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Abstract
The Austrian people have struggled with their identity for the last 100 years. They spoke German - so were they Germans? After the collapse of the Habsburg Empire the Austrian people, who considered themselves Germans, wanted to join Germany. When Hitler occupied Austria 20 years later most people saw it as a normal process of history, a unification for which they had had to wait for 20 years. However, during the Nazi-era, many Austrians felt ruled by foreigners and when Austria was reestablished after WWII it was one of the main tasks of the Austrian Government to create a new Austrian identity. As a critical step towards the new Austrian identity it was very important to develop an Austrian language. Sixty years after WWII the Austrians have become so self-assured, that they now see themselves as a completely independent country, and their spoken language expresses their new Austrian identity.