From the emergence of the border province until the disintegration of the Empire, Austria was ruled by two dynasties: The Babenbergs and the Habsburgs.
skip
Today´s Republic of Austria is a small country located in the center of Europe. The origins of present-day Austria can be traced far back into history. The country has been populated since pre-historic times, and numerous peoples have passed through it. As a nation at the heart of Europe, Austria has had its full share of the continent´s history, including the suffering. Over the centuries it developed from a border region into a powerful empire and a multinational entity which collapsed at the end of the First World War.
