Hello there
Just as informal and frequently used among family and friends is Griaß di, which translates to hello or hello there. The plural to this is Griaß enk/Griaß eich. It's also a friendly way to say hello to fellow hikers you might meet on one of the many beautiful trails in Austria.
Austria and Germany despite both being German speaking, have quite different Y-DNA groups.
Austrians primarily speak German, and for much of their history have been seen as ethnic Germans, but the nation also houses native languages like Austro-Bavarian and Alemannic which speak to a more complicated history.
Former spoken standard
Until 1918, the spoken standard in Austria was the Schönbrunner Deutsch, a sociolect spoken by the imperial Habsburg family and the nobility of Austria-Hungary.
"Danke" means "thanks" and "Bitte" means please, you also respond with it to thanks (as with "you are welcome"). "Auf Wiedersehen" is the formal phrase for saying good-bye. Greet and thank when entering a shop, leaving a bus and at all other occasions when interacting with people.
High German (Hochdeutsch)
Modern standard High German is descended from the Middle High German dialects and is spoken in the central and southern highlands of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The development was not comparable with a world power like Great Britain, which had a transcontinental colonial empire. Austria-Hungary was also markedly weaker than Germany, which now laid claim to a political influence commensurate with its newly acquired status as a leading economic power on the continent.
Austria stood to gain from the decline of Ottoman influence in the Balkan region, and decisive Holy League victories led to the Ottomans ceding much of their Balkan territory to the Holy League states in the Treaty of Carlowitz in 1699.