60 CultureShock! Austria
Eisenstadt, the capital of Burgenland, also has a significant
Jewish population and museum.Muslims
Muslims have a significant presence in Austria. Numbering
around 200,000, they account for about 4 per cent of the
population. The majority are Turkish, about 120,000, and
another 50,000 are Bosnians. The remainder are primarily
Arabs. The Muslims have a long history in Austria and as a
result they enjoy more rights here than in other European
countries. The Austro-Hungarian Empire brought Muslim
groups such as the Bosnians under their rule while other
groups immigrated to Vienna. Religious freedoms were
granted early on. In 1867, a law that guaranteed respect for
all religions of the empire gave Muslims the right to establish
mosques and to practise their religion. In 1912, the ‘Law
of Islam’ was passed that made Islam an official religion.
This gave Muslims the right to organise and manage their
affairs independently.
In 1988, the ‘Law of Islam’ was amended to recognise
Islamic theological schools, allow women to wear the veil
at work and school and give Muslims the right to study
Islam in public schools and in the army. The Islamische
Glaubensgemeinschaft in Österreich is the organisation that
trains these teachers and speaks for the Islamic community.
Following the events of 11 September 2001, the Islamic
community has noted a slight increase in offensive comments
and threats, especially from the far right.Immigrants
Immigrants, especially in Vienna and its suburbs, have always
been a part of Austrian culture. In centuries past, Austria
was a large empire with many different peoples interacting
and trading within it. The turning point came toward the
end of the 19th century, when, under the dual monarchy,
many Hungarian aristocrats and artists came to seek a new
life in the cosmopolitan city of Vienna. Many other groups,
including Turks, Greeks, Macedonians and Rumanians, were
also drawn to the metropolis, which was then at a major