Was Hitler a Christian?

[Alex K]

One could call what Austrians speak "vaguely German" for shits and giggles, but it really is just regular German in the Bavarian dialect group (with the exception of the state Vorarlberg, which has an Alemannic German dialect). They have some different words they use, but I'd say the average language difference between the two countries - if speakers try to speak their respective varieties of standard German - is rather like between the US and England.

And even that is omitting all the different german dialects. Or would you say, you don't have any difficulties understanding someone speaking "Plattdeutsch", a Saxon or someone from Cologne? If they don't make any effort to be understood, that is.

Just as with Germany, there isn't one Austrian language or dialect. There are at least 9 variations, probably even more, given that there are even different dialects in different districts of Vienna.

Absolutely, the difference between very far apart dialects within each country is much larger than the difference between a German and an Austrian both trying to speak "standard German", or say, trying to be understood by the other.
But with one exception all the Austrian dialects are Bairisch, no? They are still different of course, but less radically so than say, my Pfälzisch is to Platt, which to my ears sounds like someone got confused whether they are Dutch or English.

But my point originally really was just that G-Cs claim about Hitler not being German is irrelevant for the argument [edit] precisely because Germany as one unique country hadn't really existed as such for long.