Why do austrians dislike germans

In Austria anti-Semitism was even deeper rooted than in Germany. Vienna had a Jewish population of around 11 per cent. And as soon as the German soldiers arrived in Vienna you had an outbreak of the worst anti-Semitic pogroms you ever had seen in central Europe since the Middle Ages. Jews had played a large role in Austria's intellectual life. And there were many, many Austrians who were very happy to participate in these events.

But there were also many people who were in tears, who were devastated by the disappearance of Austria. Once Austria became part of the Third Reich, it disappeared as a country and became a new province of Germany, called Ostmark. In the immediate aftermath of the war, Austria was as devastated as other parts of Europe and, like Germany, was divided into four occupation zones, one for each of the allies.

Unlike Germany, however, Austria had a common government that was eventually recognised by both the Soviet Union and the western Allies. And unlike its larger neighbour, it was never divided into east and west. Related: How countries deal with war guilt. In , the Allies had issued the Moscow Declaration, which described Austria as 'the first free nation to fall victim to Hitlerite aggression'. They had war crimes trials, there was a very far reaching purge, all members of the Nazi party were stripped of political rights, they weren't allowed to vote, not allowed to hold office or work for the state.

So there was a really strong denazification process which took place. However, an enormous number of Austrians had been involved with the Nazi regime: as many as , In a country of just six million people, this turned out to be a significant bloc. The dominant post-war parties, the Socialists and the Christian Socialists, began to actively court former Nazi supporters. Against the background of the emerging Cold War in the s, this Nazi potential, which Berger describes as 'a very important political factor', became the party now known as the Freedom Party of Austria.

Unlike Germany, which is also made up of many regions, Austria is heavily dominated by its capital, with 2. Graz , , Linz , , Salzburg , and Innsbruck , are the only urban centers with a population over , The third Austria is the rural, small-town Austria that stretches from the western Vorarlberg that butts up against the Bodensee Lake Constance and Switzerland, to the fascinating eastern lowland and lake region Neusiedler See that borders Hungary and Slovakia.

Many years ago, when I first laid eyes on Austria, I thought the country was one big national park. Austria really is a scenic place. Germans make up 40 percent of the tourists going to Austria each year. They find the country quaint and folkloric. But Germans who live and work in Austria soon learn that they need to adapt to a more leisurely, laid back life style that is very different from Germany.

Austria also has a bit of a historical split personality. In the constant onslaught of Germany-bashing, there is a harsh undercurrent. Thanks to these legal and historical maneuvers, Austria avoided shouldering the consequences that Germany faced after the war.

On one hand, the snide remarks about Germany allow this hypocrisy to be clouded by a shield of imagined difference. Austria declared itself a neutral nation in , but following the fall of the Soviet Union, Austria modified its definition of neutrality to accommodate a changing world.

The issue of possibly becoming a full NATO member is controversial, but the only part of the Constitutional Law on Neutrality of that remains fully valid today is not allowing foreign military bases in Austria. Vienna is home to a major UN office complex. When asked about the differences between Austria and Germany, Mr. Some of the reasons translated into English:.

Three of them are listed below. They can be purchased from Amazon. Please log in or register to comment. I have now met two Austrians and both of them have only had very negative things to say about Germany and Germans in general especially this guy last night.

I was planning to go to Austria next year for vacation for the first time, but now have reservations after meeting this Austrian guy last night who really rubbed me the wrong way with his views on Germans and Germany I am American by the way. I am curious as to if the stereotype of Germans being stuck up, arrogant, and slobs holds true for most Austrians.

At first I thought he was joking, but come to find out he was dead serious in his view of Germans and would never set foot there. He did mention he was from the country outside Innsbruck so I am wondering if this could be a regional thing as well. Surely not all Austrians feel this way about Germans??? If I wanted to visit Austria, I would not let a strangers opinions about a different country bother me. Live your own life.

BTW, many European nations will scoff at their neighbors, but it is not something that will affect my travels. Veritas Vincit. Plenty of Austrians live in Germany, and plenty of Germans live in Austria. They can't all hate each other. Truth is that if you talk to people in Northern Germany and ask them what they think about Bavarians and vice versa , or people in East Germany about West Germans and vice versa you could also get some pretty negative answers.

Europe is full of little national and regional rivalries and animosities, even among people who might seem almost identical to the outsider in their customs and culture. It's typically based on history. Originally Posted by evening sun. On a simple level, it is the big country next to a small country dynamic.

There is something deeper at play though. The history of the Anschluss, WWII, and post-war attitudes and reactions to guilt and responsibility. Hitler is really Austrian, but everyone seems to hate on Germany and not Austria for some reason. And arent Austrians German?