Who are the Austrians? Population of Austria: features, density and numbers. Austrian population growth

AUSTRIANS, estsreicher (self-name), people, the main population of Austria. The population is about 8530 thousand people, of which 6950 thousand people are in Austria. 300 thousand Austrians live in Italy (Trentino-Alto Adige region; some researchers consider them Germans), about 1.2 million in the USA, 40 thousand in Canada, small groups in countries neighboring Austria. They belong to the Central European race of the large Caucasoid race. They speak the Austrian version of German. Writing based on the Latin alphabet. By religion they are predominantly Catholic. The ethnic basis of the Austrians was made up of the ancient Germanic tribes of the Bavarians and Alemanni, in the 6th century. who came to the territory of modern Austria and merged with the early Romanized population - the Celts, the Rhets. The inclusion of Austrian lands into the Frankish state (8th century) contributed to the further Germanization of the local population. The spread of Protestantism in some German states in the 16th century. contributed to the separation of Catholic Austrians from Protestant Germans. The presence of the Austrians within the multinational Austrian Empire (from 1867 - Austria-Hungary) influenced their culture. With the development of capitalism in the 19th century. The formation of the Austrian nation began. An important stage in its development was the creation of the national Austrian state after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1918. The Anschluss, carried out by the German Nazis (1938), was accompanied by the suppression of the national self-awareness of the Austrians. Austria was liberated in 1945.

More than half of the Austrians live in cities, most of them are employed in industry, developed along with agriculture mainly in the Danube lowland. In the Alps and their foothills, the main occupation of the population is alpine livestock raising (cattle and small cattle). The division into two regions is also reflected in material culture: the lowland forms of rural settlements - multi-yard villages with a street or cumulus layout - differ from mountain farms or small villages with a cumulus layout. The Central German type of house is common in Upper and Lower Austria. For the Tyrol and other high-mountainous regions, an Alpine house is typical: a stone (less often log) two-story building that combines residential and utility rooms under one flat roof. Often the lower floor is built of stone, the upper floor of wood. The canopy, kitchen, living rooms, as well as stalls are located on the lower floor, utility rooms are on the upper floor. Sometimes there are also some living rooms on the second floor. Around the walls of the second floor there is an open gallery with wooden railings decorated with carvings. In Vorarlsberg, the Alemannic type of house is common, close to the Central German one, in which, however, all utility and living quarters are under one roof; The main building material is wood. In some areas of Burgenland, neighboring Hungary, houses are one-story, with thatched roofs and adobe walls. Differences in traditional cuisine are associated with the nature of the economy: residents of mountainous areas consume more dairy products, while residents of lowland areas consume flour products and sweets.

Local types of folk clothing are diverse. Traditional men's clothing of the Tyroleans, which is often identified with the folk costume of the Austrians in general, is leather short pants, stockings and shoes, a white shirt with a turn-down collar, a vest, a jacket, a hat with a feather; They wore a wide embroidered leather belt, which was also used instead of pockets. The main elements of a traditional women's costume are a jacket, a gathered skirt, a bodice, an apron, and shoulder scarves. The costume of peasant women from the northern regions of Vorarlberg is a very short jacket that covers only the shoulders and upper chest, and a skirt worn very high with many folds. In some areas they wore a dress with short straps with a jacket.

English type kinship system. In folklore, including music, rituals, stories, and labor legends and songs (for example, songs of the inhabitants of the Alps - yodels) have been preserved. The cult of saints, various religious holidays accompanied by processions, pilgrimages, etc. are characteristic features of the life of the Austrians, especially the inhabitants of the Alps. There are customs of dressing up for Christmas, Epiphany, New Year, and Maslenitsa. Folk dance is characterized by local forms of waltz - Styrian, Tyrolean, Viennese.

Germans who have established businesses in Austria often accuse its residents of snobbery. Russians who emigrated to the country claim that it is boring there. Eastern Europeans view it as a paradise for migrants. But what is it really like, the life of ordinary people in Austria?

Everyday life in Austria can be characterized in a few words: calm, measured, leisurely. The Austrians do not have a distinct mentality, since today they are a people with multinational roots.

Nevertheless, there are features of everyday life and habits that not everyone will like.

