Understanding Austria - And the World
Unit 1 Core Concepts: What are the tools that social scientists use to understand the world, past and present and how do I use them to do the same? How do we use the 8 culture traits to look at the world?
Demonstrate your understanding by discussing the different tools social scientists use and discuss the 8 culture traits of your country. |
Social Scientists use a variety o tools to understand the world, past and present. Five of the tools used are the 5 themes of geography, map projections and types, the 8 culture traits, coordinates of latitude and longitude for finding locations, and the tools for measuring time.
5 themes of geography: Uses place, absolute and relative location, human environment interactions, movement, and regions to study the Earths physical features, its distribution of life, and the effect of human activity on the planet. Map projections and types: Different types of maps and map projections offer different views and aspects of Earth. These vary from Mercator projection, Robinson projection, Polar projection to the different types of map such as the living Earth map, political, physical, and topographical maps. Coordinates of Latitude and Longitude: Latitude and longitude lines are tools that social scientists use to determine the precise location of a place. Latitude is a measurement of distance in degrees north or south of the Equator, while longitude lines are a measurement of distance from east or west of the prime meridian. When used together, they provide an easy, universal tool to determine locations. Tools for measuring and organizing time: Social scientists and in this specific case, historians, use various units of measurement that are appropriate to organize time and to study a country’s history with accuracy. Timelines, chronology, Pre-history, and period are common terms used when measuring time. A period, for example, is a length of time singled out due to a specific event or development that occurred during said time. When historians and scientists organize time, they use history (which refers to written history), and primary and secondary sources that provide essential information when trying to piece together the past. 8 culture traits: |
Austria's Culture
Language
Austria’s literacy rate is of 98%, which considerably high. German is the official language nationwide and is spoken by 88.6% of the population. Austrians also speak Turkish (2.3%), Serbian (2.2%), Croatian (1.6%) and others, such as Slovene and Hungarian (5.3%). Hochdeutsch refers to standard German, which unites German-speaking regions since it’s the standard form of the language that is used in formal contexts, and in written and spoken communications between areas with different dialects. In Austria, there’s a wide variation in the standard Hochdeutsch and many differences between dialects proper to the country.
German Phrases Hello: Hallo Good morning: Guten Morgen Good Day: Guten Tag Bye: Tschüss Yes: Ja No: Nein |
history
Early Years
Austria is located was formerly the Danube Valley and the Alpine valleys. Celctic from Western Europe migrated and settled in the eastern Alps around 400 B.C. A Celtic state eventually developed around the second century, called Noricum. From the 7th century on, the main region occupated by Celtics was what is modern day Austria. They were mainly centered around Hallstatt, which was then a large mining area. The period between 750 – 450 BC is named after the Hallsatt region. Romans arrived around 200 BC and their main settlement was Carntunum (found in todays lower Austria). This settlement became the center of the Roman fortifications along the Danube Valley. Österreich - (Austria) German tribes were extending their territories and invading some Roman controlled areas. Bavarians, for instance, controlled the territory between the eastern Alps and the Wienerwald region by the mid 500’s. Then, around 800 BC, Charlemagne (the king of Franks and Holy Roman Emperor) established a territory in the Danube known as the Ostmark, or “Eastern March.” In 996 BC, they started referring to it as Ostarrichi, which then evolved into Österreich (also known as Austria) The Babenbergs & Vienna (Capital) Leopold von Babenberg became the margrave of the Ostmark bweteen 976-1246. The territory of Austria was one of the feudal possessions of the Babenberg family, which established their first residence in Pöchlarn, and then moved to Melk. Forward to the 12th century, when Henry II moved his residence to Vienna, which has been the country's capital since then. *Margrave: The hereditary title of some princes of the Holy Roman Empire. The Habsburg Rule About a century later, Rudolf I was crowned, an event that marked the beginning of six centuries of the Habsburgs rule. They lead their country from the Imperial Palace in Vienna. This palace currently houses the Treasury and the Sisi museum, among others. This family used strategic alliances established through marriages, and this way they increased their power and influence. Emperor Charles V inherited the Hereditary Lands, the Franche-Comte, Netherlands and Spain thanks to his father and grandfathers marriages into the Burgundian and Spanish dynasties. Alliances Against Turks Poland, Venice and Russia became allied with the Habsburg Empire in fighting against the Turks. This was due to a series of Turkish threats, referring to the failed sieges of Vienna (1592 and 1683). Command of imperial forces, the Habsburg army, was given to Prince Eugene of Savoy in the late 1690’s, and under his leadership, the Empire gained control of all territory by 1699 (with exception of a small area of Hungary.) Baroque Period During