Ostarrîchi

Ostarrîchi is the Latin name used in early medieval sources to designate the eastern frontier lands of the Bavarian stem, the region that would later be known as Austria. The term translates roughly as “Eastern Realm” or “Eastern March” and is the linguistic ancestor of the modern name Austria.

The best known attestation of Ostarrîchi is the Ostarrîchi document, a charter dated to the late 10th century (often placed around 996). This document records the designation of lands in the eastern march and is widely cited as the earliest written reference to Austria as a distinct territorial entity. The precise date and provenance of the charter are debated among scholars, but it is generally associated with the emergence of the eastern frontier under the East Frankish realm and the consolidation of the regional power that would become the Babenberg dominion.

Geographically, Ostarrîchi referred to the lands along the eastern frontier of the Bavarian march, roughly corresponding to the Danube region of present-day Austria, including parts of what is now Lower Austria and its vicinity around Vienna. The term served to mark a frontier zone that developed into a core territorial unit.

Legacy and name development: over the ensuing centuries, the eastern march evolved into the Duchy of Austria under the Babenbergs and later became a central component of the Habsburg-ruled realms. The name Austria ultimately derives from Ostarrîchi, making the term a foundational element in the region’s national and historical identity.