Austrian National Day 2021
Tuesday, October 26
A Message from Ambassador Martin Weiss
Listen to Ambassador Martin Weiss’ message to all Austrians and Friends of Austria in the United States on the occasion of the Austrian National Day 2021.
„National Day Concert“ by Trio KlaVis
For this year’s Austrian National Day, the Austrian chamber music ensemble “Trio KlaVis” produced a special concert. The musical performance recorded at the Arnold Schönberg Center in Vienna includes three pieces: “Traubensaft aka Bach in the Balkans” by Miha Ferk, a short arrangement of the “The Blue Danube” by Austrian Waltz King Johann Strauss II, and — never to to forget on a national day — “Land der Berge, Land am Strome,” the national anthem of Austria whose melody is generally attributed to Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
About the Austrian National Day
The Austrian National Day commemorates the adoption of the Federal Constitutional Law on the Neutrality of Austria on October 26, 1955. On this day, Austria declared “its permanent neutrality of its own accord” and affirmed that “in all future times Austria will not join any military alliances and will not permit the establishment of any foreign military bases on its territory.”
Celebrated as “Day of the Austrian Flag” since 1956, October 26 was made Austria’s National Day in 1965. Neutrality, associated in collective memory with the re-establishment of Austria's full sovereignty after World War II, had become part and parcel of the new national consciousness of the people of Austria.
On October 26, public institutions and government offices in Austria usually open their doors to welcome thousands of visitors and give them an insight into their daily work. Among these are the Austrian Parliament, Ministries including the Federal Chancellery and the Foreign Ministry, as well the Office of the Federal President.
