National Identity in Austria : Towards an Analysis of its Constitution (In German)

Austrian national identity actually is in a process of reformulation, forced by the wish to participate in the European integration, i.e. the demand for membership in the European Community, and the transformation of Eastern Europe, that affects the political significance of its neutrality under new circumstances. At the same time, its long-lasting self-definition of the post-war-era as the "first victim" of Nazism has been brought to an end through the presidency of Waldheim and the scandalous affirmation of nazi-labour-policy by the leader of the oppositional Liberal Party. Jorg Haider, who was forced to retire from the position as a head of Karnten.Under these circumstances, the authors propose a change of perspectives in the (re)construction of an Austrian identity, consisting of: a revisited history of its constitution, which reflects different sources, from politics – for which a first draft on the importance of German nationalism and Austrian patriotism as political orientation-marks is given -, history and social sciences to literature and arts; the relation of the discourse on Austrian self-image and its image abroad – the article has an overview of the relevant studies – with the one on national identity; and an analysis on the importance of elements national culture in ordinary life and its impact on political culture in Austria.For this broader perspective on Austrian national identity, the authors propose a methodological approach through the experiences from similar studies on Switzerland and France and the instrument of ethnology and ethnomethodologie.