Austria has occupied a dominant position in the shaping of modern German history. After the glorious period known as the Renaissance, the forces of religious conflict, political transformation, and modernization shook the German states. Political authority was fragmented in the German states, which lacked strong central governments, and autonomous local powers prevented the Empire from using its resources and organizing itself like the other new European states.
MoreVienna, which is presently the capital and largest city in Austria, is one of the most famous cultural centers of Europe. It is renowned as a home for artists from around the world, particularly in the realm of music. There has hardly been a single German composer who did not live here at one point in his life. For example, both the Strauss and Liszt families resided in Vienna. The literary scene was centered around the fashionable coffee houses, where one could see the most famous authors of the era. The Viennese opera and theater traditions are world famous. The celebrated Mozart was born in Salzburg, which now offers an annual international festival in honor of this composer's music.
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