Austria Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Austria appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 25 different states, among them Holy Roman Empire, Austria, Austrian Empire, Roman Empire, Austria Hungary.
AustriaExplore the history of Austria in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Austria as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Austria, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
Historic cities in Austria
Famous people of Austria
| Lived | Person | |
|---|---|---|
| AD 121 – AD 180 | Marcus Aurelius | Roman emperor and philosopher |
| 1494 – 1566 | Suleiman the Magnificent | Ottoman sultan |
| 1756 – 1791 | Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Composer |
| 1770 – 1827 | Ludwig van Beethoven | Composer |
| 1856 – 1939 | Sigmund Freud | Founder of psychoanalysis |
Landmarks
Schönbrunn PalaceStanding · 1743
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Austria?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Austria belonged to Holy Roman Empire, Austria, Austrian Empire, Roman Empire, Austria Hungary, Ostrogoths, along with 19 other states.
What was Austria part of in 1000?
On the border map for 1000, most of the territory of today's Austria lay within Holy Roman Empire.
What was Austria part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Austria lay within Holy Roman Empire.
What was Austria part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Austria lay within Austria Hungary.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.