On This Day

First recorded use of modern name for Austria in the "Ostarrîchi Document"

The native (German) name of Austria, Österreich, derives from the Old High German word Ostarrîchi "eastern realm", recorded in the so-called Ostarrîchi Document of 996, applied to the Margraviate of...

The native (German) name of Austria, Österreich, derives from the Old High German word Ostarrîchi "eastern realm", recorded in the so-called Ostarrîchi Document of 996, applied to the Margraviate of Austria, a march, or borderland, of the Duchy of Bavaria created in 976. The name is seemingly comparable to Austrasia, the early middle age term for the "eastern lands" of Francia, as known from the written records.

The Old High German name parallels the Middle Latin name Marchia Orientalis ("eastern borderland"), alternatively called Marchia austriaca. The shorter Latinized name Austria is first recorded in the 12th century.

Historical Significance

The native (German) name of Austria, Österreich, derives from the Old High German word Ostarrîchi "eastern realm", recorded in the so-called Ostarrîchi Document of 996, applied to the Margraviate of Austria, a march, or borderland, of the Duchy of Bavaria created in 976.

Events Before

  1. Battle of Abydos: Byzantine Emperor Basil II defeats and kills rebel general Bardas Phokas, ending his rebellion

    Battle of Abydos: Byzantine Emperor Basil II defeats and kills rebel general Bardas Phokas, ending his rebellion

  2. Battle of Maldon: English, led by Earl Byrhtnoth, confront a band of inland-raiding Vikings near Maldon in Essex. The ba

    Battle of Maldon: English, led by Earl Byrhtnoth, confront a band of inland-raiding Vikings near Maldon in Essex. The battle and the English defeat are immortalized in the well-known Old English poem "The Battle of Maldon."

  3. Battle of Conquereuil won by the Count of Anjou, Fulk the Black, defeating Conan I, Count of Brittany, in western France

    Battle of Conquereuil won by the Count of Anjou, Fulk the Black, defeating Conan I, Count of Brittany, in western France

  4. Saint Ulrich of Augsburg is canonized

    Ulrich of Augsburg, sometimes spelled Uodalric or Odalrici, was Prince-Bishop of Augsburg in the Holy Roman Empire. He was the first saint to be canonised not by a local authority but by a pope.

  5. The Duchy of Bohemia's Slavník dynasty members Spytimír, Pobraslav, Pořej, and Čáslav are murdered by Boleslaus II the P

    The Duchy of Bohemia's Slavník dynasty members Spytimír, Pobraslav, Pořej, and Čáslav are murdered by Boleslaus II the Pious

Events After

  1. Gerbert of Aurillac is elected as the first French Pope

    Pope Sylvester II (Latin: Silvester II; c. 946 – 12 May 1003), originally known as Gerbert of Aurillac, was a scholar and teacher who served as the bishop of Rome and ruled the Papal States from 999...

  2. Heribertus becomes bishop of Cologne

    Heribertus becomes bishop of Cologne

  3. Battle of Svolder, Baltic Sea: King Olaf on board the Long Serpent is defeated in one of the greatest naval battles of t

    Battle of Svolder, Baltic Sea: King Olaf on board the Long Serpent is defeated in one of the greatest naval battles of the Viking Age and leaps to his death overboard

  4. Leif Erikson reaches "Vinland" (possibly L'Anse aux Meadows, Canada), reputedly becoming the first European to reach Nor

    Leif Erikson reaches "Vinland" (possibly L'Anse aux Meadows, Canada), reputedly becoming the first European to reach North America

  5. Hungary is established as a Christian kingdom by Stephen I of Hungary, celebrated today as State Foundation Day

    Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia...

More from the 990s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on November 1, 996?
The native (German) name of Austria, Österreich, derives from the Old High German word Ostarrîchi "eastern realm", recorded in the so-called Ostarrîchi Document of 996, applied to the Margraviate of Austria, a march, or borderland, of the Duchy of Bavaria created in 976. The name is seemingly comparable to Austrasia, the early middle age term for the "eastern lands" of Francia, as known from the written records. The Old High German name parallels the Middle Latin name Marchia Orientalis ("eastern borderland"), alternatively called Marchia austriaca.
Why is First recorded use of modern name for Austria in the "Ostarrîchi Document" significant?
The native (German) name of Austria, Österreich, derives from the Old High German word Ostarrîchi "eastern realm", recorded in the so-called Ostarrîchi Document of 996, applied to the Margraviate of Austria, a march, or borderland, of the Duchy of Bavaria created in 976.

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