Österreich

The Austrian Independence Treaty (complete form: Treaty for the re-establishment of an independent and democratic Austria), more commonly referred to as the Austrian State Treaty (Staatsvertrag), was signed on May 15, 1955 in Vienna at the Schloss Belvedere between the Allied occupying powers: France, the United Kingdom, the USA and the USSR, and the Austrian government and officially came into force on July 27, 1955.


Österreich ist frei!

The treaty re-established a free, sovereign and democratic Austria. The basis for the treaty was the Moscow Declaration of October 30, 1943.
The signators of the treaty were the foreign ministers of the time: Vyacheslav Molotov, John Foster Dulles, Harold MacMillan and Antoine Pinay on behalf of the Allies, and Leopold Figl as the Austrian Foreign Minister, as well as the four High Commissioners of the occupying powers.
As well as general regulations and recognition of the Austrian state, the minority rights of the Croat and Slovenian minorities are also expressly detailed. Anschluss (political union) with the new Germany, as had happened in 1938, was again forbidden and prohibition of National Socialism and other fascist organisations was confirmed. Furthermore, Austria announced that it would voluntarily declare itself permanently neutral after the enactment of the treaty.
Thus, Austrian neutrality is not technically part of the treaty, but is historically and politically linked with it.
As a result of the treaty the Allies quit Austrian territory on October 25, 1955. October 26 is celebrated as a national holiday (called the Day of the Flag until 1965). It is sometimes thought to commemorate the withdrawal of Allied troops, but in fact celebrates Austria's Declaration of Neutrality, which was passed on October 26, 1955.

2005 Jubilee Year
www.austria.info