!!!Deutschland - Österreich
Germany - Austria: Austria's physical and cultural separation from
Germany was one of the most sensitive topics in Austrian political and
social life in the last of the 20%%sup th/% century. Not only was
this separation strictly demanded by the occupying forces after 1945 (
Occupation of Austria 1945-1955), but it also complied with the ideas
of most political leaders and large parts of the population. The
experiences during the anschluss ("union" with Germany) of 1938 and
the end of World War II in 1945 in particular resulted in a
reconsideration of Austria´s relationship with Germany that had
been marked out by the historical developments of centuries.
\\
The close relationship between the two countries is based on the
common bond of language, the often identical cultural background, the
similar legal systems and the economic and personal ties that had
existed throughout history.
\\
This relationship has developed in many different directions in the
course of time. The first era (10%%sup th/% /11%%sup th/% centuries)
was characterised by a close interconnection during the emergence of
the Austrian lands as fringe areas of the German principalities,
mainly of Bavaria and Swabia, together with several phases of Germanic
settlement. To what degree the Austrian population in the High Middle
Ages was made up of people descending from earlier settlers, from the
ancient times to the Romans, the Great Migration of the Germanic
tribes and the Franks, and to what extent it consisted of new
immigrants, will always be highly hypothetical. Probably there were
also considerable regional differences. Some areas were still
inhabited by people descending from settlers of the Greco-Roman period
who had mixed with settlers of the Great Migration, whereas in other
parts the Bavarian (parts of Upper Austria, Salzburg and Tirol) or
Slavic (Carinthia, Styria and large parts of Lower Austria) national
characteristics were vital elements in the make-up of the historical
population. The new upper classes were mostly, but not only
immigrants, since otherwise the spreading of the German language and
the Bavarian dialects up to the 12%%sup th/% century could not be
explained. It is an established fact that upper classes are quicker to
adapt to language standards used by the common people than vice-versa.
\\
The next period (12%%sup th/% /13%%sup th/% centuries) consisted in a
gradual detachment of the Austrian lands from the principalities,
favoured by the repeated division of Bavaria and the dissolution of
the Swabian duchy. At this point some independent legal, economic and
soon afterwards also cultural developments took place; the Austrian
lands remained, however, part of the German kingdom. The Habsburgs, a
dynasty originally from what is now north-western Switzerland, came to
Austria in 1282 as rulers; their Swabian dialect must have been
incomprehensible to many Austrians. The intention of the Habsburgs was
then, as in the following generations, to restore the dignity of the
German kings, possibly in line with the traditions of the Roman
Empire. Thus, in the 14%%sup th/% /15%%sup th/% centuries, the
southern German lands were ruled by the houses of Habsburg in Austria,
Luxembourg in Bohemia and Hungary and Wittelsbach in Bavaria. Despite
all their endeavours to ensure the development of their own
territories and to further the special position of their house, the
Habsburgs - right up to Emperor Franz Joseph - always stressed that
they were indeed German princes.
\\
In the 16%%sup th/% century, the Lutheran Reformation gained ground
in Germany and the Austrian lands were also affected, but the
Habsburgs eventually succeeded in halting the Reformation movement by
the Counter-Reformation. They thus remained a dominant force in the
southern German area, which had stayed Catholic. With this in mind, it
is possible to understand the position of the Habsburgs in the Thirty
Years´ War (1618-1648), at the end of which they drew enormous
profit from the weakening of the German Empire and managed to
strengthen their position as sovereign princes. At the same time,
however, the Austrian monarchy took over the role as defender of
German interests against France, and often also against the German
princes, who - like Bavaria during the War of the Spanish Succession
- allied with the French. In those years, the independent development
of Austria was impaired by political measures as well as numerous
economic and cultural ties with Germany. Since Austria also had
possessions in the Vorlande south-western region of Germany, a
constant flow of well-trained people came into Austria, skilled
workers and artists looking for employment at the Imperial Court, army
officers and later also graduate officials. But also many emigrants
from the same region hoped for better conditions under the protective
cloak of the Habsburgs in Hungary or Galicia in the 18%%sup th/%
century. On the other hand, the German cultural area became more and
more differentiated during the Baroque period. Austrian influence
north of Bavaria progressively decreased, and cultural contacts grew
rarer. This is clearly visible, on a lower level, from the travels of
the journeymen, who only very rarely came to Austria from the regions
north of the River Main.
\\
The emergence of Prussia as a new great power in the 18%%sup th/%
century ( Prussia - Austria) brought about a political polarisation,
which was further marked by several wars and the political and
cultural relationship between Austria and Italy. Yet Vienna continued
to enjoy great popularity in Germany in those times, mainly because of
the numerous marriages between German princesses and the sons of the
Habsburg emperors. Attracted by the large economic area in the
Austrian Monarchy, young entrepreneurs began to move to Austria at the
end of the 18%%sup th/% century; hence, industrialisation and
economic modernisation in Austria were, to a high degree, started by
immigrants from Germany.