this period, arts and culture became increasingly important with the end of the Turkish threats. Remarkable structures were built, such as the Schloss Schönbrunn or the Salzburger Dom. Many innovative architects emerged, such as Johann Fischer v. Erlach, Lukas v. Hildebrandt, Jakob Prandtauer, and Franz Anton Maulbertsch, and many of their monuments still stand today. Empress Maria Theresia , which ruled from 1717-1780, made many reforms and made evident progress in uniting and improving the assets gained by the Habsburgs. When she passed, her son Joseph II continued the developments once widely pursued by his mother. Bierdermeier Period The Habsburgs were under threat during the French revolution as Napoleon secured the French control of many Austrian territories. Austrian Chancellor Metternich and many other country officials attempted to reshape Austria’s border after the loss of territory to the French, and they tried to stabilize and reinforce the empire and the nation’s power (all during the Congress of Vienna). On top of the defeat against the French, Austria was facing another conflict: The philosophy of the middle class uprising/revolution reached the countries middle class people. So, Emperor Franz I and Metternich fought the potential crisis by decreasing civil liberties and setting in motion a strict censorship. This led people to retreat into their houses and focus on anything but politics; it brought social life to a stop. The came the 2nd part of the Bierdermeier period, one which was a period of urbanization and industrialization that lead to a new urban middle class and a grown interest in the arts. The Emperor Franz Joseph I and his wife Elizabeth (the legendary Sisi) work together and under his rule, Vienna became the center of a multinational state. 20th-21st Century The assassination of the Austrian archduke and heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand was what led Austria to declare war on Serbia, marking the beginning of WWI. Emperor Franz Joseph died in 1916 and after the end of the war in 1918, the first Republic of Austria was established. This was the end of the 640-year-old Habsburg dynasty. The new republic underwent inflation, unemployment, and near economic collapse. As Engelbert Dollfuss became Chancellor in 1932 he declared martial law (1934) in order to protect the country from Hitler. Sadly, he was killed by Nazis later on, in an attack to gain control. German troops reached Austria on March 12, 1938, and the country was included in the German Reich led by Hitler. After the end of WWII in 1945, Austria recovered its borders and was occupied by members of the winning allies- the United States, the Soviet Union, the UK, and France. Austria declared its permanent neutrality when the Austrian State Treaty was ratified on May 15, 1955. It also grants asylum to the refugees of the Hungarian Revolution and the Prague Spring invasion. Additionally, Austria became a member of the European Union in 1995. |
DAILY LIFE
Cuisine
Austrian cuisine has a variety of influences from Germany, Hungary, Czech, and northern Italy. On a day-to-day basis, Austrians begin with a simple breakfast, usually made up of coffee or milk accompanied with bread and butter or jam. Lunch generally consists of soup and some meat (sausage, breaded veal, chicken, beef, pork or fish are the usual). Additionally, vegetables, dumplings potatoes, noodles or salads are generally found in side plates and provide a variety of options in one meal. A common snack in Austria consists of sausage topped with mustard on a hard roll. |
Economy/Currency
Austria’s one of the most developed countries and offers very high quality living. Its GDP was of $45,400 in 2014. One of its most valuable exports is wine, since it has become a producer of some exquisite wines. The countries 32,000 wineries generate about 2.5 million hectoliters of wine every year. Other Austrian industries and exports include vehicle parts, metals, chemicals, textiles, lumber, paper, and tourism. About 15% of exports are sent overseas. They use Euros throughout the country. |
arts
Architecture Architecture in Austria has many influence in style from the countries around it. The most famous architect of the 20th century is for most, Clemens Holzmeister, who introduced modern church buildings and designed 2 main Salzburg theatres. Other well known architects are Roland Rainer, Erich Boltenstern, Carl Auböck and Adolf Loos, all of which had effects on traditional housing and offices. |
geography
Austria's geography consists of a diversity of topographical features. It’s mostly mountainous, and its total area is 83,859 kilometer sq.; its double the size of Switzerland. Its located in the center of the European map, and it shares borders with Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy and Slovakia. Since Austria’s geographical features are so diverse, it’s commonly considered that its made up of 3 different geographical regions. The Alps cover the largest region, 62% of the country’s entire land. To the east, there are plains such as the Pannonian Pain and to the north, the Danube River. The third region is located to the north of the Danube river, it’s a range of mountains made of hard granite; this region covers 10% of the country. |
Religion
About 73.8% Austrians are Catholic ( the majority), 4.9% are Protestants and Muslims make up 4.2%. Smaller groups are Orthodox with 2.2% of the population, other 0.8%, and unspecified (2%). 12% of Austrians have no religion. The Holocaust had a negative impact on Vienna’s Jewish population, and despite growing steadily since 1945, Jewish still isn’t a very common religion in the country’s capital. |