Culture Shock! Austria: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette

353 Pages·2011·6.24 MB·English

by  Julie Krejci

CultureShock!
A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette
Austria
Susan Roraff
Julie Krejci
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CultureShock!
A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette
Austria
Julie Krejci
Susan Roraff
CS! Austria.indb i 3/14/11 9:21 AM
This 3rd edition published in 2011 by:
Marshall Cavendish Corporation
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Tarrytown, NY 10591-9001
www.marshallcavendish.us
First published in 2001 by Times Editions Pte Ltd; 2nd edition published in 2007
by Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited.
Copyright © 2007, 2011 Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) Private Limited
All rights reserved
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ISBN 13: 978-0-7614-6051-0
Please contact the publisher for the Library of Congress catalogue number
Printed in Singapore by Times Printers Pte Ltd
Photo Credits:
All black and white photos from the authors except page 11 (Carol Roraff),
pages 47 and 93 (Gary Krejci), page 43 (J. Jurkin), page 201 (Gerhard Krejci)
and pages 134–135, 184–185, 196–197 and 216–217 (Photolibrary). All colour
photos from Photolibrary. (cid:132) Cover photo: Getty Images
All illustrations by TRIGG
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ABOUT THE SERIES
Culture shock is a state of disorientation that can come over
anyone who has been thrust into unknown surroundings, away
from one’s comfort zone. CultureShock! is a series of trusted
and reputed guides which has, for decades, been helping
expatriates and long-term visitors to cushion the impact of
culture shock whenever they move to a new country.
Written by people who have lived in the country and
experienced culture shock themselves, the authors share all the
information necessary for anyone to cope with these feelings
of disorientation more effectively. The guides are written in a
style that is easy to read and covers a range of topics that will
arm readers with enough advice, hints and tips to make their
lives as normal as possible again.
Each book is structured in the same manner. It begins
with the first impressions that visitors will have of that city or
country. To understand a culture, one must first understand the
people—where they came from, who they are, the values and
traditions they live by, as well as their customs and etiquette.
This is covered in the first half of the book.
Then on with the practical aspects—how to settle in with
the greatest of ease. Authors walk readers through topics
such as how to find accommodation, get the utilities and
telecommunications up and running, enrol the children in
school and keep in the pink of health. But that’s not all. Once
the essentials are out of the way, venture out and try the food,
enjoy more of the culture and travel to other areas. Then be
immersed in the language of the country before discovering
more about the business side of things.
To round off, snippets of basic information are offered
before readers are ‘tested’ on customs and etiquette of the
country. Useful words and phrases, a comprehensive resource
guide and list of books for further research are also included
for easy reference.
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CONTENTS
Preface vi Chapter 4
Acknowledgements viii Socialising with
Dedication ix the Austrians 63
Map of Austria x Social Customs 64
Manners 66
Chapter 1
The Dress Code 69
First Impressions
1
An Invitation to Lunch
Regional Impressions 6 or Dinner 71
Special Occasions 72
Chapter 2 University Student Customs 73
The History of Austria 12 Gay Life 75
Early History 13 Tipping 76
The Babenberg Dynasty 14
Chapter 5
The Habsburgs Dynasty 15
Settling In
77
The 16th and 17th Centuries 15
The 18th Century 16 Housing 78
The 19th Century 18 Visa 83
The 20th Century 21 Banking 85
Recent Developments 35 Post Offi ce 88
Telephone Service 91
Chapter 3 Internet 92
Austrian Folk 40 Radio and Television 92
The Family 43 Driving 92
Getting Away 46 Public Transportation 100
Saving for the future 48 Intra-city and
International Travel 102
Friends 48
Medical Services 103
Motherhood 49
Education 106
The Neighbours 50
Shopping 107
The Cell Phone 51
Recycling 114
Farming Community 51
Free Time 114
Safety 52
Austria’s Unconventional Side 52
Chapter 6
Love those Dogs! 53 Austrian Cuisine:
Death 55 Mahlzeit! 119
Religion 56
Regional Cuisine 120
The Jews 58
Entrées 122
Muslims 60
Soups 124
Immigrants 60
Beilagen 124
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Salads 125 Compound Words 230
Breads 125 German is Phonetic 230
Desserts 125 Animal Names and Their Call 231
Health and Diet 128 Numbers 231
Meal Schedule 128 A Comment from Mark Twain 232
Where Should You Eat? 129
Dining Out 132 Chapter 9
Doing Business
Schanigärten 136
in Austria
Kaffeehäuser 136 234
Konditorei 138 The Economy 235
Beverages 138 Economic Sectors 236
Supermarkets 142 Business Customs 240
Naschmarkt 143 Attitude towards Business 244
Holiday Meals 144
Chapter 10
Fast Facts
Chapter 7 249
Enjoying the Culture
148 Famous People 253
History of Literature Abbreviations 258
and Drama 149 Places of Interest 258
Baroque Era (1685–1780) 150
Biedermeier Era (1780–1848) 156 Culture Quiz 264