\\
This trend was continued in the 19%%sup th/% century, mainly by
immigrants from the Catholic German lands. Even though the
south-western German regions became separated from Austria during the
Napoleonic Wars and gained total independence in 1815, and the
southern German states were allies of France in the wars against
Austria, the relationship between Austria and southern Germany was
only strained for a short period of time. Tirol in particular
maintained good contacts with southern Germany ( Tyrol's Fight for
Freedom). In the course of the 19%%sup th/% century this changed
again, because the German-speaking Austrians considered themselves a
minority vis-à-vis the other nationalities in the Monarchy and
were, accordingly, looking for mutual support. In those years, it was
particularly the educated Austrians who oriented themselves towards
Germany. Modern technologies were spreading, books and newspapers
reached unprecedented levels of circulation and had great influence on
the intellectual attitudes of the educated. Austrian writers who
failed to find a publisher in Leipzig remained provincial, those who
gained acceptance there (e.g. P. Rosegger) were not only read, but
secured themselves a place in history. On the other hand, the appeal
of Imperial Vienna was greater than ever before, as can be seen from
the likes of L. v. Beethoven, later J. Brahms or F. Hebbel,
who lived and worked in Vienna. But many statesmen, government
officials and army officers also came to the Austrian Empire, while an
increasing number of Austrian scientists and artists gained acceptance
in Germany.
\\
Not until after 1848 did the German-Austrian relationship change
considerably; the controversy over the "grossdeutsch" (Great German,
or Pan-German) and the "kleindeutsch" (Little German) solutions in the
Frankfurt Parliament led to political rivalry. The Austrians, who
thought of themselves as Germans, favoured the grossdeutsch solution,
whereas the majority of Germans, who were more inclined towards
Prussia, were against Austria. The fight for Germany ended in 1866
with Austria's defeat at the battle of Koeniggraetz (Sadowa) and its
agreement to the dissolution of Deutscher Bund (German
Confederation). Prussia proceeded with its endeavours to create a
German empire, which was officially proclaimed in 1871. This
constituted a new German union, from which Austria was excluded. In
view of the increasing conflicts among the different nations in
Austria after 1871, a stronger urge for close contacts with the new
German Empire emerged; a large majority of the "German Nationalists"
did not question the sovereignty of the Austrian Empire. The
industrialisation process in Austria was considerably slower than in
Germany, because the individual Austrian lands were not equally
developed. The fact that the Austrians did not evolve as quickly and
uniformly as the Germans gave birth to a wide-spread feeling of
inferiority among the Austrians, which was in some ways fuelled by the
Germans as well. This rivalry grew deeper due to the many contacts
maintained on account of the common language,. The Germans thought of
themselves as more efficient - often rightly so - and the Austrians
were all too often no match for them. This competition marked the last
decades of the Monarchy and was further increased during World
War I, when Austrian military actions were not possible without
Germany's assistance (victory at Gorlice 1915, occupation of Romania
1916, Battles of the Isonzo 1917).
\\
At the end of the war, large parts of the population of the now small
Austrian Republic were very much in favour of unification with the
Republic of Germany, as is shown by referendums in several provinces
in the years 1920/21. The relationship during the interwar years was
marked by a wealth of co-operations: various cultural associations
worked together, business life was increasingly dominated by large
German companies, and there were close contacts also between
intellectuals. This wide-spread desire for unity with Germany was
exploited by the Nazis and resulted in the Anschluss of 1938, which
incorporated Austria into the German Reich.
\\
Soon after the union with Germany, however, discontent spread among
the Austrians, as the Nazi government showed little respect for the
individualities of the Austrians and also invaded the spheres of
traditional customs and folklore. The National Socialists implemented
the anschluss, on the one hand by integrating Austria into Germany's
administrative apparatus, which modernised many spheres of life, and
on the other by re-modelling societal behaviour according to Nazi
principles ( National Socialism). The tensions and contrasts thus
created were continuously suppressed and found an outlet only during
mass gatherings that were difficult to control (such as sports
events). The modern instruments of technology (newspapers and radio)
were used to promote the creation of a standardised society in Germany
and Austria, but had little success.
\\
In the wake of the events during World War II and the shock of
defeat in 1945, the Austrian population felt that not only the
separation of the two countries, but also economic and social
detachment from Germany was necessary; cultural contacts, however,
stayed largely intact. Since then the sovereignty of the Austrian
state has never again been questioned by its own population; on the
contrary, a national consciousness evolved and was further
strengthened by success in foreign policy ( State Treaty, neutrality)
and the economic recovery. In many respects the relationship with
Germany has eased. At the same time however, it has grown tighter than
ever before, mainly in the field of culture, in literature and the
media (esp. television). Many Germans, however, still seem to have
some prejudices against Austria, while Austrians tend to view the
relationship as fairly uncomplicated, even though Germany's economic
influence has reached unparalleled levels. What has also disappeared
is the wish for territorial union with Germany, which in the wake of
World War II had created some concern among the allies, notably
the Soviet Union. The sovereignty of the Austrian state is thus
unquestioned and desired by an overwhelming majority of the
population.
\\
Austria's accession to the European Union in 1995 brought about
qualitative changes in its relation to Germany. On one hand the
prohibition to enter into political union with Germany which forms
part of the State Treaty of 1955 has lost significance, while on the
other hand the new political and economic community, which affects not
only Germany and Austria but all the EU member states, has created new
dimensions which do not seem to have been fully recognised by the
population at large.
!Literature
G. Holzer, Verfreundete Nachbarn: Oesterreich -
Deutschland. Ein Verhaeltnis, 1995.
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