By Andrea Griesmacher, IFCC National Representative of Austria  and Jocelyn Hicks, President, IFCC

Its history

As a territorial concept, Austria refers to a state that frequently and dramatically changed dimensions throughout the course of its history. From 996 to around 1500, Austria was smaller than it is today. After 1500, it assumed truly imperial dimensions and remained imperial until 1918. As a political concept, Austria also has refered to different forms of government. After 1282, the Habsburg dynasty bore the name of Austria, "the House of Austria," and Austria was coextenisve with the lands they ruled. In the 18th century, the term Austrian Monarchy (Monarchia Austriaca) came into use. In 1804, Austria was reconstituted as an empire, Kaisertum �sterreich (Austrian Empire). In 1867, it was restructured into the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, and Austria referred to the western part of the monarchy. After World War I, Austria became the name of the First Austrian Republic. After the Anschluss, the Nazi occupation of Austria in 1938, Austria was incorporated into the Third Reich, and the Nazis banned the word Austria. In 1945, the Republic of Austria, the so-called Second Austrian Republic, was re-established. In 1955, Austria regained its full sovereignty after the signing of the Austrian State Treaty.

Some facts of interest

Austria is a largely mountainous country due to its location in the Alps. It borders Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. Its capital city is Vienna.
Austria is a parliamentary representative democracy consisting of nine federal states, and is one of six European countries that have declared permanent neutrality, and one of a very few countries that includes the concept of everlasting neutrality in its constitution. It has been a member of the United Nations since 1955, and it joined the European Union in 1995.
The population of Austria is just over eight million. Its official language is German. However, many of its population speak excellent English. Austria has a well developed market economy, and it enjoys a high standard of living, and the literacy rate is high. Although its major religion is Roman Catholic, there are persons practicing Protestantism, as well as Eastern Orthodoxy. There are a few Jews, and a growing Muslim community. The latter is due to an influx of persons from South-Eastern Europe, particularly from Turkey and the countries arising from former Yugoslavia..
Austria and particularly Vienna has been the working place of many famous composers such as Mozart, Haydn, Schubert, Strauss and Mahler, to name a few, as well as of many famous artists and scientists. Vienna and Austria in general are considered to be very culturally advanced. I ( Jocelyn) hope to be able to attend the WorldLab / EuroMedLab in Innsbruck in 2009, and I hope many of our readers will also visit this beautiful country on that occasion.