Did you know that Austria has the highest percentage of working females in its population than any other country? Or did you know it was Austria’s Bertha von Suttner, a novelists and radical pacifists, who became the first woman to receive a Nobel Peace Prize, in 1905? And that is not all, Gerlinde Kaltenbrunner, an Austrian, was the first woman to ascend all eight thousanders without oxygen. That for you is a brief introduction of Austrian women! Austria’s great daughters have left an indelible mark across centuries for their exemplary performance in art, politics, science, literature, sports and so on.
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Birthdate: November 2, 1755
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: The Hofburg, Vienna, Austria
Died: October 16, 1793
The last queen of France before the French Revolution started, Marie Antoinette was married to Louis XVI of France and came to be linked with everything that was wrong with the French monarchy including ignorance and extravagance. Her policies aggravated unrest that eventually led to the abolishment of the monarchy and finally the execution of both king and queen.
Birthdate: December 24, 1837
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
Died: September 10, 1898
Empress Elisabeth of Austria was Queen of Hungary and Empress of Austria from 1854 to 1898, making her the longest-reigning Austrian empress. Often visiting Hungary for its relaxed environment, Elisabeth developed a deep kinship with Hungary, which in turn helped her influence the rise of the dual monarchy of Austria–Hungary in 1867.
Birthdate: May 13, 1717
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: November 29, 1780
The mother of 16 children, Maria Theresa was the only female monarch of the Habsburg empire which she ruled with absolute power. She was known for industrial and educational reforms which led to the development of Austria during her 40-year reign. The devout Roman Catholic, who overtly disliked Jews and the Protestants, was sometimes criticized for her religious intolerance.
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Maria von Trapp(Stepmother and Matriarch of the 'Trapp Family Singers')
Birthdate: January 26, 1905
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: March 28, 1987
Maria von Trapp was the matriarch of the Austrian singing family, Trapp Family Singers. As a young woman, she married widowed naval commander Georg von Trapp. He already had seven children from his first wife, and the couple had three more. The family began singing together at events and became a popular touring act called the Trapp Family Singers.
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Geli Raubal(Austrian Woman Who Was the Half-Niece of Adolf Hitler)
Birthdate: July 4, 1908
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Linz, Austria
Died: September 18, 1931
Geli Raubal was the half-niece of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and the daughter of Hitler’s half-sister, Angela Raubal. She spent her childhood in Hitler’s home, where her mother worked as a housekeeper. She is said to have committed suicide after Hitler forbade her to pursue singing lessons in Vienna.
Birthdate: August 12, 1860
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Spital, Austria
Died: December 21, 1907
Klara Hitler was the mother of Adolf Hitler, the leader of Nazi Germany. Born into a modest family in Austria, she was a hardworking and energetic woman with a pleasant demeanor. She married Alois Hitler and had six children, of whom only two—Adolf and Paula—survived to adulthood. She died of breast cancer when she was 47.
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Emily Cox(Actress)
Birthdate: February 23, 1985
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Viennese actor Emily Cox initially wished to be a dancer but later began her career as a theater actor. She is now best known for her performance as Viking warrior Brida in the hit Netflix series The Last Kingdom. She has also been part of movies such as Fatherless.
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Princess Alexandra of Hanover(Princess)
Birthdate: July 20, 1999
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Vöcklabruck, Upper Austria, Austria
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: December 12, 1791
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: December 17, 1847
Marie Louise was an Austrian archduchess who reigned as Duchess of Parma from 1814 until her death. The eldest child of Emperor Francis II of Austria and his second wife, Maria Theresa, she grew up during a tumultuous period in the history of Austria. She was married to Napoleon I from 1810 to 1821. She died of pleurisy in 1847.
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Christine Kaufmann(First German Actress to Win the Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year)
Birthdate: January 11, 1945
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Lengdorf, Styria, Austria
Died: March 28, 2017
German-Austrian actress, author, and businesswoman Christine Kaufmann gained attention of post-war German movie audiences with her performances in films like Rosen-Resli, Der schweigende Engel and Ein Herz schlägt für Erika. She became the first German to be honoured with Golden Globe Award for New Star of the Year – Actress for her performance in the drama film Town Without Pity.
Recommended Lists:Birthdate: July 28, 1883
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Braunau am Inn, Austria
Died: October 30, 1949
Angela Hitler, the elder half-sister of Adolf Hitler, was also the mother of Geli, whose close relationship with Hitler raised many eyebrows. While Geli committed suicide later, Angela worked as Hitler’s housekeeper and was even against his relationship with Eva Braun. She later denied having any knowledge about the Holocaust.
Birthdate: October 19, 1982
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Bombay, Maharashtra, India
Nauheed Cyrusi is an Indian model, actress, and VJ. Cyrusi is best known for appearing in TV commercials for well-known brands like Head & Shoulders, Britannia, and Himalaya. Over the years, Cyrusi has become a household name in India, thanks to her acting skills and visibility across the country.
