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Many people who haven’t been in Austria, may think that Austrian people use to dress in a “Dirndl” or in a ”Lederhose”, which are the ancient traditional clothes. Furthermore, people could think that we love classic music, and ski all the time.

Austrian Stereotype
Austrian Stereotype

But I would rather describe the Austrians as environmental friendly and kind to animals, as most of the country consists out of natural parcs. Moreover, most of the Austrians enjoy delicious food, just like “Schnitzel”, “Kaiserschmarrn”, “Kmoedel mit Sauerkraut”. I also think that Austrian people are ponctual and like things to be fair.

Schnitzel” and “Kaiserschmarrn”,
Schnitzel” and “Kaiserschmarrn”,

Austrians’ stereotypes are full of folklore.

Austrian Stereotype
Austrian Stereotype

Europeans often represent Austrian people dressed in a “Dirndl” or in a ”Lederhose”. If, indeed, tourists can discover those traditional clothes in beer fests during summer or on special occasions, it is of course false that Austrians were them all the time. Regarding their national characteristics, Europeans would depict Austrians as rather fair-haired, serious, standoffish, hardworking and lacking in any sense of humour. They would say that most Austrians are into winter sports and pretty well off financially. Another important aspect of the Austrian soul is the priority of domestic life. Austrians love to built, repair, extend, maintain, refurbish or modernise their houses. They also love gardening and spend hours in garden centres. Houses and gardens are important social stages for dinner parties, BBQs or occasionally just staying in and watch TV.

 

Bad Habits of Austrians

Dogs are not legally allowed to poo as they wish - but generally their owers view it like that
Dogs are not legally allowed to poo as they wish – but generally their owners view it like that

Poo as they wish: Dogs enjoy much freedom in Austria

All nations have bad habits – picking the nose, partying like there was no tomorrow, permanent nagging about the weather. Here′s a short list of naughty things that Austrians tend to commit, as a warning what to expect when you are travelling.

1.) Dog-pooh everywhere

Especially Viennese seem to believe that it is a fundamental human right to let the own dog take a shit wherever it likes and whenever it likes. Playgrounds, sidewalks, doorways – you name it, they find it.

2.) Ignorance of the World

This is particularly bad with people born before 1980 – those who grew up in a nation surrounded by barbwire and communist countries still think that the World ends at the borders of Austria. Many Austrians don′t care about the EU, foreign policies or social/economic/scientific developments outside of the own country.

3.) Smoking

It is intolerant to ask a smoker not to blow smoke straight into your face, even if you suffer from a chronic lung disease. At least according to a high percentage of Austrians – almost 50 percent of the total adult population smokes. More in the East, less in the West of the country.

4.) Think negative

Most Austrians will do their very best to criticize everything in the most negative way that is possible. Regardless of what kind of change/innovation/novelty it is – it′s bad!

5.) Open rudeness

After living in England for several years, it was quite a change to move to Vienna, where people treat each other in a much more aggressive and openly hostile way if they think that you did something wrong. At least they are honest and you know what they think of you – which is not the case in England.

6.) Pee everywhere

This totally includes myself – Austrians are 100 percent free of shame when it comes to a wee in the woods or elsewhere. If there are no toilets around, it′s up to the bushes to meet our needs.

7.) Public signs of affection

Highly motivated kissing, excessive grabbing of personal areas of your partners body and other highly public signs of affection are common sights in Austria. You will have to accept it as part of the country′s culture that a high degree of sexuality is tolerated by the general public.

8.) Binge drinking

An increasing issue among young people, but still less of a problem than in many other countries in Europe. Public drinking is allowed essentially everywhere in Austria, but due to binge drinking problems, alcohol free zones are discussed in several cities including Vienna.

9.) Anti-social attitudes

Upon moving back to Austria, I was amazed over and over again how the people here don’t give a damn about those living around them. Be it a neighbour, who enjoys listening to loud music at 4 a.m. despite of me ringing the doorbell, be it co-workers, who start a vicious argument after my request to stop smoking when I am in the room. Tourists might experience Austrians as a kind and friendly bunch of people, but this is quite a limited view.

