Austria Vienna FK Austria Wien is one of the defining clubs in the history of Austrian football, with an identity closely connected to Vienna. The club was founded in 1911 as Wiener Amateur-Sportverein and adopted the name Austria Wien in 1926. From the beginning, the team was associated with purple and white, giving it the famous nickname Die Veilchen, the Violets. In 2026, Austria celebrates the 115th anniversary of its foundation as well as a century since the adoption of the Austria Wien name.
The club's domestic record is among the strongest in Austria. Austria Wien have won 24 Austrian championships and 27 Austrian Cups, giving them 51 major domestic honours. Their most recent league title came in 2013, while their latest Austrian Cup triumph was in 2009. Important periods of success came in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, as well as around the late 1970s and early 1980s. During these periods, Austria repeatedly competed for major honours against other leading Viennese clubs, above all Rapid Wien.
The Vienna Derby is one of the defining traditions of Austrian football. The rivalry between Austria Wien and Rapid Wien dates back to the early 20th century and has long represented two clubs with contrasting traditions and identities. One of the most extraordinary meetings came in September 1953, when Austria led Rapid 5–1 at half-time before losing the match 7–5. The game remains one of the most memorable derbies in Austrian football history.
Austria's greatest European achievement came in the 1977/78 season. The club reached the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup, eliminating Lokomotiv Moscow and Dynamo Moscow on the way to the showpiece. In the final in Paris, Austria faced RSC Anderlecht but lost 4–0. Despite the defeat, reaching the final remains the best European result in the club's UEFA history. Austria are one of only a small number of Austrian clubs to have reached a major European club final.
The club also recorded some remarkable victories in European competition. In the 1983/84 UEFA Cup, Austria defeated Luxembourg's Aris Bonnevoie 5–0 away and then won the return leg 10–0. The aggregate score of 15–0 remains one of the most emphatic two-legged victories in the club's European history. Austria continued to appear regularly in European competitions in later decades, reaching the UEFA Champions League group stage in the 2013/14 season.
Several major figures have shaped Austria Wien's sporting identity. One of the most famous was Matthias Sindelar, a legend of Austrian football and one of the symbols of the celebrated Wunderteam. In later generations, Herbert Prohaska became another outstanding figure associated with the club, while Karl Daxbacher made a lasting contribution both as a player and later as a coach. Their careers illustrate the long tradition of prominent Austrian footballers connected with Austria Wien.
Austria Wien play their home matches at Generali Arena in Vienna's Favoriten district. The ground, formerly known as Franz-Horr-Stadion, has been associated with the club for decades and remains its home following successive renovations and commercial naming changes. The purple-and-white colours, meanwhile, remain the central element of FK Austria Wien's identity, connecting a club with more than a century of history to the modern Austrian game.
