Austria - Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette

Facts and Statistics

Location: Central Europe, north of Italy and Slovenia bordering Czech Republic 362 km, Germany 784 km, Hungary 366 km, Italy 430 km, Liechtenstein 35 km, Slovakia 91 km, Slovenia 330 km, Switzerland 164 km

Capital: Vienna

Climate: temperate; continental, cloudy; cold winters with frequent rain and some snow in lowlands and snow in mountains; moderate summers with occasional showers

Population: 8,174,762 (July 2004 est.)

Ethnic Make-up: German 88.5%, indigenous minorities 1.5% (includes Croatians, Slovenes, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Roma), recent immigrant groups 10% (includes Turks, Bosnians, Serbians, Croatians) (2001)

Religions: Roman Catholic 74%, Protestant 5%, Muslim 4%, other 17%

Government: federal republic

Language in Austria

German is the official language spoken by 98% of the population as mother tongue. There are distinct differences between the many regional dialects, and also a wide variation in the 'standard' Hochdeutsch spoken from region to region. Slovene is an official language in the southern province of Carinthia. Other minority languages include Croatian (0.5%) and Hungarian (0.1%). All three languages are taught alongside German in some bilingual schools. Another minority language is Slovak.

Why not learn some useful German phrases?

Austrian Society & Culture

Austrian Family Values

o The family forms the basis of the Austrian social structure.
o The family is generally small and, due to lack of migration, generally closely knit within a certain town or village.
o Weekends are generally devoted to family activities such as outdoor activities.
o Eating dinner together in the evening is very much the norm.
o Sundays re usually bookmarked for visiting grandparents for dinner, and/or, enjoying a hike in the country together.

The Austrian Home

o Austrians take much pride in their homes, keeping them neat and tidy.
o In a formal culture such as theirs, the home is the place where people relax and let their hair down.
o Only close friends and relatives are invited into the house, so it is a place where more informal communication may occur.
o Neighbourly etiquette also has its rules that must be observed. It is imperative that common areas such as sidewalks, pavements, corridors (in flats), and steps be kept clean at all times by all associated with them.

Conservatism

o Austrians are generally conservative people.
o They are prudent and moderate in their behaviour.
o 'Regimentation' and 'compartmentalization' are a useful ways of describing how they organise their lives.
o They extend social invitations in advance of the event, and the more formal the occasion the greater the time between the invitation and the event itself, so that they can be certain that their guests do not have a prior engagement.

Appearances Matter

o Presentation and dressing well are important to Austrians.
o Even when dressed informally, they are neat and conservative; their clothes are never ostentatious.
o There is sometimes a strict protocol for dressing appropriately in different situations: formal wear for the theatre or a concert, and semiformal wear for better restaurants.
o Some high level events may have a dress code and will turn away patrons who are not dressed properly.
o Most Austrian women dress up to go shopping, since they dress elegantly, if conservatively, at all times, especially when they will be public.

Austrian Etiquette & Customs

Meeting Etiquette

o Greetings are formal.
o A quick, firm handshake is the traditional greeting.
o Maintain eye contact during the greeting.
o Some Austrian men, particularly those who are older, may kiss the hand of a female.
o A male from another country should not kiss an Austrian woman's hand.
o Women may also kiss men, but men never kiss other men.
o Titles are very important and denote respect. Use a person's title and their surname until invited to use their first name.
o When entering a room, shake hands with everyone individually, including children.

Date: 2016-03-03; view: 1043