The Gardebataillon ("Guard Battalion") is a ceremonial unit in the

Austrian Armed Forces The Austrian Armed Forces (german: Bundesheer, lit=Federal Army) are the combined military forces of the Republic of Austria. The military consists of 22,050 active-duty personnel and 125,600 reservists. The military budget is 0.74% of nati ...

. The Gardebataillon is one of the most important military units in the

as its main task is to represent Austria at home and abroad. It is stationed exclusively at Maria Theresien Barracks in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

History

The battalion was formed on March 1, 1935, as the Vienna Guard Battalion. At that time it was based at the Hofburg Imperial Palace. It was dissolved in 1938 following the German

Anschluss The (, or , ), also known as the (, en, Annexation of Austria), was the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich on 13 March 1938. The idea of an (a united Austria and Germany that would form a " Greater Germany ...

. In 1956, the unit was restored, initially under the name ''Heereswachbataillon'' ("Army guard battalion"). Since that time it has had its headquarters in the Maria Theresa barracks. On 15 May 1957, it reassumed its original name.

Regimental Structure

* HQ Staff Corps * Guard Companies ** Active Duty Companies *** 1st Active Duty Company *** 2nd Active Duty Company ** Honor Guard Companies *** 1st Honor Guard Company *** 2nd Honor Guard Company * Gardemusik

Uniform

Their uniform is very similar to the uniform of the German

Wachbataillon The Wachbataillon (full name: ''Wachbataillon beim Bundesministerium der Verteidigung'' (WachBtl BMVg) (Guard Battalion at the Federal Ministry of Defence) is the German ''Bundeswehr's'' honour guard. The Wachbataillon number about 1,000 soldie ...

. The soldiers of the Guard are distinguished by their red beret, and their white collar. Apart from the beret, the battalion's uniform also includes a ceremonial helmet, with the

Coat of arms of Austria The current coat of arms of the Republic of Austria has been in use in its first forms by the First Republic of Austria since 1919. Between 1934 and the German annexation in 1938, the ''Federal State (Bundesstaat Österreich)'' used a different ...

on the front.

Purpose

Its tasks include the protection of federal buildings such as the Hofburg Imperial Palace and the Federal Chancellery. The battalion also provides

Guards of Honour Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

to carry out representative duties (such as accreditations of ambassadors, welcoming ceremonies, and parades). Of these, the seniormost task is to provide honours for high ranking high ranking national & foreign dignitaries during events of importance. The deliverable for this task is the battalion's two honor Guard companies. The detached companies perform their respective

public duties Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role. Armenia Since September 2018, the Honour Guard Battalion of the Ministry of Defense of Armenia has ...

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

, the national capital. It also appears during repatriation ceremonies for fallen soldiers returning from combat.

Gardemusik Wien

The Gardemusik Wien (Guards Band Vienna) is one of the nine

military bands A military band is a group of personnel that performs musical duties for military functions, usually for the armed forces. A typical military band consists mostly of wind and percussion instruments. The conductor of a band commonly bears the tit ...

in Austria and is the official regimental band of the Gardebataillon. It was formed after the

Austrian State Treaty The Austrian State Treaty (german: Österreichischer Staatsvertrag ) or Austrian Independence Treaty re-established Austria as a sovereign state. It was signed on 15 May 1955 in Vienna, at the Schloss Belvedere among the Allied occupying p ...

came into effect, the band was formed from the band of the Austria border guard department. It consists of 60 military musicians. It regularly provides musical accompaniment to the rest of the battalion. The unit always composes a new military march during a presidential inauguration in honor of the elected President of Austria (e.g.

Alexander Van der Bellen Alexander Van der Bellen (; born 18 January 1944) is the current president of Austria. He previously served as a professor of economics at the University of Vienna, and after joining politics, as the spokesman of the Austrian Green Party. Va ...

in 2017.). The current commander of the Band is .

Photos

Gardebataillon

File:CIMG3656 oesterr bheer gd-k.jpg, File:GuentherZ 2013-04-09 0219 Staatsbesuch Fuerst Hans-Adam Liechtenstein+UHBP Heinz Fischer.jpg,

Gardemusik

File:Dancer against cancer 2010, Gardemusik (2).jpg, File:Abmarsch der Garde und des Musikcorps, dahinter das Bundeskanzleramt (cropped 2).jpg, File:Garde (8125758151).jpg, File:Gardemusik Wien 1298.JPG,

References

External links

Website of the Bundesheer - Gardebataillon

Website of the Bundesheer - Gardemusik

Official Youtube Channel

The Gardebataillon on their 60th anniversary
{{Authority control Military units and formations of Austria Military units and formations established in 1935 Guards of honour