Margraviate of Austria

Margraviate of Austria Eastern March Ostarrîchi (Old High German)
c. 970–1156
Ancient arms of the House of Babenberg, Margraves of Austria
Map of the Margraviate of Austria within the Duchy of Bavaria circa 1000 CE.   Austria   Other parts of Bavaria   Rest of the German Kingdom
Status	Margraviate, within the Duchy of Bavaria and the Holy Roman Empire
Capital	Melk
Common languages	Austro-Bavarian German, Old High German
Religion	Chalcedonian Christianity (since 739 under the Diocese of Freising) Roman Catholicism (following the Schism of 1054)
Demonym(s)	Austrian
Government	Feudal monarchy
Margrave of Austria
• c. 970–976	Burkhard (first known margrave)
• 1141–1156	Henry II (last margrave, and first duke)
Historical era	Middle Age
• Established	c. 970
• Disestablished	1156
ISO 3166 code	AT
Preceded by Succeeded by March of Pannonia Hungarian March Duchy of Austria

The Margraviate of Austria (German: Markgrafschaft Österreich) was a medieval frontier march, centered along the river Danube, between the river Enns and the Vienna Woods (Wienerwald), within the territory of modern Austrian provinces of Upper Austria and Lower Austria. It existed from c. 970 to 1156.^[1][2]

It stemmed from the previous frontier structures, initially created for the defense of eastern Bavarian borders against the Avars, who were defeated and conquered during the reign of Charlemagne (d. 814). Throughout the Frankish period, the region was under jurisdiction of Eastern Frankish rulers, who held Bavaria and appointed frontier commanders (counts) in eastern regions.^[3][4]

At the beginning of the 10th century, the region was raided by Magyars. They were defeated in the Battle of Lechfeld (955) and gradual German reconquest of the region began. By about 970, newly retaken frontier regions along the river Danube were reorganized into a frontier county (margraviate) that became known as the Bavarian Eastern March (Latin: Marcha orientalis) or Ostarrichi (German: Österreich). The first known margrave was Burkhard, who is mentioned in sources since 970 several times as Margrave of Marcha orientalis.^[5]

Since 976, it was governed by margraves from the Franconian noble House of Babenberg. The margraviate was protecting the eastern borders of the Holy Roman Empire, towards neighbouring Hungary. It became an Imperial State in its own right, when the Austrian margraves were elevated to Dukes of Austria in 1156.^[6]