Austrian Citizenship Test cheat sheet

976: Babenbergs receive the Marcha orientalis; their rule ends 1246 with the death of Duke Friedrich II.

1282: Rudolf I of Habsburg enfeoffs his sons with Austria; the Habsburg line rules until 1918.

1526: After Mohács, Ferdinand I claims Bohemia and Hungary, beginning the Habsburg monarchy's multi-ethnic expansion.

1804: Franz II proclaims the Austrian Empire; 1806 he abdicates the Holy Roman Imperial title.

1867: Austro-Hungarian Compromise (Ausgleich) creates the Dual Monarchy with separate parliaments and shared monarch, army and foreign policy.

28 June 1914: Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo; the July Crisis leads to World War I.

1918-1919: The Republic of German-Austria is proclaimed on 12 November 1918; the Treaty of Saint-Germain (1919) forbids union with Germany.

1938: Anschluss - Austria is annexed into Nazi Germany; the 1943 Moscow Declaration names Austria a victim but also holds it responsible.

1955: Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag) signed 15 May; sovereignty restored and permanent neutrality declared on 26 October.

The Federal Constitution (B-VG) of 1 October 1920, in its 1929 version, is the formal constitutional core; it is a rigid constitution requiring a two-thirds majority in the Nationalrat for amendments.

Austria is a federal, parliamentary, democratic republic: nine Bundesländer, bicameral parliament, and the principle of legality binds all administration.

Nationalrat: 183 members, elected for five years by proportional representation with a 4% threshold and preferential voting.

Bundesrat: represents the Länder; members are elected by Landtage and hold a suspensive veto (Einspruchsrecht) against Nationalrat bills.

Federal President: directly elected for six years, limited to two consecutive terms; appoints the Chancellor and ministers and can dissolve the Nationalrat.

Bundeskanzler and government require the confidence of the Nationalrat; a constructive vote of no confidence is not required, only a majority.

Constitutional Court (VfGH) reviews laws for constitutionality and settles competence disputes; Administrative Court (VwGH) reviews administrative decisions.

Direct democracy instruments: Volksbegehren (initiative), Volksabstimmung (referendum), and Volksbefragung (consultative poll).

Area: about 83,879 km²; Austria is landlocked and shares borders with eight states: Germany, Czechia, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

Nine provinces: Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, Vorarlberg and Vienna.

Highest peak: Grossglockner (3,798 m) in the High Tauern; Austria is largely alpine, with the Eastern Alps covering most of the country.

The Danube flows about 350 km through Austria, passing Linz and Vienna before entering Slovakia; the river is navigable and central to transport.

Major lakes: Lake Constance (Bodensee) on the western border, Neusiedler See in Burgenland (steppe lake, shared with Hungary), and the Salzkammergut lakes.

Climate: transitional between Atlantic and continental; alpine zones are colder and wetter, and the Pannonian east is drier and warmer.

Vienna is the capital and largest city; other major cities include Graz, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck.

Language: German is the official language; regional official languages include Croatian and Hungarian in Burgenland and Slovenian in Carinthia.

Religion: Roman Catholicism is the largest denomination; the Catholic Church has historical influence in education and public holidays.

Music: Vienna was the centre of the First Viennese School (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven) and the Second (Schoenberg, Berg, Webern); the Vienna Philharmonic and State Opera are national institutions.

Literature: notable figures include Franz Grillparzer, Stefan Zweig, Robert Musil, Thomas Bernhard and Elfriede Jelinek (Nobel Prize 2004).

Visual arts and architecture: the Vienna Secession (Klimt, Schiele), Wiener Werkstätte design, and Otto Wagner's urban architecture.

Coffeehouse culture (Wiener Kaffeehaus) and Heuriger wine taverns are recognised social institutions; UNESCO lists Viennese coffeehouse culture as intangible heritage.

Public holidays include National Day (26 October), Christmas, Easter, and Corpus Christi; many shops close on Sundays.

Sport and leisure: alpine skiing, football (Bundesliga), and hiking are popular; Vienna's Prater and the Danube Island are major recreation areas.

The European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) has constitutional rank in Austria and is directly enforceable before the Constitutional Court.

Core rights: equality before the law, freedom of expression, assembly, association, religion and conscience, and the right to a fair trial.

The Basic Law on the General Rights of Citizens (Staatsgrundgesetz 1867) and the B-VG protect property, personal liberty and the inviolability of the home.

