Culture of Austria

Austrian culture is shaped by a rich history and modern influences, mainly from the Celtic, Roman, Slavic and Germanic peoples. Austria is famous for its beautiful classical music, lively folk music, stunning baroque architecture, special coffee culture, exciting winter sports, and traditions tied to the Alpine mountains.

Historically, Austria has been a strongly Catholic country, centered around the Habsburg monarchy from 1273 to 1918, which supported the Catholic faith. The main language spoken there is Austrian German, even though the area once had many different languages.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, Austria was a key place for music in Europe, home to the First Viennese School. This is shown today in the many musicians, composers, opera houses, theatres, and orchestras still found in Austria. The country also has special events like the Vienna New Year's Concert, many festivals, and a fun cabaret scene.

Music

Main article: Music of Austria

See also: List of Austrians in music and Music of Vienna

Vienna, Austria's capital, has been a key place for music for a long time. Famous composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Johann Strauss, Jr. all worked there. The city became important for music in the 1500s, especially with instruments like the lute.

During the 1700s, Vienna was a top spot for classical music. Three important composers changed music: Ludwig van Beethoven with his symphony styles, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with his balance of melody and form, and Joseph Haydn with his work on string quartets and sonatas.

The Musikverein in Vienna is one of the world's best concert halls. It opened in 1870, and since 1939, the Vienna New Year's Concert has been broadcast from there to millions of people. The Vienna Philharmonic orchestra, known as one of the best in the world, started in 1842 and still makes decisions together as a group.

Austrian folk music includes styles like Schrammelmusik, played with accordion and guitar, and yodeling, a special way of singing used in the Alps. Austrian dances include the Schuhplattler, Ländler, Polka, and Waltz.

Main article: Schrammelmusik

Main article: Yodeling

Main article: Austrian folk dance

Main article: Ländler

Main article: Austropop

The Vienna Boys' Choir is famous worldwide for its high singing standards. It was started in 1498 and has worked with many great musicians over the years.

Main article: Vienna Boys' Choir

Modern Austrian pop music includes groups like DJ Ötzi and Bauchklang. Newer styles like the "New Austrian Wave" and Cloud Rap are also becoming popular.

Main article: Vienna State Opera

See also: Vienna Opera Ball

Some people think Austria's music is only like The Sound of Music, but this is not true. The song "Edelweiss" is not Austria's national anthem, and the dances in the movie are not traditional.

Literature

Main article: Austrian literature

See also: List of Austrian writers

Austrian literature has two main parts: stories from before the mid-20th century and those from after the Austro-Hungarian and German empires ended. Austria changed from a big European power to a smaller country.

Austria has always been a place for talented writers and poets. Famous writers from Austria include Arthur Schnitzler, Stefan Zweig, Thomas Bernhard, and Robert Musil. Well-known poets are Georg Trakl, Franz Werfel, Franz Grillparzer, Rainer Maria Rilke, and Adalbert Stifter. Today, Elfriede Jelinek and Peter Handke are famous playwrights and novelists.

Theatre

Further information: Burgtheater; Volkstheater, Vienna; Theater an der Wien; Raimund Theater; and Bregenzer Festspiele

Architecture

See also: List of Austrian artists and architects

Austria is well-known for its beautiful castles, palaces, and buildings. Some famous castles include Festung Hohensalzburg, Burg Hohenwerfen, Castle Liechtenstein, and the Schloß Artstetten. Many of these castles were built during the time of the Habsburg rulers.

The old part of Salzburg was named a special place to protect in 1996 because it has kept many old buildings from the Middle Ages to the 1800s. Three years later, the old part of Graz was also named special for mixing many different building styles. In 2001, the old part of Vienna joined them, with its many old buildings, gardens, and wide streets with grand buildings.

Austria has many important churches. One of the oldest is the Minoritenkirche in Vienna, built in 1224. The Stephansdom in Vienna is one of the tallest churches in the world. The St. Martin's Church in Linz is one of the oldest churches still standing. The New Cathedral in Linz is the biggest church in Austria.

Two famous palaces are the Belvedere and Schönbrunn. The Belvedere palace was built between 1714 and 1723. Schönbrunn palace was built in 1696 and later changed by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria.

