Bruneck
Encyclopedia
Bruneck is the largest town in the Puster Valley in the Italian
province of South Tyrol
. Bruneck lies at the confluence of the Ahr
with the Rienz (which itself flows into the Eisack
river.
Bruneck lies 35 km (21.7 mi) from Brixen
and 70 km (43.5 mi) from Bolzano and from the Brenner Pass
. To the east, the town is 60 km (37.3 mi) from Winnebach on the border to East Tyrol
.
Bruno von Kirchberg of Bruneck, and was first mentioned on 23 February 1256. At that time the town consisted of two rows of houses forming a narrow lane. The town walls and moat were completed in 1336 under Bishop Albert von Enn. Soon thereafter, further rows of houses were built outside the eastern gate. These led to the small Church of Our Lady (today's Church of the Assumption of Mary). The first church inside the town walles (at first only a small chapel) was built beneath the castle by the Brunecker burgher
Niklas Stuck. This church is today the Rainkirche. In 1358, Heinrich von Stuck, Niklas's brother, funded the hospital
/almshouse
that was built in the following years.
Soon the town received the right to hold a weekly market and impose high justice
. A castle leader occupied the fortress as the bishop's representative.
In the 14th and 15th centuries there was brisk trade between Augsburg
and Venice
. Some of the traded goods were brought through the Puster Valley and often stored long-term in Bruneck on the Ballplatz. This soon brought the town prosperity and fame. In this time the Puster Valley painting school was founded by the painter Hans von Bruneck and others. The great masters Michael Pacher
and Friedrich Pacher also studied at this school. Michael Pacher's studio in Bruneck became one of the most famous institutes in the whole Alpine region. For this reason, Bruneck is also known as Michael-Pacher-Stadt.
In 1500 the Puster Valley was reunited with Tyrol
because of a testamentary contract between the house of Habsburg
and the counts of Görz-Tirol. The town of Bruneck remained an episcopal possession.
In 1610 the town of Bruneck, which had previously belonged to the parish of St. Lorenzen
, became a parish in its own right. The first parish priest documented was Johann Herlin in 1613. In 1626 the Capuchin order came to Bruneck. The Fathers built themselves a monastery
at the "Spitalangerle", which still exists today. In 1741 a convent
was built by the Ursulines
.
On 11 April 1723 the worst fire in the town's history occurred. In Oberragen, not far from the church, a fire broke out, which was soon spread by the strong east wind across a large part of the town, mostly destroying it.
During the long-lasting Napoleonic Wars
the town suffered no material damage, but as a marching station went into great debt because of housing and feeding soldiers and infantrymen for many years.
After World War I, South Tyrol and so also Bruneck became part of the Italian State, getting the Italian name.
The city was spared damage in World War I
, but in World War II
the town was bombed, leading to loss of both life and property.
tower and the wall are placed on a vert
hill with three peaks: the castle was built by Bishop Bruno von Kirchberg in the second half of the thirteenth century. The castle appeared on the coat of arms for the first time in the second half of the fifteenth century. The emblem was adopted in 1931.
Today Bruneck is characterizied by the manufacturing
and service industries
. Important tourist centers are found all around Bruneck. Especially worthy of mention is the ski resort on Kronplatz
mountain.
As of 22 October 2001, the day of the Italian population and employment census, Bruneck had 10,692 employed persons in 1,678 workplaces, making it the second-largest employer of the province. It lay only just after Brixen (Bressanone), which on census day employed 239 fewer people. Five companies in the town employ more than 250 people each, and five more companies employ more than 100 people each.
, France
Groß-Gerau
, Germany
Tielt
, Belgium
Szamotuły, Poland
team currently playing in the country's top division, Serie A1.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
province of South Tyrol
South Tyrol
South Tyrol , also known by its Italian name Alto Adige, is an autonomous province in northern Italy. It is one of the two autonomous provinces that make up the autonomous region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. The province has an area of and a total population of more than 500,000 inhabitants...
