The border between the modern states of Austria and Germany () has a length of ,Artikel Staatsgrenzen. In: Ernst Bruckmüller: Österreich-Lexikon. Verlagsgemeinschaft Österreich-Lexikon, Wien 2004. or respectively. It is the longest international border of Austria and the tied longest border of Germany with another country (the other one being the border with the Czech Republic, with the same length of ).
Course
Within its western part, the border runs roughly from east to west, but from a point south of Salzburg to its eastern end, located at the tripoint of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic, it runs in a mainly northeastward direction. The western end is located at the border tripoint of Germany, Austria and Switzerland within the Obersee part of Lake Constance (), although the exact course of the international borders within Lake Constance have never been defined. The border is long, but a straight line between the endpoints is long.
Jungholz and Kleinwalsertal are two Austrian pene-exclaves; they can only be reached by road through German territory.
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 and the Leiblach in its western part. Otherwise, the border follows the western part of the Northern Limestone Alps (Allgäu Alps, Ammergau Alps, Wetterstein, Karwendel, Bavarian Prealps, Kaiser Mountains, Chiemgau Alps, Berchtesgaden Alps), although a few valleys cross the border, too (e.g., the Inn Valley near Kufstein).
The Austrian states of Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Upper Austria run along the international border, as does the German state of Bavaria.
Tripoints The eastern tripoint between the countries of Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic is located at , near the villages of Schwarzenberg am Böhmerwald and Bayerischer Plöckenstein. The western tripoint is located between Germany, Austria and Switzerland, at approximately , in the eastern part of Upper Lake Constance.
International bodies of water Lakes
Eibelesee Lake Constance (also borders with Switzerland) Rannasee Taubensee Wöhrsee
Rivers and creeks
Aschauer Augustinergraben Bächteletobel Baumgartenbach Bayrachbach Berchtesgadener Ache Berndlgraben Bolgenach Breitach Bächgraben Bärnbach Bürgerbach Danube (Donau) Dandlbach Doserbach Dürrach Eibelebach Eibkendlbach Enzenbach Eyenbach Fermersbach Finsterbach Fischbach (Linder) Fischbach (Weiße Traun) Fugenbach Gatterlbach Großache Hagenbach Hirschbichlklausgraben Holderbach Hörnlebach Hühnersbach Inn Isar Kälbergernbach Kesselbach Kieferbach Kleiner Bach Kräutergrabenbach Köhlerbach Laublisbach Lappbach Lech Lecknerbach Leiblach Leutasch Lenzengraben Littenbach Lofer Loisach Markgraben Maxenbach Mosertalbach Mühlbach Naidernach Neualmbach Neuhäuslgraben Pittenbach Polusbach Reichenauer Graben Reichenbach Rickenbach Riedbach Rißbach Roggentalbach Rohrmoosbach Rothach Roßkarbach Saalach Salzach with several bridges, e.g. Oberndorf-Laufen Sandbach Schaffitzerbach Schanztobel Scheidbach Schellenbach Schlafblassenbach Schlawitzabach Schwarzenbach Schönbach Seebach Steinbach Stöcklbach Tiefengraben Totermannbach Unkenbach Valepp Vils Walchen Weißach Weißbach Wertach Zimmerholsbach Äuelebach
International bridges
Alte Innbrücke, Schärding - Neuhaus Kräutelstein Saalachbrücke Salzburg-Freilassing
International mountain ranges
Alps Alpine foothills
International mountains
Ammer Saddle Dürrnberg Fellhorn Kranzhorn Untersberg Zugspitze
Settlements near the border
Freilassing / Salzburg Großgmain (Salzburg (state)) Kufstein / Oberaudorf Oberau (Berchtesgaden) Waidring (Kitzbühel District) Walserberg
International traffic
Road
Inn Valley Autobahn Schrofen Pass Steinpass Ursprung Pass
Rail
Ausserfern Railway () Mittenwald Railway () Rosenheim–Kufstein railway (RJ, , , , ) Rosenheim–Salzburg railway (EN, RJ, , ) Vorarlberg Railway (EC/ECE, , , , ) Wels–Passau railway (ICE, )
History The border was confirmed in a treaty between the countries in 1972, after having been defined by a number of agreements, likewise with preceding conflicts, 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.
See also Austria–Germany relations :de:Fiderepasshütte :de:Purtschellerhaus
References
External links
Vertrag zwischen der Republik Österreich und der Bundesrepublik Deutschland über die gemeinsame Staatsgrenze in the Rechtsinformationssystem der Republik Österreich (German)