General information on demography and migration

There are many theories of demographic and migratory research. The most important of these are introduced and subsequently applied to developments across Austria in the 19th and 20th centuries.

If one examines the migration patterns and migration policies, one recognises more discontinuity in Austria than continuity. The history of migration in the German-speaking countries Germany, Austria and Switzerland display clear differences.

Switzerland can look back on 150 years of employing foreigners. Both East and West German migration research (during the GDR) alluded to the existence of pronounced elements of continuity of German policy regarding foreigners from the second half of the 19th century to the present day.

In Austria, on the other hand, development was predominantly fractured.