Austria-+Culture+and+History

Culture and History ﻿flat

=**//History!//** =

Austria was once a powerful leader of the Austro- Hungarian empire until their defeat in World War I. In 1938, Nazi leader, Aldof Hitler, and his troops entered Austria with the goal of annexing the country. On April 10th, 1938, the annexation was approved with 99.7% majority. Austria was no longer an independent country and they had participated in the awful crimes that were lead by Hitler. After the war, Austria declared separation from Germany, and in 1955, the State Treaty was signed declaring their independence. That same year, Austria withdrew from the Soviet military and was declared a neutral country. Austria joined the European Union in 1995, and has continued to grow and be a prosperous country.



=//Culture //=

Austria is known for its strong culture defined by strong influences from the arts, sports, and food. From classical to folk music, skiing to hockey, and wiener schnitzel to taflespitz, this is what defines Austria.

=**Music **= Composers of the 18th and 19th centuries were drawn Vienna to compose music. Composers like Mozart and Beethoven influenced music innovation in Vienna, eventually getting the city nick-named the European Capital of Classical Music. Austrian folk music and dancing is also a very popular. Schrammelmusik is the most popular modern from of folk music which is played with an accordion and a double-necked guitar. Yodeling is also popular and was developed in Austria to communicate across mountains.

=**Sports **= Alpine skiing and ice hockey are the two most common sports in Austria. Since Austria is in the heart of the Alps, skiing is a naturally a popular sport. Austria is also home to the famous ski resort Kitzbuhel, where the most challenging race on the World Cup circuit is held. Austria is the leading country consistently on the circuit by winning the largest number of points of all countries. Along with skiing, ice hockey is another popular sport in Austria. Currently, Austria is ranked 14th in the world, although they have not won any major titles since 1947 when they won bronze at the IIHF World Championship.



=**Food **= Austrian cuisine has influences from Italy, Germany, Hungary and the Balkans, and the influences are different across the different regions of Austria. Austrians eat their main meal in the evening, while eating light meals in the morning and mid-afternoon. Some popular Austrian dishes include wiener schnitzel, taflespitz, and Germknödel. Wiener Schnitzel is a traditional Austrian dish consisting of an escalope coated in breadcrumbs and fried. Taflespitz is beef boiled in broth, often served with apple and horseradish sauce. Lastly, Germknödel is a fluffy yeast dough dumpling filled with spicy plum jam, garnished with melted butter and a mix of poppy seeds and powdered sugar, sometimes served with vanilla cream.



Below are links to recipes of the Austrian dishes shown above:
 * Wiener Schnitzel
 * Germknödel with vanilla sauce
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif;">Tafelspitz