National Ethnic Minority Groups

Tolerance, minority rights, and protection against discrimination are particularly important for coexistence in a modern state. The rights of ethnic groups are protected by the Constitution in Austria.

Ethnic Groups in Austria

How many recognised ethnic groups are living in Austria?

There are six recognised ethnic groups living in Austria: the Slovenian, Burgenland Croatian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, and Roma communities. They are Austrian citizens with their own language, culture, and history.

For centuries, they have enriched the social, cultural, and linguistic life of the country – from Carinthia through Burgenland to Vienna. Their roots stretch back to the time of the Habsburg Monarchy, when many peoples lived together in a single state.

The Ethnic Groups Act defines them as "groups of Austrian citizens traditionally residing in parts of the Federal territory and having a language other than German as mother tongue as well as their own culture".

The preservation of language and culture is particularly important. Their centuries-long presence – known as "autochthony" – distinguishes these ethnic groups from minorities that have arisen through immigration. Their cultural heritage continues to shape Austria to this day in terms of language, customs, music, education, and regional identity.
Where do these ethnic groups live?
These ethnic groups traditionally live in Carinthia, Burgenland, Styria, and Vienna.

The Slovenian ethnic group is traditionally based in Carinthia and Styria.

The Croatian, Hungarian, and Roma ethnic groups traditionally live in Burgenland.

In Vienna, members of the Czech, Slovak, and Hungarian ethnic groups are particularly well-represented.

Increasing mobility is also leading many members of these communities to move to larger cities such as Klagenfurt, Graz, or Vienna. Outside of their traditional settlement areas, however, legal protection is less extensive, and preserving the language proves more difficult.

History of the Ethnic Groups

The former Habsburg Monarchy was a multi-ethnic state. Consequently, in the Austrian half of the empire, there was no "state people" or "majority people" and, although in practice, of course, German speakers dominated in some parts of the Monarchy, while Poles did so elsewhere.

In the Republic of Austria, the vast majority of the population was now German-speaking. Only in Carinthia was there – and still is – a significant proportion of Slovenes, with a small number of them also living in Styria. In Burgenland, there are Croats, Hungarians, Roma, and Sinti, while in Vienna there are Czechs and Slovaks.

However, the rights of ethnic groups protect only those minorities and their members who are officially recognised as autochthonous ethnic groups and who hold Austrian citizenship. People who have migrated to Austria from other countries and live here cannot claim these rights, even if they are already citizens.

The rights of Ethnic Groups

Protection and promotion

The Federal Constitution, Article 7 of the State Treaty of 1955, the Ethnic Groups Act of 1976 and international agreements impose an obligation to protect ethnic groups, their languages, and cultures. Austria regards the protection and promotion of its ethnic groups not only as a legal obligation, but also as an expression of its appreciation of its own diversity.

One of the central tasks of a modern constitution is the special legal protection of minorities within the state. Members of ethnic, linguistic, religious and other minorities should be protected from discrimination. Experience shows that the general principle of "treating all people equally before the law" is often insufficient. This becomes difficult, for example, when a legal regulation does not allow for the specific situation of a particular population group to be taken into account. For example, women have often been (and in some cases still are) effectively disadvantaged in employment and family law. Laws governing school education, transport, and construction have long failed to take into account people with special needs, such as wheelchair users or blind people. Similarly, people have been and continue to be disadvantaged on the grounds of their sexual orientation or their origin.

That is why the Federal Constitution does not merely mandate equal treatment. It also prohibits discrimination, that is, the unfavourable treatment of a person without any objective justification.
Minority rights

Alongside this general principle of equal treatment and the prohibition of discrimination, however, there are a number of specific provisions, also known as minority rights. These are intended to ensure the special protection and promotion of ethnic minorities.

After all, even the best legal protection of equal treatment is of little use if members of minority groups are, in many cases, threatened by de facto disadvantages. This applies above all to the use and preservation of minority languages and cultures. It can be very difficult for them to survive as a group in a society where one language dominates education, administration, the media, and public life. There is always a need for spaces, opportunities, and structures to pass on and further develop language and culture.
Rights enshrined in the Treaty of Vienna, the Federal Constitution, and legislation

Over time, these six groups have been recognised as autochthonous (long-established) ethnic groups. Their rights were already enshrined in the Treaty of Saint-Germain, following the First World War. For Croats and Slovenes, the Treaty of Vienna also granted special rights. In particular, it contains provisions on the protection and promotion of both ethnic groups and on the display of place names (e.g. place-name signs) in the languages of these ethnic groups.

Today, the rights of these ethnic groups include the right to use their mother tongue as an official language in dealings with public offices and authorities. There are specific provisions governing school education, as well as the promotion of language and culture. Furthermore, in areas where a certain proportion of members of these ethnic groups live, bilingual or multilingual place-name signs and information signs must be installed.

