Austria
This contribution introduces Austria as a characteristic example of a European country with an obvious and long-lasting preponderance of one specific Christian denomination, namely Catholicism, and details the changing attitudes towards other religious traditions due to historical, social, political...
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| Format: | Electronic Dictionary entry/article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2025
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| In: |
Religious minorities online
Year: 2025 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | This contribution introduces Austria as a characteristic example of a European country with an obvious and long-lasting preponderance of one specific Christian denomination, namely Catholicism, and details the changing attitudes towards other religious traditions due to historical, social, political, and economic developments. Here ‘Austria’ is not limited to the current Republic of Austria (that is, the so-called Second Republic, since 1945) but comprises references to its historical predecessors as well, particularly to the much bigger Habsburg monarchy. With its origins in the 13th century, the monarchy made Austria the heartland of its reign from the 16th century onwards, developing it until its demise after WWI into a multinational and, eventually, “multi-confessional” polity—with an obvious allegiance to the Catholic Church as a defining characteristic and major societal power. This broader approach is legitimized not only for historical reasons but also due to the fact that several aspects of the current legal system, with all its effects on the manner in which the various religious traditions are classified and treated, have their origins in the 19th and the early 20th centuries when Austria was still a monarchy. The way smaller religious communities are treated is a vital sign of changing societal, political, and economic circumstances, as will be shown in detail. However, as we will see too, the usual classification schemes defining ‘minority religions’ are rather fluid, both historically and in regard to the actual relation between state and religion(s). |
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| ISSN: | 2748-1328 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Religious minorities online
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1515/rmo.33965220 |
