Lateinische Sprache#

Latin: When large areas of what is now Austria became part of the Roman Empire (from 15 A.D. onwards) Latin became the official language and that spoken by the population at large; inscriptions and ancient literary documents (Eugippius) still show traces of this today. Latin was still widely used in the Middle Ages and well into the Modern Age for scholarly and religious purposes and as the official language (Ostarrîchi document, Carmina Burana and other literary works, T. Ebendorfer). It was the official language in some parts of the Habsburg Empire (in Hungary until 1837) and was partly used as the teaching language in schools and universities until the 20th century. Until 1969 (2nd Vatican Council) Catholic Masses were celebrated in Latin. Today Latin is an admission requirement for some branches of university study (medicine, law, theology, humanities).