CultureTrivia

Top Ten Curious Facts About Austria

Every 26th October, the Republic of Austria celebrates its so-called National Holiday, a date that commemorates the adoption of the Declaration of Neutrality by the Parliament of the newly reestablished State. With it, Austria pledged itself to full neutrality – a pledge that it maintains to this day. Years after that pledge, Austria is now a prosperous Member State of the European Union, with a high quality of life and ranking in the world’s top spots for standards of living. Join in the celebrations by learning ten curious facts about this prestigious country!

1 – The Austrian male population is the most overweight in the European Union, with just over 50% of males being overweight. Curiously, however, the Austrian male population also has the fourth-lowest rate of outright obesity in the EU (just over 8%). Austrian women, on the other hand, have the lowest EU rates for both overweightness and obesity.

2 – While clinking glasses as a toast, it’s important to look the other person in the eye. Failing to make eye contact before a toast is considered rude and herald of bad luck – more specifically, the belief is that it will result in seven years of bad sex.

3 – Austria ranks eighth globally among the countries with most noble winners per capita, behind the Faroe Islands, Saint Lucia, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden, Iceland, Denmark and Norway.

Nobel prize medal
Nobel prize medal

4 – There is a micronation located in Vienna’s Prater, the so-called Republic of Kugelmugel (Hill Ball). This came as a result of a dispute over building permits for the construction of a ball-shaped house between Austrian artist Edwin Lipburger and local authorities. Lipburger declared independence from Austria, but was sent to jail for ten days and his house was moved from Katzelsdorf to Vienna. The story has a happy ending: Lipburger was pardoned and the Republic became a tourist attraction administered by the city authorities. It currently counts over 600 citizens.

5 – Traditional clothes such as the Lederhosen and the Tracht are accepted dress code items for formal occasions in Austria – even for lofty social events such as attending the Viennese Opera.

6 – The traditional New Year’s Day dinner in Austria has suckling pig as its main course. Additionally, miniature pigs made of chocolate, maple sugar or marzipan decorate the dinner table; all of this is associated with good luck to come in the new year.

7 – The Austrian flag is one of the oldest in the world, dating back to the late 12th Century. The colours, two horizontal red stripes separated by a horizontal white stripe, allegedly represent the blood that was spattered over the tunic of Duke Leopold V in battle.

Image result for Austrian flag
Austrian flag

8 – In Austria, and particularly in Vienna, death is a subject of great fascination: the small republic has the highest number of per-capita funerary businesses in Europe, whereas Vienna hosts the continent’s second-largest cemetery, with two and a half million graves – surpassing the capital’s living population. This attitude is exemplified by the Austrian idiom of “the beautiful corpse” as a centrepiece of the funeral. Another idiom, “taking the 71” is a euphemism for death. The last stop of the 71 city tram line is the cemetery.

9 – Austria has made a staggering contribution to the scientific world through its many inventions and pioneering scientists. From Mendel’s experiments on peas to psychoanalysis and the system of Mach numbers for speed, the contributions range the most diverse fields of science. Austria is also credited with the invention of the sewing machine.

10 – The world’s oldest zoo and the world’s oldest inn still in operation are both located in Austria. The former is in Vienna, and more specifically in the Schönbrunn gardens near the residence by the same name. It was established in 1752 as a private menagerie of exotic animals for Emperor Franz Stephan; nowadays it’s a beautiful zoological garden. The latter is located in Salzburg and it was founded in 803 A.D. with the name of Stiftskeller St. Peter.

Did you enjoy learning more about Austria? Why not discover some more fun facts on its former royal partner Hungary or its neighbour Switzerland?

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Tullio Pontecorvo

Student of political science and international relations, co-founder of My Country? Europe. Aspiring sci-fi author. Believes shooting aliens in the face to be the ultimate form of gaming.

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