The actual implementation of ethnic minority rights in Austria has not always been straightforward. In particular, the issue of erecting bilingual place-name signs has repeatedly given rise to conflicts, which ultimately had to be settled by the Constitutional Court. However, a great deal has been achieved and implemented in the areas of school education and the promotion of ethnic minorities.

Representation of Ethnic Groups in Parliament

The Czech ethnic group was represented in the National Council by its own Member of Parliament until 1920. Frantisek Dvorak was a co-founder of the "Czech Heart" aid association and worked in Vienna as editor-in-chief of the "DelnickeListy" (Workers’ Newspaper). However, in the elections to the first National Council in the autumn of 1920, the Czech Party failed to win a seat in Parliament, meaning that until the end of democracy in Austria, the ethnic groups were not represented in the National Council. Until 1934, however, the Slovenes held several seats in the Carinthian Provincial Parliament (Ivan Starc, Vinko Poljanec, and Franc Petek), and there were also Members of the Burgenland Provincial Parliament whose mother tongues were Croatian or Hungarian.

Initially, this situation did not change significantly in the Second Republic either. Although there were, from time to time, members of ethnic groups who held influential positions in democratic bodies, they all carried out their duties as members of one of the two major parties, the SPÖ and the ÖVP.

The Carinthian place-name protests of 1972 finally raised public awareness of the minority issue. Many people realised that the Vienna State Treaty had granted ethnic groups significant rights (including topographical signage, the use of the mother tongue in public institutions, and appropriate educational opportunities in the mother tongue), but that these had only been partially implemented. Under Chancellor Kreisky, the Ethnic Groups Act (VGG) was subsequently passed in 1976, providing for the establishment of separate ethnic group advisory councils, although some of these were not actually constituted until the 1990s.

In 2011, following heated debates and rulings by the Constitutional Court, the National Council adopted a constitutional provision governing the installation of bilingual place-name signs. A conflict that had persisted for decades was thus resolved through a compromise solution.

In the run-up to the 1986 National Council elections, the Green Party, for the first time in the Second Republic, explicitly presented a candidate from the Slovenian ethnic group as a representative of that group. This candidate was elected, and since then the Green Party’s Parliamentary Group in the National Council has usually included a representative of a minority group. However, in the other parties too, there are regularly Members of Parliament who belong to an ethnic group and champion its cause.

There is, however, still one difference between a monarchy and a republic: back then, Members of Parliament were allowed to deliver their speeches in their mother tongue. Today, everyone must speak German.

Dialogue Platform for Ethnic Groups

In Parliament, the focus is on ongoing dialogue with autochthonous ethnic groups. To this end, the "Dialogue Platform for Autochthonous Ethnic Groups in Parliament" has been held regularly since 2022, bringing together representatives of the Parliamentary Groups and the chairs of the ethnic group advisory councils at the Federal Chancellery for a structured exchange. The platform serves to strengthen mutual understanding, foster networking, and facilitate joint discussion of current issues relevant to ethnic groups.

Topics covered to date have included, amongst others, raising the profile of autochthonous ethnic groups in Parliament, current developments in the education sector, and perspectives marking the 50th anniversary of the Ethnic Groups Act and a possible amendment to it. Insights from renowned experts in the respective fields have enriched the discussion and fostered constructive dialogue between politicians and ethnic groups.

Events on the topic of Ethnic Groups

Various events provide impetus for raising the profile and promoting appreciation of autochthonous ethnic groups in Austria. These include commemorative events that mark historical occasions and strengthen awareness of shared responsibility, as well as book presentations, readings and discussion events on the language, culture and history of the ethnic groups. Commemorative ceremonies relating to ethnic groups, such as wreath-laying ceremonies, also help to keep the memory of significant historical events and figures alive and to convey their importance for the present and the future.

The Ethnic Groups’ Day holds particular significance, as it focuses on encounters, exchange and cultural diversity. These events promote dialogue, impart knowledge, and make an important contribution to the recognition of the cultural heritage of the ethnic groups.

50th Anniversary of the Ethnic Groups Act

The year 2026 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the adoption of the 1976 Ethnic Groups Act. This anniversary provides a special opportunity to highlight the contribution of the autochthonous ethnic groups – the Burgenland Croatian, Slovenian, Hungarian, Czech, and Slovak communities, as well as the Roma – to Austrian history, identity and democracy. At the Parliament’s Visitor Center, this theme will be a central focus throughout the year. A comprehensive programme has been developed, comprising a wide range of formats, events and activities designed to promote dialogue with the ethnic groups. The focus is on language, education, rights (public sphere) and history. The aim is to share information, raise awareness, stir emotions, bring language to life, and foster interest.

What is the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages?

The European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages aims to promote education, the media, public administration, and culture in minority languages.

What is the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities?

The Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities is a key European treaty on the protection of minorities, which obliges Member States to promote language, culture and identity, to combat discrimination, and to report regularly to the Council of Europe.

National Ethnic Minority Groups

Ethnic Groups in Austria

How many recognised ethnic groups are living in Austria?

Where do these ethnic groups live?