Austria has many famous cemeteries. In Vienna, the Zentralfriedhof is the most well-known. The Imperial Crypt is where the Habsburg family is buried.

Main article: Stift Melk

Stift Melk is a historic abbey in Lower Austria, built in 1089 above the city of Melk.

Main article: Semmering Railway

The Semmering Railway, built between 1848 and 1854, was the first mountain railway in Europe. It is still used today and was named a special place to protect in 1998.

Visual art

See also: List of Austrian artists and architects and List of Austrian women artists

Danube school

Main article: Danube school

Vienna Secession

Main article: Vienna Secession

The Vienna Secession was an art movement around the year 1900, part of what is now called Art Nouveau.

Major artists of the Vienna Secession included Otto Wagner, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and Koloman Moser.

Vienna School of Fantastic Realism

Main article: Vienna School of Fantastic Realism

Viennese Actionism

Main article: Viennese Actionism

Comics

Tobias Seicherl was an early comic strip character drawn by Ladislaus Kmoch, a Viennese artist. The comic strip was popular in Austria between 1930 and 1940.

New Media: Ars Electronica

Main article: Ars Electronica

See also: Prix Ars Electronica

The Prix Ars Electronica is a big award for electronic and digital art, started in 1987 by Ars Electronica, a center for art and technology based in Linz, Austria. The museum connected to it is called the Ars Electronica Center.

Broadcasting and Film

Cinema

Main article: Cinema of Austria

In the early days of movies, Austria made many films and shared workers with Berlin. One famous director was Fritz Lang, who made the film Metropolis. After 1938, many Austrian filmmakers moved to the United States. Later, new directors like Michael Haneke and Ulrich Seidl emerged.

Vienna International Film Festival

Main article: Vienna International Film Festival

Crossing Europe International Film Festival

Main article: Crossing Europe

Diagonale Film Festival

Main article: Diagonale

Philosophy, science and technology

Main article: Austrian School

Main article: Vienna School of Art History

Main article: Vienna Circle

Further information: Sigmund Freud

Further information: Psychoanalysis

Further information: Anton Zeilinger

Further information: Erwin Schrödinger

Further information: Introduction to quantum mechanics § Schrödinger wave equation

Further information: Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger state

Further information: Quantum teleportation

Everyday culture

Main article: Transhumance in the Alps Main article: Pre-Christian Alpine traditions Main article: Media in Austria Main article: Austrian German

Transhumance in the Alps

In Austria, many farms have special areas called pastures in the Alps. About half a million cattle are cared for by around 70,000 farmers in 12,000 places. These farmers move their cattle between valleys and higher pastures each season, which has helped shape the landscape.

Pre-Christian Alpine traditions

Some old customs from before Christianity still exist in remote valleys. One example is Perchta, a goddess from old Germanic traditions in the Alpine regions. Perchta is celebrated during Fastnacht to welcome spring.

Media

Austria has its own media traditions and systems.

Austrian German

Children in Austria learn to read and write in Standard German, which is used in schools, business, and government. However, at home and in local shops, people speak regional dialects. These dialects can be different depending on where you are in Austria. For example, people in Vienna speak a special dialect called Viennese, which is often used in Germany to portray typical Austrian characters. In some areas like Vorarlberg, the dialect is more similar to Swiss German.

Official minority languages and their influence

Austria has a rich history as a home to many different groups of people. Besides German, there are small communities that speak other languages. Hungarian is spoken by about 40,000 people, mostly in Burgenland and Vienna. Slovene is spoken by around 24,000 people in Carinthia and Styria. There are also speakers of Burgenland Croatian (about 19,000), Czech (18,000), Slovak (10,000), and Romani (6,000). These languages are recognized and protected under minority rights. Austrian German, especially the Viennese dialect, has borrowed some words from Hungarian, Czech, Yiddish, and South Slavic languages.

Food

Main article: Austrian cuisine

Austrian food comes from the old Austro-Hungarian Empire and has been shaped by nearby countries like Hungary, the Czech Republic, Jewish traditions, and Italy. Popular dishes include goulash. Austria is especially famous for its sweet treats and pastries. Recently, there has been a growth in regional dishes that use local ingredients and easier cooking methods.