The picturesque nature of Austria leaves its mark on the way of life of its inhabitants

Peculiarities of the Austrian lifestyle

Getting up early on a weekday and sleeping peacefully for 10 hours on weekends is a habit followed by most Austrian families. Then a leisurely trip to work, evening rest and preparation for the new day.

The average Austrian spends most of his time at work. According to statistics, residents of Austria can be called workaholics - 8.67% of the working-age population regularly works overtime. By comparison: this figure is higher only in America and the UK.

A leisurely cup of coffee during your lunch break in one of the small and cozy coffee shops is a vital necessity for most office workers. The cultural life of Austrians is rich in music and theaters.

On weekday evenings, most Austrians spend time with their families. It's rare to see a Viennese visiting on a Wednesday. Such a visit is only possible if it is planned in advance.

On weekends, residents prefer to take care of their home or spend time in nature. Arranging your own life and putting your land in order is an integral part of life in a village in Austria.

Most city dwellers cannot imagine a weekend without a trip to the mountains.

The coffee shop is an integral feature of the urban landscape in Austria

Home and life of the Austrians

Renting housing in Austria is quite inexpensive - about 400 euros per month for a small one-room apartment. Nevertheless, every Austrian has certain plans for his own home: first, buying an apartment, then, of course, his own house with a plot.

Homeowners prefer to repair and improve their own homes themselves and are proud of the fruits of their labor.

Top 6 interesting features of the life of ordinary people in Austria

• After taxes, the average Austrian earns 29,000 euros per year.
• The most favorite pastimes of Austrians are skiing, hiking, and swimming.
• Observance of external decency in Austria has been elevated to the canon. A handshake is an integral part of any meeting, even with a stranger, and a transition in a conversation from “you” to “you” is possible only with the permission of an older interlocutor.
• Turnstiles in the metro are a conditional thing. Nevertheless, the mentality of the Austrians does not allow them to pass without a ticket: even if there is a line at the ticket office and the absence of a ticket inspector, an Austrian will not ride as a hare.
• Spending time with a glass of young Heurige wine on a weekend evening is a true pleasure for Austrians of all ages. The nuance is that, unlike many Europeans, wine is greatly diluted with soda or mineral water, which sometimes causes misunderstanding among tourists.
• The reason for the arrogance of the Austrians, as a rule, is the fact that most of the ancestors of the modern citizens of the country came from the “bourgeoisie”. However, their arrogance will never prevent you from stopping on the subway and helping a tourist with a map. Thanks to their measured lifestyle, there is always time for this.

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Austrians are the main population of Austria, a nationality of the Germanic group and the Indo-European language family. The word Austrians comes from Osterreicher - “Eastern State”.

Population of Austria

The number of Austrians living in Austria directly is 7.5 million people, this is 67 percent of the Austrians living in all countries of the world, after simple calculations we come to the conclusion that there are 11.19 million Austrians on earth today.

Religion of Austria

Almost 100 percent of the population of Austria are believers, among them 74% are Catholics, 5% are Protestants, Lutherans, Muslims are the most actively growing part of the population of Austria and today they are already 5%. The number of parishioners in Austrian churches has, however, been actively declining over the past 50 years.

Ethnogenesis of the Austrians

The Austrians were formed on the basis of a mixture of Germanic and Slavic tribes. A big impetus for the emergence of the ethnogenesis of the Austrians occurred after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire into several states, and these states, by decision of the League of Nations, were prohibited from reuniting with Germany. The question of the reunification of the kindred Austrian and German people arose after the end of the Second World War, but again the world community did not want to strengthen the role of Germany, and any attempts to unite the two fraternal peoples were suppressed; in 1955, Austria was forced to become a neutral state, and in the constitution of Austria and Germany an article was added about the ban on the Anschluss.

Austrians are Germans

Germans and Austrians are essentially one people. Austrians are creative Germans who especially love classical music, everything exquisite and beautiful. They have a lot in common in culture and traditions, naturally they have the same German language, practically a single economy, a federal structure, all the laws adopted and tested in Germany are adopted after some time in Austria. However, Austrians are not Germans, and are merely members of a larger German-speaking community, like the Dutch and Swiss, for example. A common language is a unifying factor for Austrians and Germans.

