Burgenland

Burgenland is a state in Austria.

It sits on the far east side of the land. It is long and thin. In some spots, it is very narrow.

There is a large lake in the north. The south has many hills. It is a place with both water and high ground.

Many groups lived here long ago. Some were the Romans. Others were the Huns.

Eisenstadt is the capital city. It is a special place to visit.

Burgenland is a state in the country of Austria. It is the easternmost state in the land. It is also the state with the fewest people.

As of early 2025, about 301,790 people live there. The state is long from north to south. It is much narrower from west to east. In one spot, it is only 4 km wide.

In the north, you will find Lake Neusiedl. The south has many hills from the Alps.

The capital city is Eisenstadt. Many groups lived in this area long ago. The Romans once ruled here. The Huns and the Ostrogoths also lived in this land. Later, it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1921, the area became part of Austria.

This change happened after World War I. Since then, Burgenland has been a part of Austria. It is a place with a very long history.

Burgenland is a special state located in the easternmost part of Austria. It is the state with the fewest people in the whole country.

As of January 2025, about 301,790 people live there. The land has a very unique shape. It is long from north to south, but it is much narrower from west to east. In the Ödenburg Mountains at Sieggraben, the state narrows to only 4 km wide.

The capital city of this region is Eisenstadt.

Nature makes the land look very different depending on where you stand. In the north, you will find the large Lake Neusiedl.

If you travel to the south, the land becomes much more hilly. These hills are the foothills of the Alps. The state is also part of a group called the Centrope Project.

Most of the land is used for permanent settlements. In fact, about 62.76% of the area is settled. This is the second-highest amount in all of Austria.

The history of this land is very long and full of many different groups. Many years ago, the Celts lived here. Later, the Roman Empire took control during the 1st century AD.

After the Romans, many other groups came to stay. The Ostrogoths arrived in AD 380 to help defend Roman borders. The Huns also conquered the area in the 5th century. Other groups like the Lombards, Avars, and Franks lived here too. For a very long time, this land was the western edge of the Kingdom of Hungary.

Changes in borders happened many times through the centuries. In the 1500s and 1600s, the area was part of Royal Hungary.

Powerful families like the Esterházys owned much of the land. After World War I, the borders changed again. The Treaty of Trianon in 1920 said this land must go to Austria. This area was called German West Hungary at that time.

There was even a small uprising in 1921 when people fought over the new borders. Finally, the area officially joined Austria in 1921.

Burgenland has faced many difficult times in its recent history. During World War II, the state was split up and joined to other parts of Austria. After the war, Soviet troops occupied the area from 1945 to 1955.

Life was hard during this time because the economy grew very slowly. In 1956, many people fled from Hungary to reach Burgenland. They crossed the border at the Andau Bridge. The people living in Burgenland welcomed these refugees with great kindness. Today, it remains a unique part of the Austrian landscape.

Burgenland is the easternmost and least populous state of Austria. It is a unique region with a long, narrow shape. The state stretches far from north to south. However, it is much narrower from west to east. At a place called Sieggraben in the Ödenburg Mountains, the width is only 4 km.

The capital of this state is Eisenstadt. As of January 1, 2025, the population is 301,790 people. This makes it the smallest state in Austria by population.

The geography of Burgenland changes as you travel through it. In the north, the landscape is defined by Lake Neusiedl.

Moving toward the south, the terrain becomes more hilly. These hills are the foothills of the Alps. The state is part of a larger regional group called the Centrope Project.

A large portion of the land is used for living. Approximately 62.76% of the territory is permanent settlement area. This is the second-highest percentage in all of Austria, following Vienna.

The history of this land involves many different empires and groups. In the 4th century BC, the Celts lived in this area. By the 1st century AD, it became part of the Roman Empire. It was part of the Roman province known as Pannonia.

Later, the Ostrogoths arrived in AD 380. They settled in Pannonia to help defend Roman borders. After the Huns conquered the area in the 5th century, the Ostrogoths formed an independent kingdom. Other groups like the Lombards, Avars, and Franks also controlled the territory over many centuries.

For much of the medieval period, Burgenland was the western frontier of the Kingdom of Hungary. It was part of the Hungarian counties of Moson, Sopron, and Vas. During the 16th and 17th centuries, the region was known as Royal Hungary. This was part of the Habsburg Empire.

Wealthy Catholic families, such as the Esterházys and Batthyánys, dominated the land. During this time, many German Protestant refugees also came to the area to find safety from religious wars.

Major political changes occurred after World War I. In 1920, the Treaty of Trianon required Hungary to cede the area to Austria. At that time, the land was called German West Hungary. The annexation of the territory was completed in 1921.

However, this transition was not easy. An uprising occurred in 1921 as some people fought against Austrian rule. This crisis was eventually resolved through the Venice Protocol. This agreement allowed the territory to join Austria, though the Sopron district remained with Hungary.

Burgenland has also experienced difficult modern history. During the Nazi regime, the state was dissolved and split into different parts. Northern and central areas joined Lower Danube, while the south joined Styria. After World War II, the state was reestablished in 1945.

It remained under Soviet occupation until 1955. This period was a time of slow economic growth and hardship. In 1956, the people of Burgenland showed great kindness to Hungarian refugees. These refugees crossed the border at the Andau Bridge after the Hungarian Revolution.

Today, Burgenland is a distinct part of the Austrian federal system. It consists of two statutory cities and seven rural districts. There are 171 municipalities in total. The state remains unique because it was never part of the Archduchy of Austria or the Holy Roman Empire. It has a diverse cultural history shaped by its many former rulers and neighbors. This history is still visible in the people and the landscape of the region today.