Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Romans
The Romans, who crossed the Alps in force in 15 BC and settled south of the Danube
River, carved up regions of Austria into administrative areas and built
Limes
(fortresses)
and towns such as Carnuntum, Vindobona (the forerunner of Vienna), Brigantium (Bre-
genz), Juvavum (Salzburg), Flavia Solva (Leibnitz in Styria), Aguntum and Virunum
(north of Klagenfurt). However, the Western Empire created by the Romans collapsed in
the 5th century, leaving a vacuum that was filled by newly arriving tribes: the Germanic
Alemanni in Vorarlberg, Slavs who pushed into Carinthia and Styria, and Bavarians who
settled south of the Danube in Upper and Lower Austria, Tyrol and around Salzburg. The
Bavarians proved to be the most successful, and by the 7th century they had most regions
of Austria in their grip, creating a large German-speaking territory.
Carolingian Empire
Once the Roman Empire had collapsed in the 5th century, it was difficult to talk about
fully fledged empires. This changed in Europe and in Austria itself with the growth of the
Carolingian Empire in the 6th century. This was Europe's most powerful empire in its
day. It originated in western France and Belgium, grew into a heavyweight under Charle-
magne (747-814) and took its inspiration from the Romans. Significantly for future Aus-
tria, Charlemagne created a buffer region in the Danube Valley, later dubbed Ostmark
(Eastern March), which shored up the eastern edge of his empire, and in 800 he was
crowned kaiser by the pope.
The patron saint of Austria is Saint Leopold III of Babenberg (1096-1135).
Babenberg Dynasty
Fate took a decisive turn in 976, when Ostmark landed in the hands of Leopold von
Babenberg (940-94), a descendent of a noble Bavarian family. Leopold received territory
as a gift from Otto II (955-83), a Holy Roman emperor whom Leopold had supported
during an uprising in Bavaria. The Babenbergs were a skilful clan who in the 11th cen-
tury expanded their small territory to include most of modern-day Lower Austria (with
Vienna), and a century later Styria (1192) and much of Upper Austria. In 1156, under the
Babenberg monarch Heinrich II 'Jasomirgott', the Ostmark (still a political fence until