. Bruneck lies at the confluence of the Ahr
Ahr (South Tyrol)
The Ahr is a river in South Tyrol, Italy, which flows through the Tauferer Ahrntal.- References :* Information about the Ahr in and ....
with the Rienz (which itself flows into the Eisack
Eisack
The Eisack is a river in Northern Italy, the second largest river in South Tyrol. Its source is near the Brenner Pass, at an altitude of about 1990 m above sea level. The river draws water from an area of about 4,200 km². After about 96 km, it joins the Adige river south of Bolzano. At first the...
river.
Bruneck lies 35 km (21.7 mi) from Brixen
Brixen
Brixen is the name of two cities in the Alps:*Brixen, South Tyrol, Italy*Brixen im Thale, Tyrol, AustriaBrixen may also refer to:*Bishopric of Brixen, the former north-Italian state....
and 70 km (43.5 mi) from Bolzano and from the Brenner Pass
Brenner Pass
- Roadways :The motorway E45 leading from Innsbruck via Bolzano to Verona and Modena uses this pass, and is one of the most important north-south connections in Europe...
. To the east, the town is 60 km (37.3 mi) from Winnebach on the border to East Tyrol
East Tyrol
East Tyrol, or East Tirol , is an exclave of the Austrian state of Tyrol, sharing no border with the main North Tyrol part of the state. It corresponds with the administrative district of Lienz....
.
Origin
Bruneck was founded by the Prince-BishopBishopric of Brixen
The Bishopric of Brixen is a former Roman Catholic diocese and also a former ecclesiastical state of the Holy Roman Empire in the present province of South Tyrol. The bishopric in the Eisack/Isarco valley was established in the 6th century and gradually received more secular powers...
Bruno von Kirchberg of Bruneck, and was first mentioned on 23 February 1256. At that time the town consisted of two rows of houses forming a narrow lane. The town walls and moat were completed in 1336 under Bishop Albert von Enn. Soon thereafter, further rows of houses were built outside the eastern gate. These led to the small Church of Our Lady (today's Church of the Assumption of Mary). The first church inside the town walles (at first only a small chapel) was built beneath the castle by the Brunecker burgher
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
Niklas Stuck. This church is today the Rainkirche. In 1358, Heinrich von Stuck, Niklas's brother, funded the hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....
/almshouse
Almshouse
Almshouses are charitable housing provided to enable people to live in a particular community...
that was built in the following years.
Soon the town received the right to hold a weekly market and impose high justice
High, middle and low justice
High, middle and low justices are notions dating from Western feudalism to indicate descending degrees of judiciary power to administer justice by the maximal punishment the holders could inflict upon their subjects and other dependents....
. A castle leader occupied the fortress as the bishop's representative.
In the 14th and 15th centuries there was brisk trade between Augsburg
Augsburg
Augsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
and Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. Some of the traded goods were brought through the Puster Valley and often stored long-term in Bruneck on the Ballplatz. This soon brought the town prosperity and fame. In this time the Puster Valley painting school was founded by the painter Hans von Bruneck and others. The great masters Michael Pacher
Michael Pacher
Michael Pacher was an Austrian Tyrolean painter and sculptor active during the last quarter of the 15th century. His best-known work is the altarpiece at the church in the village of St. Wolfgang, Austria. This altarpiece contains scenes from the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary...
and Friedrich Pacher also studied at this school. Michael Pacher's studio in Bruneck became one of the most famous institutes in the whole Alpine region. For this reason, Bruneck is also known as Michael-Pacher-Stadt.
In 1500 the Puster Valley was reunited with Tyrol
County of Tyrol
The County of Tyrol, Princely County from 1504, was a State of the Holy Roman Empire, from 1814 a province of the Austrian Empire and from 1867 a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary...
because of a testamentary contract between the house of Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
and the counts of Görz-Tirol. The town of Bruneck remained an episcopal possession.
In 1610 the town of Bruneck, which had previously belonged to the parish of St. Lorenzen
St. Lorenzen
St. Lorenzen is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 100 km northeast of Trento and about 50 km northeast of Bolzano...
