A.E.I.O.U.

"A.E.I.O.U." (sometimes A.E.I.O.V.) was a symbolic device coined by Emperor Frederick III (1415–1493) and historically used as a motto by the Habsburgs. One note in his notebook (discovered in 1666), though not in the same hand, explains it in German and Latin as "All the world is subject to Austria" ( or ). Frederick habitually signed buildings such as Santa Maria dell'Anima in Rome, or Graz Cathedral as well as his tableware and other objects with the vowel graphemes. As of 2017, A.E.I.O.U. is also the motto of the Theresian Military Academy, established in 1751. It can also be found on the wall of the Chancellor's office in the Federal Chancellery of Austria. The famous device is probably the most known motto of premodern times, because it has repeatedly been given new interpretations over the centuries.

Interpretation

Frederick's first use of the five-letter monogram was in 1437, when he was Duke of Styria. One note in his notebook (discovered in 1666), though not in the same hand, explains it in German and Latin as "All the world is subject to Austria" ( or ).

Another passage, later in the same notebook, uses the letters in sequence as the initial letters of the words in the first line of a couplet poem, showing the meaning as "I am loved by the elect, for the unjust I am ordained an avenger" (from Latin, ).

Other interpretations have been put forth, including by contemporary heraldists. Several explanations proceed on the assumption that it was meant as a political slogan, from the Latin phrases:
* ("Austria is best united by the Empire")."A", , (various authors), Volume 1, page 1, 1885–1890, web (Commons): MKL-b1-p1: has "A.E.I.O.U." on first page of entire 16-volume encyclopedia, as 3 Latin phrases: and with the German phrase noted with , plus a 3rd Latin phrase with (sometimes given in English as "Austria will stand until the end of the world" but in the Latin closer to "Austria will be supreme in the world"; ''cf.'' Cic. Fin. 3, 9, 30, “summum bonum, quod ultimum appello”); note that is ("Oe") with first letter "O". "Ö" is not considered a separate letter in German.
* ("Austria will be supreme in the world", sometimes incorrectly given as "Austria will be the last (surviving) in the world").
* ("It is Austria's destiny to rule the whole world").
* ''En amor electis iniustis ordinor ultor.''Konstantin Langmaier: ''Kaiser Friedrich III. (1415–1493): des Reiches Erzschlafmütze?, Der „schlafende Kaiser“ als Klischee.'' In: ''Zeitschrift des Historischen Vereins für Steiermark.'' 111, 2020, 175-176.

Since Frederick wrote this acronym when he was not yet the ruler of the Archduchy of Austria and, at that time, Styria was entirely separated from Austria and was not considered to be its part until the next century, the term "Austria" in this context would not mean Austria as a territory or a nation, but rather the "House of Austria", that is, the Habsburg dynasty.

More than 300 Latin and German interpretations have been attempted over the centuries; most of these versions refer to a motto of present-day Austria or the extensive Habsburg monarchy.

See also

* – the motto of Ferdinand I.
* FERT – Another motto of a European dynasty (the House of Savoy) whose meaning and origin is unclear.
* the personal motto of Charles V and I, and through him the modern motto of Spain.
* Austrian Empire
* Universal monarchy

References

Further reading

* Andrew Wheatcroft's ''The Habsburgs: Embodying Empire'' (1995), .

External links

* {{Commons category inline, A.E.I.O.U. (Habsburg)

*
15th-century neologisms
Initialisms
Latin mottos
Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor