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For several years now God has burdened our hearts for Austria. Keith’s family has some background in Austria. His father was born there, his grandmother was raised there, and God has put a special place in our hearts for the Austrian people. As both of us grew up in our Christian homes, we both noticed that Austria seems to be a forgotten field - perhaps because of its small size, or perhaps because many think it is a difficult field. We feel that God desires to see the Gospel preached in Austria, and we are firmly convinced that God has called us to that task. As the Holy Spirit works in hearts, we know that the Word of God will have an effect because God has promised that it would. There is some information given below about Austria. I also have included a link to a large amount of information about Austria at the Library of Congress website. Please pray for us as we seek to fulfill the Great Commission in Austria.
Austria, (German Österreich), is a republic in central Europe. It shares borders with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, and Germany. Austria is about 360 miles long and has an area of 32,378 sq mi. Vienna (Wien) is the country's capital and is also its largest city.Austria is predominantly a mountainous country, with an average elevation of about 3,000 ft. Most of the land falls within the eastern division of the Alps. In general the major mountain ranges of Austria run in an eastern-western direction and are separated from one another by rather broad valleys. The Austrian people are German-speaking, but the country has a varied ethnic mixture—a legacy from the time of the multinational Habsburg Austria. About 99 percent of the population is ethnic Austrian. Minority groups include Croats and Hungarians (in Burgenland); Slovenes (in Kärnten [Carinthia]); Czechs (in Vienna), as well as small numbers of Italians, Serbs, and Romanians. An influx of refugees in the years following World War II (1939-1945) increased their numbers, and new groups, such as the Turks, were added. According to the 1991 census, Austria had a population of 7,795,786. The 1998 estimated population was 8,133,611, giving the country an overall population density of 251 persons per sq. mi). Some 64 percent of the population is urban, with more than one-quarter of the people living in the five largest cities: Vienna, Graz, Linz, Salzburg, and Innsbruck. The predominant religion of Austria is Catholicism, which accounts for about 80% of the population. Of course there are also many other religious groups and cults that have a showing in Austria.
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