Data protection is a fundamental right under the Datenschutzgesetz and the EU GDPR; the Data Protection Authority supervises compliance.

Democratic principles: free, secret and equal elections; majority rule with minority protection; pluralism; and the rule of law.

Political parties must respect the constitution; the Constitutional Court can dissolve parties that threaten democratic order.

Freedom of the press is protected; Austria ranks high in press-freedom indices, though media concentration and political influence are debated.

Anti-discrimination: the Equal Treatment Act (Gleichbehandlungsgesetz) prohibits discrimination based on sex, ethnicity, religion, age, disability and sexual orientation.

Austria has a civil-law system; the ABGB (1811) is the central civil code, and the StGB (1975) is the criminal code.

Court hierarchy: district courts (Bezirksgerichte), regional courts (Landesgerichte), higher regional courts (Oberlandesgerichte), and the Supreme Court (OGH).

Criminal procedure: the public prosecutor (Staatsanwaltschaft) investigates; trial courts include lay judges (Schöffen) for serious offences; juries decide certain cases.

Administrative procedure is governed by the Allgemeines Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz (AVG); decisions can be appealed to the Administrative Court (VwGH).

The Constitutional Court (VfGH) reviews statutes and ordinances and hears complaints of rights violations after other remedies are exhausted.

The legal profession is divided into Rechtsanwälte (attorneys) and Notare (notaries); legal aid is available for those unable to afford representation.

Administrative structure: federal ministries, provincial governments (Landesregierungen), district authorities (Bezirkshauptmannschaften) and municipalities (Gemeinden).

Local self-government: municipalities have elected councils and mayors; they manage local services and have a right to self-administration under Article 118 B-VG.

Austria has a social market economy with a strong export sector; GDP per capita is among the highest in the EU, and the euro is the currency.

Key sectors: machinery, vehicles and parts, chemicals, steel, tourism, and services; Germany is the largest trading partner.

Social partnership (Sozialpartnerschaft) coordinates wage and price policy among unions, employers and government; it underpins industrial peace.

Social insurance is compulsory and covers health, pension, accident and unemployment; contributions are shared by employer and employee.

Pensions: the statutory pay-as-you-go system (ASVG) is supplemented by occupational and private schemes; demographic ageing is a policy challenge.

Family policy: generous parental leave (Karenz), family allowance (Familienbeihilfe) and childcare subsidies support working parents.

Unemployment insurance (AMS) provides benefits and active labour-market programmes; the minimum wage is set by collective agreements, not statute.

Tourism is significant: Vienna, Salzburg and alpine resorts attract millions of visitors; the sector contributes a substantial share of GDP.

Austria joined the EU on 1 January 1995 and adopted the euro in 1999 (cash in 2002); it holds the Council presidency on a rotating basis.

Austria is a member of the Schengen area and participates in EU justice and home affairs cooperation.

Permanent neutrality (1955) is constitutional; Austria is not a NATO member but participates in the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy and UN peacekeeping.

Austria is a member of the United Nations (since 1955), OSCE, Council of Europe and OECD; Vienna hosts UN offices and OPEC.

European Parliament elections in Austria use proportional representation; Austrian MEPs sit in EU political groups.

The EU's four freedoms (goods, services, persons, capital) shape Austrian law and policy; EU regulations take precedence over conflicting national law.

Austria participates in the eurozone and the European Stability Mechanism; it is a net contributor to the EU budget.

International humanitarian tradition: Austria hosts international organisations and has contributed to UN peace operations and disaster relief.

Austrian identity is built on federalism, neutrality, social partnership and a civic rather than ethnic conception of citizenship.

The national anthem (Land der Berge, Land am Strome) and the federal coat of arms (red-white-red shield with eagle) are official symbols.

Red-white-red is the national flag; the colours derive from the Babenberg coat of arms.

Citizenship (Staatsbürgerschaft) is acquired by descent, marriage, or naturalisation after a minimum residence period (generally ten years) and language and civic tests.

Integration policy emphasises German language competence, respect for the rule of law and democratic values, and participation in public life.

Values of tolerance and pluralism are reflected in constitutional guarantees and in Austria's history of immigration and cultural exchange.

Environmental protection is a constitutional goal (Staatsziel); Austria has high recycling rates and promotes renewable energy.

Civic duties include paying taxes, compulsory school attendance, jury service and, for men, military or civilian service (Wehrpflicht).