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Patricia Rhomberg(Pornographic actress)
Birthdate: September 15, 1953
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Patricia Rhomberg is an Austrian former pornographic film actress who was active during the 1970s. She began her career as a medical assistant but her life took an unexpected turn after meeting director Hans Billian, who made sex movies and encouraged her to become a porn star. She played the lead role in many popular porn films before retiring.
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Constanze Mozart(Austrian Singer and Biographer )
Birthdate: January 5, 1762
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Zell im Wiesental, Germany
Died: March 6, 1842
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Senta Berger(Actress Best Known for Her Role in the TV Series 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.')
Birthdate: May 13, 1941
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
It is believed Austrian actor Senta Berger was suspended by the Max-Reinhardt-Seminar, where she studied drama, after she bagged her first movie role. The three-time Bambi Award winner is known for her roles in films such as The Quiller Memorandum. She is also involved with peace and environmental activism.
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Maria Anna Mozart(Musician)
Birthdate: July 30, 1751
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Salzburg, Austria
Died: October 29, 1829
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Alma Mahler(Austrian Composer & Socialite)
Birthdate: August 31, 1879
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: December 11, 1964
Alma Mahler, remembered as the wife of composer Gustav Mahler and the daughter of landscape painter Emil Schindler, initially studied art but later acquired skills as a pianist. However, Mahler discouraged her from composing after marriage. She later had other affairs and married architect Walter Gropius and author Franz Werfel.
Birthdate: January 23, 1992
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Born to an Austrian father and a Japanese mother, Reina Triendl traveled to many places as a child due to her father’s work. She was scouted while in high school and thus began to model. She later gained fame with the reality series Terrace House and the film Tag.
Recommended Lists:19
Maria Schell(One of the Leading German Actresses of the 1950s and 1960s)
Birthdate: January 15, 1926
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: April 26, 2005
Maria Schell was an Austrian-Swiss actress who achieved immense popularity during the 1950s and 1960s, when she was considered one of the leading actresses of German cinema. Maria Schell is best remembered for her portrayal of Dr. Helga Reinbeck in the 1954 Austrian-Yugoslavian war drama film The Last Bridge, which earned her the Cannes Best Actress Award in 1954.
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Sybil Danning(Austrian Model, Actress, and Film Producer)
Birthdate: May 24, 1952
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Wels, Austria
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
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Lotte Lenya(Austrian-American Actress, Singer, and Diseuse)
Birthdate: October 18, 1898
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: November 27, 1981
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Eva Schloss(Austrian holocaust survivor)
Birthdate: May 11, 1929
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
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Zita of Bourbon-Parma
Birthdate: May 9, 1892
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Tuscany, Italy
Died: March 14, 1989
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Joy Adamson(Naturalist and Author of the Book 'Born Free', Which Documents Her Experience In Raising a Lion Club)
Birthdate: January 20, 1910
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Opava, Czechia
Died: January 3, 1980
Best known for her iconic book Born Free, which describes her experiences of raising a lion cub named Elsa, Joy Adamson was a noted Austro-Hungarian wildlife conservationist. She excelled in music and medicine in her younger days and later settled in Kenya with her third husband, conservationist George Adamson.
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Princess Stéphanie of Belgium(Crown Princess of Austria, Hungary and Bohemia)
Birthdate: May 21, 1864
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium
Died: August 23, 1945
Princess Stéphanie of Belgium became the Crown Princess of Austria, Hungary, and Bohemia after her marriage to Crown Prince Rudolf, the son of Austrian emperor Franz Joseph I. Following the death of her husband and his mistress in a suicide-murder pact, she married a Hungarian nobleman.
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Rhiannon Fish(Canadian-Australian Actress)
Birthdate: March 14, 1991
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
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Maria Franziska von Trapp(Austrian American Singer)
Birthdate: September 28, 1914
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Zell am See, Austria
Died: February 18, 2014
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Jessica Falkholt(Australian Actress)
Birthdate: May 15, 1988
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Sydney, Australia
Died: January 17, 2018
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
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Bertha von Suttner(Austrian-Bohemian Pacifist, Novelist and the First Woman to be Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize)
Birthdate: June 9, 1843
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: The Golz-Kinsky Palace, Prague, Czechia
Died: June 21, 1914
Once a governess of the four daughters of the affluent Suttner family, Bertha von Suttner later married the sisters’ elder brother, Baron Arthur Gundaccar von Suttner. The Austrian novelist was known for her peace activism, which made her the first female to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
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Archduchess Elisabeth Marie of Austria(Politician)
Birthdate: September 2, 1883
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Franzensburg, Laxenburg, Austria
Died: March 16, 1963
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Eleonore von Habsburg(Model)
Birthdate: February 28, 1994
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Salzburg, Austria
Eleonore von Habsburg is an Austrian gemologist, jewelry designer, and one of the most popular members of the House of Habsburg-Lorraine. Renowned for her good looks, Habsburg is also known for her work as a fashion model. Apart from walking the runway for popular brands like Dolce & Gabbana, Eleonore von Habsburg has also been featured in many advertisement campaigns.