The Austrians are the younger brother of the Germans, the role of catching up and lagging behind

The Austrians and Germans are experienced rivals in everything, but still the Austrians constantly lagged behind the Germans and played the role of catching up. For example, the two neighboring cities of Munich and Salzburg could boast of beautiful nature, architecture, and cultural traditions, but the residents of Salzburg lagged far behind the Munich residents in terms of material wealth, the salaries of the Austrians were a third lower than those of the Germans, personal cars were available to the Austrians only after In Germany, each family now has two cars. For a long time, especially after the Second World War, the Austrians could not afford to go on vacation to the resorts of Italy, by the way, this country is very popular among the Germans in general, so the Austrians had to be content with their resorts, and as you understand, in Austria things are not very good with summer beaches .

In addition to material differences, Austrians and Germans also have cultural differences, for example, the Germans do not consider the Austrians to be such neat people and prone to disorder in business or even unnecessary, calling the Austrians Schlamperei. The Germans almost always considered the Austrians to be some kind of mountaineers, provincials, to whom they attributed the corresponding character traits.

The Austrians are truly the younger brother of the Germans, the relationship can be compared with the relationship between Russians and Ukrainians, but in general, based on the events of recent years, this comparison is no longer suitable, since the feeling of love of the Germans and Austrians is undoubtedly higher than that of the Ukrainians and Russians, at least there is more humor and laughter than hatred.

But here we can note how the Austrians notice and take all the innovations of the Germans, Germany suffers, conducts various public opinion polls and scientific research. New innovative laws that have proven themselves well in Germany are immediately adopted by the Vienna Bundestag, which does not want to constantly reinvent the wheel, as Berlin does; the Austrians take all the best from the Germans, often refine it and enjoy even greater results, because today Austria’s GDP is already higher than Germany. Just like Ukraine constantly looks at Russia and copies its new laws, thinking that if dense Russia has already adopted such a progressive European law, then it’s high time for us to try this too.

Austrians are Germans

Austrians are distinguished by their special love for decorating their home and caring about its cleanliness. We all imagine what Austrian houses look like in a provincial area - these are fabulous painted houses against the backdrop of the snow-white caps of the Alps, with facades decorated with flowers, and Vienna is the grandiose power of the empire with its classical grandeur. The interior decoration and perfection are not inferior to the exterior; guests are always provided with their own personal slippers, so that not a single speck from the street disturbs the harmonious peace of home comfort.

Cold in Austria

Magnificent nature is adjacent to the cold, and this cold is not fabulous like in Russia, but real, if in our country it’s only cold outside and you can hide from it in smart coats and furs, then in Austria everything is much more prosaic, of course you can walk around in a down jacket outside , but the houses here are not as well heated as ours. The temperature of 16 degrees in winter in the apartment is a real steam room for an Austrian. Thrift of character encourages heating only the room where people are directly located; heating methods may be pre-revolutionary, despite the fact that Austria and Germany are considered countries of innovative solutions and their widespread implementation. The Austrians themselves are afraid to go to Russia, thinking that it is very cold there, in fact, it is real cold in their houses, the same applies to apartments in Vienna. Old houses coexist with newfangled chalet-hotels for rich tourists in the Alps, however, if you have enough money, everyone can afford such luxury in Austria, and come into contact with the incredible charm of the Alps, meadows, valleys, which can be observed from behind panoramic windows modern buildings.

Savings in Austria

In Austria, the word economy - Einsparung is not an empty phrase, of course, one should not confuse the word economy with stinginess, after all, local salaries are among the highest in the world, you won’t surprise your neighbors with the latest brand of Mercedes, nevertheless, for the Austrians, saving comes down to the little things. The Austrians are the real Japanese in Europe, because their country is very small, so everything should be in its place, every thing should function properly.

Local janitors are called house custodians Hausbesorger, in fact these custodians are professionals in their field who are very proud of their work to preserve the aura and charm of a fairy tale everywhere, especially since there is high competition here, taking care of the environment and performing the functions of a housing and communal services worker.

Although Austria does not have a warm sea, exotic animals, and its landscapes are in many ways reminiscent of those of the surrounding countries, tourism is still one of the most significant sources of income for it. There are many things that contribute to this.

Let's start, perhaps, with the famous capital of Austria - Vienna. This city has become the birthplace of many famous personalities and entire musical styles. Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Strauss, Haydn.... The list of famous musicians can be continued for a long time. It was with the “Viennese Waltz” that the victorious march of this dance around the world began. Vienna's theaters are famous for both their talented actors and their music - many world-famous operas and operettas were first staged here. We have heard no less about Austrian scientists, starting with the great Paracelsus and ending with Sigmund Freud.