10.) No hand washing after toilet

Obviously I can’t say anything about this issue regarding the female half of the population, but as for the male one: maybe 15 to 20 percent of all men wash their hands after going to the toilet. Something to keep in mind next time you shake hands with an Austrian. By the way, I can proundly announce that I am among the few who do wash their hands.

 

Is this stereotypes true or false? Leave your comment 🙂

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Have you ever asked yourself what the world think about you just because you were born in a certain nation? Of course that there are a variety of common national stereotypes about the inhabitants of various nations, held by inhabitants of other nations. Such stereotypes are usually prejudicial and often ill-informed, and often overlap with ethnic or racial stereotypes. However, some stereotypes may be positive. Well, this blog stereotypes the nations, stereotypes the WORLD is the WORD!

34 COMMENTS

    • Indeed it wasn’t a communist state but of course it was (partially) surrounded by barbed wire – from the outside, that is! By my layman’s estimate, some 40-50 % of Austria’s borders are shared with Hungary and former Czechoslovakia, and that means a good few hundred of kilometres. I am sure it can make wonders to create a sense of collective claustrophobia.

  1. And dont forget our local beers and boozes! Thats enough reason to love us!

    P.s.: So negativ… eindeutig von an Österreicher gschriebn! :’)

  2. Maybe they stole it from you, maybe it’s the other way around? http://www.tourmycountry.com/austria/badhabits.htm

    • You lil bitch. i hate you and your opinion. f*ck off and eat my dog’s pooooooop.

      Just kidding. 😀 You’re right, but not totally. Austria has also got nice and kind people. Sadly those people, who live in bigger cities are unfriendly and idiotic. It’s true. Most of them exacty behave in that way you described. But not every austrian uses to be that rude. Ever been in a small village? People there DO remember kindness. 🙂

  3. I may be totally wrong, but it seems like you have mainly experienced the viennese side of Austria, and everyone in Austria hates the Viennese. Go furhter west and people will be much friendlier.

  4. Can you speak another language than you mother tongue?
    If not, don't judge people who can, but may make some mistakes.
    Try learning German.

  5. A lot of times this article is pretty accurate.
    A little Triviaa from a countryside girl:
    Everybody hates Viennese because they are really slow drivers. And they are mre antisocial than the countryside kids.
    There’s nothing that village people love more than gossiping. Like srsly when you enter the village bakery or cafe you will hear old ladies gossip abou the newest family scandal

  6. Most of them are true I’m native Austrian Happy to say that I’m working against these traits myself

  7. What the hell? I live in Austria, in Graz, and when I read through this article my only thought was: Where the hell have you been that you think about Austrians like that.
    1) Yes some viennese think that their dog has every right to poo whereever it wants to, but as much and more people clean it up, when their dog does that.
    2) If you would have watched the Austrian news for once in you life you wpuld know that most of it is about what happens outside of Austria, no matter if whe are talking about Refugees, Presidents of some states or the üpolitic in the EU.
    3)Who told you that sh*t that it’+s intolerant to ask a smoker not to blow the smoke striaght in your face. If someone does that, they often don’t recognize it, and if you ask them friendly to stop that, they’ll do.
    4) That’s just not true. Yes maybe some of us think negativ sometimes, but thats something everybody does sometimes, so what?
    5) As I see, you where in Vienna, where everything is a bit different then in the rest of Austria. Yes people might be rude, but, like you said, they are honest and tell you if something goes on their nerves. I personally like that in some wy, because you always know how someone stands to you.
    6) First, thast something most men do. Second, if theres no toilet around and I really have to go to the toilet, I have two options: 1st: Pee in my pants, and I don’t think you would like to do that, so your 2nd option is, to go sbehind some bushes and do it there.
    7) And that’s a bad thing why? If two people love each other then why shouldn’t they kiss each in other in public or something like that. As long as they don’t have sex with each other in public, I personally don’t care.
    8) I don’t drink alcohol, so I can’t say something to that.
    9) So what? I don’t think it’s that much different in other countrys. Also it always depends on where you at in Austria. Viennese are known (also by Austrian) that they are much ruder than others sometimes. But I can say, normal Austrian care about the peolpe around them and dont’t blow the smoke in your face, listen to very loud music at 4 am or something like that.
    10) Who told you that sh*t. It’s a thing of hygiene to wahs your hands after you where on the toilet or after you came home. Also we wash our hands before we eat. So I relly have no idea where you got those information, but it’s wrong.
    All in all, everything I have to say, is that it is really sad that some people might think about Austria in that way because of some very wrong informations you have. I don’t say, Austrians are perfect, there are many thigns I would like to change, but none of them are in this list.
    Also I don’t want to be rude to anyone here aho has an other opinion then me, I just wanted to tell my thoughts.

