!!!Österreicher, Bewohner Österreichs
Oesterreicher (Austrians), inhabitants/citizens of Austria
(Oesterreich). By the Middle Ages, the name "Osterleute"
(and its masculine singular form, "Osterman") had become a common
designation for the inhabitants of a country that had newly acquired
significance as a political entity. Primarily it most probably meant
those people who had a say in politics (who later formed the
''Landstaende ''(see) estates of Austria), in later times all the
inhabitants irrespective of their status. From the beginning of the
modern era the name basically applied to the inhabitants of the
Austrian lands above and below the Enns river ("ob der Enns" and
"unter der Enns", respectively). In the 19th century the term on the
one hand continued to designate the inhabitants of the two crown lands
above and below the Enns, and was on the other hand applied variously
to all inhabitants of the Monarchy, those of the western half of the
Monarchy, or its German-speaking inhabitants. The inhabitants of the
western half of the Monarchy ("westliche Reichshaelfte") were given
"Austrian citizenship" in 1867. After the dissolution of the
multinational state in the 20th century, the name "Austrians" came to
be used for all Austrian citizens.
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From a scholarly point of view it is debatable, on account of the many
people from other countries who have immigrated into Austria over the
centuries, whether Austrians can be attributed specific inherited
properties; at best, one will perhaps be able to discern special
traits of the Austrians' self-image and the image others have of them,
although the two may sometimes converge. Some stereotypes originally
associated with Vienna in particular and its environs were later
generalised, such as the description of Austrians as pleasure-loving,
carefree and irresponsible Phaeacians (F. Nicolai, F. Schiller,
rebutted by A. Wildgans and others), a stereotype which was often
combined, in anti-Austrian propaganda, with the claim that Austrians
lacked intellectual qualities and the courage of their convictions in
politics. Possibly the mentality and conduct of Austrians was to some
extent influenced by the fate of the Austrian state after the
disintegration of the Monarchy. A somewhat more differentiated picture
of the typical Austrian, especially of the members of certain parts of
society, such as the bureaucracy and the educated classes, has been
painted by A. Lhotsky and others: the "homo Austriacus", characterised
by reserve in relations with others, a pronounced sense of duty and a
longing for harmony and conciliation - but not always successful in
striving for these objectives. Modern sociological studies reveal a
self-image according to which Austrians see themselves (in the
following order) as "easy-going, fun-loving, musical, hardworking,
efficient, helpful, peace-loving, polite etc." They see their identity
symbolised in Austria's scenery, mountains and culture. Foreigners
primarily associate Austrians with cultural aspects (operetta, the
"Golden Hall" of the ''Musikverein, ''classical music), and secondly
with mountains, skiing and poor managerial skills; Austrians are often
associated with anti-Semitism. Germans see Austrians as slower, less
successful, more old-fashioned, less success-oriented, but at the same
time happier, more congenial, more tolerant and sympathetic than
Germans, while the Austrians see the Germans as less tolerant,
sympahetic etc. Such cliches have little to do with reality but
demonstrate the force of certain stereotypes, which may, in turn,
exert an influence, albeit one that escapes clear definition, on the
way individuals may act or react.
!Literature
E. Zoellner, Der Oesterreichbegriff, 1988; E.
Bruckmueller, Oesterreichbewusstsein im Wandel, 1994.
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