When Austria was invaded by the Nazis in 1938, one of its first victims was football and especially the clubs with a strong Jewish heritage.
FK Austria was one of those clubs, but the Nazis' hate for this club had deeper reasons: Austrias style of fine technique, artistic ball control and a wonderful but often ineffective game represented everything the Nazis hated.

Austrias kind of play stood like a symbol for Austrian football, in this time almost identical with Viennese football, as a whole. But FK Austria was more than just a very good team. It was a club of artists - on and off the pitch. On the pitch players like Sindelar, Nausch and Jerusalem excelled, off the pitch the team was celebrated by famous poets as Friedrich Torberg and Alfred Polgar.
Contrary to Rapid Vienna, who was founded as a club for workers from the outer areas of Vienna, Austria was a club of intellectuals, artists and a part of Viennas bourgeoisie, a "coffeehouse-club" (Kaffeehausklub).

Austrias great team of the 1930s, the backbone of our legendary "Wunderteam", faded into nothing during Hitlers regime.

But the club came back and became the most succesful club of Austrias post-war history. Players like Ocwirk (1950s) and Prohaska (1980s) revived the legendary style of the team. Until now, Austrias fans love offensive, creative, artistic football, even if it may be ineffective. We like to win as every fan, but it has to be in style, not by luck or fighting spirit.

Another part of Austria Wien is its image as a tolerant club. With its Jewish and openminded history, there is no place for politically extreme motivations here. The club is open for everyone who enjoys quality football without violence on and off the pitch.