  8. i think your stereotypes are pathetic!!!!! austrians are the best and you are so stupid because they dont have dog poo everywhere!!! we have a huge sense of humour!!! your life is a joke

  9. People in Vienna Austria have been baptized in Lemon juice!!! Most are devoid of the Spirit of Christ and need a Saviour. Prayer changes things. God is delaying his return for the church of Christ until His Spirit is able to draw many Austrians with loving kindness.

  10. look, i´m from vienna and i think at least most of these stereotypes are wrong too, but some of you ain´t really disproving the ,,austrians are rude” stereotype with your comments…
    As for the stereotypes…
    1.) Yes, there are lots of dogs here, and most dogowners clean up after their dog (not doing so can result in you getting fined about 35- 50€ if you´re caught) , but there are always those few assholes that just do whatever they want.
    2.) Yes, there are people who are intolerant or ignorant, but those are mostly the older generations, also many of our news on tv are about foreign conflicts (mostly because there´s not really a lot happening in austria that´s relevant enough to make it on the news)
    3.) Yeah, a lot of people here smoke, and none of them enjoy being told to stop. Can´t really argue with that one. But they mostly smoke outside, where you can easily avoid it, or in designated smoker-zones, where you shouldn´t be anyway if you don´t smoke.
    4.) We might be critical of innovations and new things in general, but it´s not like we just outright reject them. We just like to inform ourselves thoroughly about everything we´re not too sure about.
    5.) I think we´re actually quite polite, but we don´t like to take shit from anyone, so if you´re pissing us off, don´t expect us to be quiet or nice about it.
    6.) In the city, NO. If you´re in the middle of nowhere, hiking up a mountain, by all means, go ahead.
    7.) Actually, especially older people tend to frown upon excessive PDA, and the most i´ve seen in public was a few couples making out. Though just a few weeks ago a couple was arrested for having drunk sex at a bus station near my school, the police officers had to pull them apart because they wouldn´t stop. So i can´t really deny that one completely either. That is defintely not normal though, and most couples just hold hands and kiss in public.
    8.) Although drinking is legal in public, most people don´t. But especially at the Vienna ,,Praterstern” or in the subway you actually might encounter some drunk guy at 3 pm. Those are the people others tend to avoid. It´s not really socially acceptable and the government is working on laws against public drinking at some locations right now.
    9.) Especially in vienna you probably don’t know your neighbors, but we’re also not intentionally rude or annoying to them. Playing loud music at 4 am is a asshole move, and so is smoking in someone’s face. We generally aren’t very friendly or familiar with a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean we’re rude to everyone else, we just don’t go out of our way to please someone we don’t know.
    10.) I can’t really say anything about the men, but i only see a woman leaving the restroom without washing her hands very rarely.
    Also, please consider the possibility that you’ve appearently only observed and interacted with a very limited amount of people that are not necessarily representative of our whole country. So it’d be nice if you did a bit more research before claiming that austrians are rude, inconsiderate assholes who drink in public, don’t wash their hands, let dogs shit everywhere and grope each other on the streets. I also think that those aren’t really stereotypical bad habits, because that would imply that a lot of people associate our country with them (definition: a widely held but fixed and oversimplified image or idea of a particular type of person or thing.), but i have never heard of most of those. So please do your research before talking bad about another country, being associated with only those negative things you seem to have experienced is very offensive and generalising, when there are so much more positive things to austria.
    Have a nice day 🙂

  11. I just found out my ancestor was from Austria. I was trying to find out what physical traits would I have inherited from him.

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