Each part of Austria has its own special foods. In Lower Austria, they enjoy poppies. Burgenland is known for polenta, while Styria uses pumpkin. Carinthia has lots of fish from its lakes. In Upper Austria, dumplings are a big part of meals. Salzburg is famous for Salzburger Nockerln, a type of soufflé. Tyrol features tyrolean bacon, and in Vorarlberg, cheese and Swabian Spätzle are popular.

Main article: Viennese cuisine

Vienna has its own special food traditions. Typical meals often include meat, such as Wiener schnitzel (breaded and fried veal), Tafelspitz (boiled beef), and smoked meat with sauerkraut and dumplings. Sweet treats like Apfelstrudel (apple-filled pastry), Millirahmstrudel (cream-filled pastry), shredded pancakes, and Sachertorte (chocolate cake with apricot jam) are also very popular. These desserts are often enjoyed with coffee at special cafés called Konditorei.

Main article: Viennese café

Coffee houses are an important part of Austrian culture. Many famous writers and artists used to meet and work in these cafés. One well-known café is Café Central.

See also: Austrian wine

Austria has a long history of making wine, with evidence going back to 700 B.C. The country grows many types of grapes, especially Grüner Veltliner, known for its dry white wines.

See also: Austrian beer

Austria has many kinds of beer. One popular brand is Stiegl, which has been around since 1492.

Sports

Main article: Sport in Austria

Austria is famous for its sports, especially football (soccer), skiing, and ice hockey. Because the country is in the Alps, it is a top place for skiing. Austria leads in the Alpine Skiing World Cup and is also great at many other winter sports like ski jumping. The Austrian ice hockey team is ranked 13th in the world.

Vienna, the capital of Austria, has a long history with football, though the sport has grown less popular since World War II. The Austrian Championship began in 1912, and the Austrian Cup started in 1913. The Austria national football team has been in the FIFA World Cup seven times and joined the European Championship in 2008 tournament as co-hosts with Switzerland. The sport is managed by the Austrian Football Association.

Vienna is also known for the Spanish Riding School, where special Lipizzaner horses perform amazing tricks and dances.

Education

Main article: Education in Austria

Austria has a long history of education. A special ruler, Empress Maria Theresa, started a school system in 1774. Today, children go to school for nine years.

Kids start with four years of elementary school for ages 6 to 10. After that, they can go to different kinds of schools. Some go to a Hauptschule, while others join a Gymnasium if it's available. When students are 14, they choose what they want to study next. They can pick a polytechnic school for hands-on learning, a technical college, a business school, or continue at a Gymnasium to get ready for university. Some also choose practical colleges called Fachhochschulen.

All public schools in Austria are free for everyone. The biggest university is the University of Vienna.

Religion

Main article: Religion in Austria

In 2001, around 73.6% of people in Austria said they were Roman Catholic, and 4.7% said they were Protestant. There are also many people who follow other beliefs, such as Muslim traditions, the Eastern Orthodox Church, Buddhist teachings, and Jewish traditions. Before difficult times during the Holocaust, about 200,000 Jewish people lived in Austria.

About 12% of the people in Austria do not follow any particular religion or church.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in Austria

Austria is a beautiful country that attracts many visitors. People come to enjoy its stunning landscapes, especially the Alps, and to experience its rich history. The country is famous for its classical music, charming old buildings, and wonderful coffee culture. Winter sports like skiing and snowboarding also draw many tourists to Austria's snowy mountains.

Public holidays

Since Roman Catholicism is very important in Austria, many public holidays are based on Catholic traditions. Unlike in some nearby countries, Good Friday is a holiday for everyone in Austria, not just for Catholics.

These holidays come from different rules. Some are set by federal labour law (Arbeitsruhegesetz), while others come from special agreements called collective contracts (see: Austria's "social partnership"). These contracts are like laws for everyone, not just union members.

Each state in Austria can also have its own holidays. Some holidays only apply to certain groups, like followers of the Reformed churches, Lutheran Church, Old Catholic Church, or the Methodist Church. The number of holidays can vary, usually between 12 and 13 days a year.