Historicism (1848–1897) 158 Do’s and Don’ts 271
Jugendstil and the Glossary 273
Secession (1897–1918) 160
Resource Guide 280
Contemporary ArtS 166
Further Reading 311
Museums 183
About the Authors 321
Palaces and Castles 192
Index 323
Monasteries and Churches 200
Festivals and Customs 202
Outdoor Activities and Sports 213
Chapter 8
The German
Language
224
The Informal and Formal ‘You’ 227
Sentence Construction 228
The Many Different Cases 229
Capitalising Nouns 229
Gender 230
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PREFACE
vi
Austria! You’ve just found out that you are moving to Austria.
Beautiful images pass through your mind of Baroque churches,
castles and classical music, or maybe you think of heading
directly to the Alps for a bit of skiing. Everyone you know is
envious and you are excited at the prospect. Then it suddenly
hits you that this is not a two-week vacation, but the next few
years of your life! Thoughts turn to what it will be like to actually
live in Austria and whether you will like it.
Relax. It will not be that difficult, and if you keep an open
mind and welcome new experiences, you will find yourself
crying when the time comes for you to leave. Austria is a
lovely country that is full of possibilities. After you learn what is
expected of you and become well versed in the local etiquette
and customs, you will do just fine. The main problem with
being an expatriate is that you don’t always know why people
do what they do, and in turn, you are uncertain as to what you
should do. You don’t want to appear rude or do something
embarrassing, but it happens to just about every new arrival.
This book will help you understand the little things as well as
the major points about Austrian society so that you can start
off on the right foot.
There are a few things you can do before you leave home.
Probably the most important is to become familiar with
basic German. Most Austrians in the major cities and quite a
few in smaller towns speak very good English (besides other
European languages), so knowing German isn’t vital, but it
will help lessen the culture shock. Being able to read some of
the signs and advertisements, or understanding the weather
report on the radio, will help you feel at home in Austria. If your
departure is somewhat sudden, there are plenty of excellent
and not too expensive places to learn German in Austria.
Studying there will also provide you with an excuse to get out
and about in your new home and allow you to meet people
who are in similar situations.
Meeting new people is the second major weapon in the
fight against culture shock. If you are heading to Austria with
a job or are already enrolled in a school or university, you
will have several opportunities to socialise. However, if you
are giving up your job or studies and your social life back
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vii
home to accompany your spouse or partner, it is essential
that you make new friends and build your own life in Austria.
Obviously, meeting people from your home country through
clubs and organisations is the easiest path to follow, but why
stop there? Although opportunities to meet and socialise with
Austrians do not jump out at you every day, it is not impossible
to make good friends. It can be very easy to isolate yourself
from your host country and its people, but if you do, you’ll
find that something is missing. Seek out Austrian friends and
your efforts will be well rewarded.
Finally, staying busy will help keep homesickness at bay.
Austria is an outdoor lover’s paradise. You don’t have to be an
excellent skier to enjoy the fresh air. In fact, the most popular
pastime is wandern (hiking). If that’s too much exercise for
you, the cities are bursting with museums, shops, concerts,
opera and theatres. Every little town is a jewel to be discovered.
Learn about the rich history of this land and take advantage
of all that it offers. Do as much as you can and your time in
Austria will fly by. If you follow this simple advice, we believe
that your stay in this wonderful country will be as pleasant
as ours has been.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
viii
The authors recognise that this book could not have been
written without the help of many people. Our heartfelt thanks
go to Julie’s husband Gary, the Schwanzer family, the Zanetti
family, Adele Jibidar and Brian Roraff for contributing valuable
information, answering endless questions and/or reviewing
the manuscript. We would also like to thank Lisa Boucher,
Peter Siavelis, Colleen Galvan, Carol and Robert Roraff, Pilar
Peikoff, many teachers at the American International School
in Vienna and the students of Central University of Iowa for
their comments and insights. We are indebted to the many
Austrians who have made us feel welcome in their country
and who have shared their historically-rich culture with us. We
would like to thank Jitka Dvorackova for keeping Benjamin
smiling and Suzanne Kuhnard for entertaining Natascha while
their mothers worked. Finally, we recognise that any errors
are the responsibility of the authors.
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DEDICATION
ix
To our beautiful children,
Natascha and Daniela,
Benjamin and Tomás,
who motivate us with their boundless energy
and inspire us with their unending curiosity.
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