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Natascha Kampusch(Austrian Writer and Former Talk Show Host)
Birthdate: February 17, 1988
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
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Inge Morath(Austrian Photographer)
Birthdate: May 27, 1923
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Graz, Austria
Died: January 30, 2002
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Maria Christina of Austria(Queen Consort of Spain (1879 – 1885))
Birthdate: July 21, 1858
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Brno, Czechia
Died: February 6, 1929
María Cristina De Habsburgo-Lorena is better known as the Spanish king Alfonso XII’s queen consort, who acted as the queen regent after her husband’s death and before her son came of age to rule on his own. Her regency was the longest in the history of Spanish royalty.
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Agathe von Trapp(Austrian American Singer)
Birthdate: March 12, 1913
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Pola, Istria, Austria-Hungary (present-day Pula, Croatia)
Died: December 28, 2010
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Elfriede Jelinek(Austrian Playwright, Novelist and 2004 Nobel Prize Winner in Literature)
Birthdate: October 20, 1946
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Mürzzuschlag, Austria
Elfriede Jelinek is an Austrian novelist and playwright who was honored with the 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature. Widely regarded as the most prominent playwright of the German language, Elfriede Jelinek has several prestigious awards and honors under her belt.
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Princess Sophie of Hohenberg(Princess)
Birthdate: July 24, 1901
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Konopischt, Benešov, Czechia
Died: October 27, 1990
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Hedwig von Trapp(Austrian Singer)
Birthdate: July 28, 1917
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Zell am See, Austria
Died: September 14, 1972
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Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinneberg(Princess)
Birthdate: January 4, 1988
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Munich, Germany
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Johanna von Trapp(Austrian Singer)
Birthdate: September 7, 1919
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Zell am See, Austria
Died: November 25, 1994
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Martina von Trapp(Austrian Singer)
Birthdate: February 17, 1921
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Klosterneuburg, Austria
Died: February 25, 1951
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
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Brigitte Bierlein(Jurist)
Birthdate: June 25, 1949
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
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Barbara Schett(Former Austrian Tennis Player)
Birthdate: March 10, 1976
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Innsbruck, Austria
Barbara Schett is an Austrian retired tennis player best known for representing Austria in 48 matches at the prestigious Billie Jean King Cup, where she helped the Austria Fed Cup team win 30 matches between 1993 and 2004. Since her retirement, Barbara Schett has been working as a presenter and commentator and is currently associated with Eurosport.
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Marisa Mell(Austrian Actress)
Birthdate: February 24, 1939
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Graz, Austria
Died: May 16, 1992
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
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Brunhilda of Austrasia(Queen)
Birthdate: 0543 AD
Birthplace: Toledo, Spain
Died: 0613 AD
Brunhilda was queen of Austrasia, which was part of Francia. The daughter of Visigothic king Athanagild, she was also one of the most powerful fighters of Merovingian age. Her conflict with Fredegund, the queen consort of Chilperic I, ended in her death by being torn apart by four horses.
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Hermine Braunsteiner(German SS 'Helferin' and Camp Guard )
Birthdate: July 16, 1919
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: April 19, 1999
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Gitta Sereny(Biographer and Investigative Journalist Known for Her Interviews and Profiles of Infamous Figures, Including 'Mary Bell')
Birthdate: March 13, 1921
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: June 14, 2012
Known for her persistent researches on some of history’s most reviled characters, Gitta Sereny was an investigative journalist and author of five biographical works that attempted to make sense of their crimes. Notable among her works are Albert Speer: His Battle with Truth and The Case of Mary Bell: A Portrait of a Child Who Murdered.
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Lilia Skala(Architect)
Birthdate: November 28, 1896
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Vienna, Austria
Died: December 18, 1994
One of the first female architects from Austria, Lilia Skala later also became a reputed actor, winning an Academy Award nomination for her film Lilies of the Field. She had also worked in Broadway plays such as Letters to Lucerne and in soaps such as Claudia: The Story of a Marriage.
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Valerie Pachner(Austrian Actress)
Birthdate: June 26, 1987
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Wels, Austria
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
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Elisabeth Schwarzkopf(Classical Soprano and Foremost Singers of 'Lieder')
Birthdate: December 9, 1915
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Jarotschin, Poland
Died: August 3, 2006
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf was a German-born Austro-British singer. Counted among the most important singers of lieder, Schwarzkopf is best remembered for her performances of the operas of Richard Strauss, Wagner, and Mozart. Widely regarded as one of the 20th century's greatest sopranos, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf won many prestigious awards including the Edison Award and the Lilli Lehmann Medal.
They have added to the glory of this scintillatingly beautiful nation that provides travellers everything under the sun, right from high mountain peaks to modern cities, legendary festivals to delightful landscapes. Austria has had the rich history of producing highly talented women, who with their extraordinary deeds and feats helped the nation stand tall in the world forum. They have made their presence felt as entrepreneurs and engineers, architects and actress, scientists and sports stars. Check this segment and find out more about the life and works of Austrian women with their biographies. Get inspired!