Austrian architecture is a separate line in the list of attractions. On the territory of the country there are many palaces (former imperial residences: Schönbrunn, Belvedere, Hofburg), castles (remember Landskron Castle founded at the beginning of the 11th century and one of the most impressive - Strasbourg Castle) monasteries, the age of which is estimated at many centuries, and some have counted and for millennia. Most of them have been turned into museums, helping visitors to better understand the various aspects of Austrian life.

However, in addition to cities, numerous ski resorts are no less attractive, because more than half of Austria’s territory is occupied by the Alps. They have long been a kind of Mecca for climbers, and rafting fans will always find something to do. Thanks to the mountains in this relatively small country today, you can visit different climatic zones; Numerous mineral springs provide a number of resorts that attract people seeking to improve their health. Baden, Bad Tatzmanndorf, Bad Loipersdorf, Bad Ischl and other thermal resorts are known far beyond the borders of Austria. Ecotourism is also well developed.

Speaking about the character traits of the inhabitants of Austria, it is again necessary to recall historical facts. Vienna has long been the center of the Holy Roman Empire, one of the strongest state formations in Europe. The Czech Republic, Hungary, Venice, Croatia and a number of other countries at one time or another were part of it. This led to the diversity of customs and traditions in Austria, which largely persists today. The main language of Austria is German, although Hungarian, Slovenian and Croatian have official status in different federal states.

When communicating, Austrians prefer to maintain a certain distance, which upon first contact is perceived by many visitors as arrogance and coldness. However, if acquaintance turns into friendship, they can turn out to be very pleasant interlocutors. When introducing yourself, it is customary to indicate your official status; it is very important here, especially in business.

When meeting, it is customary to be interested in the affairs of the interlocutor, but unnecessary details in the answers and questions that touch upon topics that are really important to him - finances, family relationships - are not welcome. It’s better to talk about art, about music, be sure to admire Austrian composers, remember the Winter Olympics held in Austria. Austrians are prone to conservatism - innovations are initially met with hostility and serious arguments are needed to convince people of their necessity. The degree of accuracy and punctuality of Austrians largely depends on who evaluates them. The Germans consider their neighbors to be somewhat disorderly, although our fellow citizens clearly disagree with this. In general, relations with Germany are also a complex topic related to the difficult history of relations between the two countries.

Local residents devote a lot of time to sports. First of all, it's skiing, and many people start skiing from early childhood. Rivers and lakes allow you to enjoy sailing; You can often see that in cities people prefer bicycles and scooters instead of cars. Various hobbies are common, including the most original ones - for example, there is a Tractor Club, whose members use the tractor not for agricultural purposes, but simply as a vehicle. Naturally, Austrians cannot imagine themselves without music; there are few empty seats at concerts and theaters. Many note that they love dogs very much, the attitude towards which at the legislative level is one of the most liberal in Europe.

Austrians are very thrifty, so many visitors think that this is a manifestation of greed. However, in fact, it is completely normal for an Austrian to take into account expenses down to the last cent, to plan expenses, both for themselves and for their family members. It is not customary to rush, and those who demonstrate impatience are frowned upon, although this is often shown in indirect ways. Austrians are law-abiding, but, like many others, they love to criticize the authorities in a narrow circle or in their own thoughts.

The majority of the Austrian population considers itself Catholic. Although many Austrians do not attend church very often, its influence is considered quite noticeable. At a minimum, this is manifested in the fact that most holidays celebrated at the state level are religious. In addition, the church is involved in a number of social and educational projects.

Austrian cuisine has absorbed the heritage of different peoples. But in general, we can say that, first of all, it welcomes not subtle delicacies, but satiety and simplicity, which does not make it less tasty. There are many dishes made from meat, potatoes and cabbage - Wiener schnitzel, dumplings, goulash - each land has its own favorite recipes. Desserts are very popular, the most famous of which is probably strudel. Coffee can be considered the national drink of the Austrians; however, wine quite successfully competes with it for this title, since the country has many of its own vineyards. As in Germany, there are many beer lovers here, and for lovers of something stronger, there is schnapps.

Having visited Austria, you can confidently believe that you have not only gained new impressions, but also got acquainted with one of those European countries whose contribution to world culture is rightfully considered outstanding.