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Tardis

Austria

Austria was a country in Europe on Earth.

Geography[]

The capital of Austria was Vienna. (PROSE: Gold and Black Ooze) Other cities included Salzburg, (AUDIO: Better Watch Out) Linz and Innsbruck. (AUDIO: The Silver Turk)

Vienna stood on the river Danube, (AUDIO: A Requiem for the Doctor) while Salzburg was on the river Salzach. (PROSE: Do You Believe in the Krampus?)

Austria had a border with Switzerland. (COMIC: Me and My Shadow)

Cultural heritage[]

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a famous Austrian composer. Some of his music pieces premiered in Vienna. (AUDIO: A Requiem for the Doctor)

Vienna was also famous for its Vienna State Opera. (AUDIO: The Silver Turk)

Customs[]

Unlike in England, Austrian children expected presents from St Nicholas on St Nicholas's Day, 6 December, as opposed to Christmas[nb 1]. (PROSE: Do You Believe in the Krampus?) In addition, while good children could expect the present as usual, naughty children were not simply punished by the lack of presents. St Nicholas's servant-companion the Krampus punished bad children and stole the most wicked in his basket. Salzburg holds a Krampus run, or Krampuslauf, every year on 5 December. During this run, people dresses up as Krampuses and ran through the city scaring passers-by. (AUDIO: Better Watch Out)

History[]

Early history[]

In 1782, Joseph II was the Emperor of Austria. (PROSE: The Adventuress of Henrietta Street)

During the French Revolution, Napoléon Bonaparte distinguished himself as a general in the Austrian Wars. (TV: The Reign of Terror) Later, Austria was one of the allied nations which opposed Napoléon Bonaparte's French Empire in the Napoleonic Wars of the early 19th century. Following his defeat at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, Napoleon turned his attention towards the Austrians and the Russians, marching his armies east and defeating them at Austerlitz. (PROSE: World Game)

In 1873, Austria was under the rule of Emperor Franz Joseph and his wife Elisabeth, who was often called Sisi. (AUDIO: The Silver Turk)

20th century[]

In 1914, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, was assassinated. This and other events sparked World War I, (PROSE: Human Nature, TV: The Family of Blood) in which Austria-Hungary fought with Germany against Great Britain and France. (TV: The War Games)

MP David Lloyd George famously declared that Britain had three enemies: "Germany, Austria and Drink; as far as I can see, the greatest of these three deadly foes is Drink." (PROSE: The Time Traveller's Almanac)

In 1938, due to Adolf Hitler acquiring the Bow of Nemesis and the Nemesis statue arriving near Earth, Hitler annexed Austria, adding it to the German Reich renamed Ostmark. (TV: Silver Nemesis) In 1939, Hitler listed Austria as one of the countries he had taken. (PROSE: Timewyrm: Exodus) In 1941, Austria was under Nazi occupation. (COMIC: Me and My Shadow)

The Tenth Doctor's companion Wolfgang Ryter was born in Salzburg, Austria in 1993. (COMIC: Flight of the Giurgeax)

Later history[]

In the 22nd century, the Wronsdehj conquered Austria, along with the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Italy and France. They were eventually defeated by the Fourth Doctor and Romana I. (PROSE: Life from Lifelessness)

References[]

In the 1240, Isaac noted that only the states of Poland, Bohemia, Austria and Hungary lay beyond Kiev if the Mongols were to take the city. (PROSE: Bunker Soldiers)

Footnotes[]

  1. In the real world, Austrians often celebrate both. However, the story states otherwise.
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