Austria–Germany border

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course of the German-Austrian border (red)
German-Austrian border signs

The Austria–Germany border (German: Grenze zwischen Deutschland und Österreich) has a length of 815.9 km (507.0 mi)[1] or 815.0 km (506.4 mi)[2] in the south of Germany and the north of Austria in central Europe. It is the longest border of both Austria and Germany with another country.

Route[edit]

The border runs roughly from east to west. The eastern point is located at the border tripoint of Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic, at 48°46′18″N 13°50′22″E / 48.77167°N 13.83944°E / 48.77167; 13.83944, near the village of Schwarzenberg am Böhmerwald. The western point is located at the border tripoint of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, at approximately 47°33′N 9°34′E / 47.550°N 9.567°E / 47.550; 9.567, in Lake Constance.

The border is 815 kilometres (506 mi) long, but a straight line between the endpoints is 345 kilometres (214 mi) long.

Besides Lake Constance, the border does not pass through any significant lake, but it follows the Danube, Inn and Salzach rivers along the eastern part. The western part of the border mostly follows a high mountain range, although a few valleys cross the border.

The Austrian states of Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Upper Austria run along the international border, as does the German state of Bavaria.

Tripoints[edit]

The eastern point is located at the border tripoint of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, at 48°46′18″N 13°50′22″E / 48.77167°N 13.83944°E / 48.77167; 13.83944, near the villages of Schwarzenberg am Böhmerwald and Bayerischer Plöckenstein.

The western point is located at the border tripoint of Germany, Austria and Switzerland, at approximately 47°33′N 9°34′E / 47.550°N 9.567°E / 47.550; 9.567, in Lake Constance.

International bodies of water[edit]

Lakes[edit]

Rivers and creeks[edit]

International bridges[edit]

International mountain ranges[edit]

International mountains[edit]

Human settlements near the border[edit]

International traffic[edit]

See also[edit]

History[edit]

The border was confirmed in a treaty between the countries in 1972, after having been defined by a number of agreements between the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Bavaria in the 19th century. In 1938 the countries merged through the Anschluss. This was reverted in 1955 by the Austrian State Treaty, which re-established Austria as a sovereign state. The Schengen Area removed border controls at the border in 1997. Temporary border controls were reinstalled in 2015 in response to the European migrant crisis. These temporary border controls were scheduled to be removed on 12 May 2020, although they are liable to be extended in six-month periods.[3]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Artikel Staatsgrenzen. In: Ernst Bruckmüller: Österreich-Lexikon. Verlagsgemeinschaft Österreich-Lexikon, Wien 2004.
  2. ^ Statistisches Bundesamt der Bundesrepublik Deutschland
  3. ^ "Temporary Reintroduction of Border Control". European Commission. Retrieved 16 August 2018.

External links[edit]

Media related to Borders of Austria-Germany at Wikimedia Commons