Celebrations of the Austrian National Day
26.10.2018, Vienna, Austria
On 26/10/18 AVK GmbH took part in the celebrations of the Austrian National Day and attended Heldenplatz (or the Heroes’ Square), one of the main venues in the Austrian capital during this very important date for the heart of every Austrian citizen. AVK GmbH not only enjoyed the historical atmosphere of the public events organized by the Federal Government and the Municipality of Vienna, but also held a round of talks to the Special Operations Group of the Austrian Armed Forces.
The Austrian National Day is celebrated on October 26 and relates to political developments after WW II. After the end of the War, Austria was occupied by the four Allied forces (Soviet Union, United States, Great Britain, and France), who divided the country into four zones. The capital Vienna was also divided in four, with the historic central district being jointly administered by the “Allied Control Council”. Although the Austrian parliament was democratically elected, every legislative regulation or political action of the government at first required consent by the Allied Control Council and later on could still be vetoed by it.
The negotiations over a State Treaty putting an end to the occupation could finally be concluded in the spring of 1955: the Austrian State Treaty was signed on May 15, 1955, in Vienna's Schloss Belvedere and entered into force on July 27, 1955.
On October 26, 1955, the Austrian Parliament passed the constitutional law on permanent neutrality, which has been celebrated as the Austrian National day since 1965.
Every year, the Federal Government celebrates this day with a series of events in Vienna:
- The Federal President and the Federal Minister of Defense attend a celebration at Heldenplatz.
- The Federal President lays a wreath at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Burgtor.
- The Council of Ministers holds a festive meeting.
- The Federal President addresses the population in a “State of the Union”-styled speech on TV.
- The Federal Chancellery opens its doors to the public
- The new recruits of the Austrian Armed Forces are sworn in.
- The citizens have the possibility of visiting federal museums for free or at a discounted fee on that day. Various institutions also open their doors to the public (ie. the Federal Chancellery). Austrian Embassies around the world celebrate the Austrian National Day by hosting a number of different events for Austrian citizens.
AVK GmbH congratulates our Motherland with the National day and wishes the Republic of Austria and Austrian citizens happiness & prosperity!
Materials provided by the Embassy of Austria in Washington https://www.austria.org/national-day/
Photos taken by AVK GmbH ©
#austriannational day #nationalfeiertag #vienna
