Austria

Austria was a country in Europe on Earth. For a long time, Hungary and Austria were an empire called the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Geography

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

Vienna stood on the river Danube. Salzburg was a city on the river Salzach.

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 rather than on Christmas. (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 held a Krampus run, or Krampuslauf, every year on 5 December. During this run, people dressed up as Krampuses and ran through the city scaring passers-by. (AUDIO: Better Watch Out)

History

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

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

In 1914, the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was assassinated. This and other events sparked World War I. At the end of the war, in 1918, Austria-Hungary was separated into Austria and Hungary.

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)

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