Ancient and Roman Period (Prehistory–476 AD)
Prehistoric Settlements (c. 3000 BC–800 BC): Early human activity in Austria dates back to the Paleolithic era, with notable finds such as the Venus of Willendorf (c. 28,000 BC), one of the oldest known sculptures.
Celtic Kingdom of Noricum (c. 400 BC–15 BC): The Celts establish Noricum, a powerful trade and iron-producing region.
Roman Austria (15 BC–476 AD): Noricum becomes a Roman province under Emperor Augustus. Cities such as Vindobona (modern Vienna) and Carnuntum flourish as Roman military and trade hubs.
Early Medieval Austria (476–976 AD)
Fall of Rome & Germanic Rule (476–600): Roman Austria is overrun by Germanic tribes, including the Ostrogoths, Lombards, and Bavarians.
Avar & Slavic Influence (600–800): The Avars and Slavs settle in eastern Austria, forming early Slavic principalities.
Carolingian Rule (800–900): Charlemagne defeats the Avars and establishes the March of Pannonia, incorporating Austria into the Frankish Empire.
Magyar Raids (900–955): The Magyars (Hungarians) frequently raid Austria until their defeat at the Battle of Lechfeld (955) by Emperor Otto I.
Rise of the Babenbergs (976–1246)
976: March of Austria (Ostarrîchi) Established: Emperor Otto II grants Leopold I of the Babenberg dynasty control over Austria, marking its first recorded mention as “Ostarrîchi.”
1077: Hohensalzburg fortress constructed (expanded in the 15th & 16th centuries))
1137-1160: Gothic architecture masterpiece Stephansdom (St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna) constructed
1156: Austria Becomes a Duchy: The Privilegium Minus elevates Austria from a frontier march to a duchy, giving the Babenbergs hereditary rule.
12th–13th Century Economic Growth: Vienna emerges as a major trade center along the Danube.
1246: End of Babenberg Rule: Duke Frederick II dies in battle, leaving Austria without a ruler.
Habsburg Ascendancy and Austrian Empire (1246–1867)
1246–1273: Interregnum – Power Struggle Over Austria: Various nobles and foreign rulers, including King Ottokar II of Bohemia, compete for control.
1273: Rudolf I of Habsburg elected Holy Roman Emperor, marking the rise of Habsburg power.
1365: University of Vienna founded, one of the oldest in Europe.
1438: Habsburgs establish hereditary rule over the Holy Roman Empire, lasting until 1806.
1526: Battle of Mohács – Habsburgs inherit Bohemia and Hungary, expanding Austrian control.
1618–1648: Thirty Years’ War devastates Central Europe; Austria remains a Catholic stronghold.
1648: Treaty of Westphalia weakens Habsburg influence in the Holy Roman Empire but consolidates it in Austria.
1683: Second Ottoman Siege of Vienna repelled, securing Austria’s dominance in Central Europe.
1696–1712: Schönbrunn Palace (Vienna) constructed – Austrian Versailles, featuring over 1,400 rooms in Baroque-Rococo style.
1701–1714: War of Spanish Succession – Austria gains Spanish Netherlands, Milan, and Naples.
1740–1780: Reign of Maria Theresa – War of Austrian Succession (1740–1748), economic and educational reforms.
1762: Mozart’s first composition at age six, beginning Austria’s classical music legacy.
1781: Joseph II issues Edict of Tolerance, granting religious freedom and reforming serfdom .Immanuel Kant’s Critique of Pure Reason published, shaping philosophical discourse at the University of Vienna (though Kant was Prussian, his influence was deeply felt in Austria).
1804: Austrian Empire officially proclaimed by Francis II (later Francis I of Austria).
1806: Holy Roman Empire dissolved after Austria’s defeat by Napoleon at Austerlitz.
1815: Congress of Vienna reestablishes Austria as a dominant European power.
1848: Revolutions sweep Austria; Emperor Ferdinand I abdicates, and Franz Joseph I takes the throne.
1854: First Austrian railway boom, expanding trade and industry.
1866: Austro-Prussian War – Austria loses influence in German affairs.
Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867–1918)
1867: Austro-Hungarian Compromise establishes the Dual Monarchy under Franz Joseph I.
1870s: Vienna Ringstrasse completed, transforming Vienna into a modern imperial capital.
1873: Vienna Stock Market crash causes an economic depression.
1879: Austria-Hungary forms the Dual Alliance with Germany, later joined by Italy (Triple Alliance, 1882).
1897: Vienna Secession movement founded, led by Gustav Klimt, influencing modern art.
1908: Austria-Hungary formally annexes Bosnia and Herzegovina, provoking tensions with Serbia.
1914: Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo triggers World War I.
1916: Death of Emperor Franz Joseph I ends 68 year-reign; succeeded by Karl I.
1918: Austria-Hungary collapses as national uprisings and military defeat end the empire.
First Austrian Republic and Anschluss (1919–1945)
1919: Treaty of Saint-Germain reduces Austria to a small republic, forbids union with Germany.
1920: Austria adopts a new democratic constitution.
1922: Hyperinflation crisis devastates Austrian economy; League of Nations provides financial aid.
1931: Austrian Credit-Anstalt Bank collapses, worsening the Great Depression.
1933: Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss establishes an authoritarian Austrofascist regime.
1934: Austrian Civil War – Dollfuss crushes socialist opposition; later assassinated by Austrian Nazis.
1938: Anschluss – Nazi Germany annexes Austria; Austria ceases to exist as an independent state.
1945: Nazi rule ends; Austria occupied by Allied powers (US, UK, USSR, France).
Second Austrian Republic and Neutrality (1945–1995)
1945–1955: Post-war reconstruction under Allied occupation; economy stagnates.
1955: Austrian State Treaty signed; Austria regains sovereignty and declares permanent neutrality.
1960: Vienna hosts the first Eurovision Song Contest participation.
1960s–1970s: Austria develops a strong welfare state and economic stability under Chancellor Bruno Kreisky.
1979: Vienna becomes a key center for international diplomacy, hosting UN agencies.
1986: Kurt Waldheim elected president despite controversy over his Nazi-era past.
1991: Economic transition after the Cold War, as Austria strengthens trade with Eastern Europe.
1995: Austria joins the European Union after a national referendum.
Contemporary Austria (1995–Present)
1999–2000: Far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) under Jörg Haider enters government, sparking EU sanctions.
2002: Austria officially adopts the euro, replacing the schilling.
2008: Global financial crisis impacts Austria’s banking sector, particularly exposure to Eastern Europe.
2015: European migrant crisis – Austria becomes a transit country for refugees, leading to political tensions.
2017: Sebastian Kurz becomes Austria’s youngest-ever chancellor at 31, leading a coalition with the FPÖ.
2019: Ibiza Affair – FPÖ leader Heinz-Christian Strache resigns over corruption scandal, collapsing Kurz’s government.
2020: COVID-19 pandemic – Austria enforces strict lockdowns and economic relief measures.
2021: Kurz resigns amid corruption allegations, replaced by Alexander Schallenberg and later Karl Nehammer.
2023: Austria maintains neutrality while opposing rapid EU expansion into the Western Balkans.
See also:
Visual Timeline Series