, became a parish in its own right. The first parish priest documented was Johann Herlin in 1613. In 1626 the Capuchin order came to Bruneck. The Fathers built themselves a monastery
Monastery
Monastery denotes the building, or complex of buildings, that houses a room reserved for prayer as well as the domestic quarters and workplace of monastics, whether monks or nuns, and whether living in community or alone .Monasteries may vary greatly in size – a small dwelling accommodating only...
at the "Spitalangerle", which still exists today. In 1741 a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
was built by the Ursulines
Ursulines
The Ursulines are a Roman Catholic religious order for women founded at Brescia, Italy, by Saint Angela de Merici in November 1535, primarily for the education of girls and the care of the sick and needy. Their patron saint is Saint Ursula.-History:St Angela de Merici spent 17 years leading a...
.
On 11 April 1723 the worst fire in the town's history occurred. In Oberragen, not far from the church, a fire broke out, which was soon spread by the strong east wind across a large part of the town, mostly destroying it.
During the long-lasting Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
the town suffered no material damage, but as a marching station went into great debt because of housing and feeding soldiers and infantrymen for many years.
After World War I, South Tyrol and so also Bruneck became part of the Italian State, getting the Italian name.
The city was spared damage in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, but in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the town was bombed, leading to loss of both life and property.
Coat-of-arms
The emblem is a tower with a sloping roof, on an embattled wall with the silver gate lifted. The gulesGules
In heraldry, gules is the tincture with the colour red, and belongs to the class of dark tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of vertical lines or else marked with gu. as an abbreviation....
tower and the wall are placed on a vert
Vert
The colour green is commonly found in modern flags and coat of arms, and to a lesser extent also in the classical heraldry of the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern period....
hill with three peaks: the castle was built by Bishop Bruno von Kirchberg in the second half of the thirteenth century. The castle appeared on the coat of arms for the first time in the second half of the fifteenth century. The emblem was adopted in 1931.
Linguistic distribution
According to the 2001 census, 83.14% of the population speak German, 14.91% Italian and 1.95% Ladin as first language.Notable people associated with Bruneck
- Markus LanzMarkus LanzMarkus Lanz is a German-Italian television presenter.- Life :Lanz works in Germany as television presenters. Since 2008 Lanz works for German broadcaster ZDF and presents talk show Markus Lanz. From 1998 to 2006 he lived together with television moderatorin Birgit Schrowange. They have one child...
, television presenter in Germany - Nanni MorettiNanni MorettiGiovanni "Nanni" Moretti is an Italian film director, producer, screenwriter and actor.-Life and work:Moretti was born in Bruneck, South Tyrol , in 1953 to parents who were teachers...
, film director - Manfred ReicheggerManfred ReicheggerManfred Reichegger is an Italian ski mountaineer.Reichegger was born in Bruneck. He competed first in ski mountaineering in 1999 and has been member of the national team since 2002.- Selected results :* 2002:...
, ski mountaineer - Karin KnappKarin KnappKarin Knapp is an Italian female tennis player. She was ranked World No. 35 on 25 February 2008.-Career:...
, tennis player
Economy
After the war, industrial zones, workshops, and department stores were built, permitting the town considerable economic and geographic growth. In the 1960s, tourism was especially important to the town, resulting in the building of numerous new hotels and guest houses.Today Bruneck is characterizied by the manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
and service industries
Tertiary sector of industry
The tertiary sector of the economy is one of the three economic sectors, the others being the secondary sector and the primary sector .The service sector consists of the "soft" parts of the economy, i.e...
. Important tourist centers are found all around Bruneck. Especially worthy of mention is the ski resort on Kronplatz
Kronplatz
The Kronplatz is a mountain in South Tyrol, Italy.In the winter it is a ski resort and some of the lifts remain open in the summer for other activities such as walking, climbing and mountain biking.* 31 lifts...
mountain.
As of 22 October 2001, the day of the Italian population and employment census, Bruneck had 10,692 employed persons in 1,678 workplaces, making it the second-largest employer of the province. It lay only just after Brixen (Bressanone), which on census day employed 239 fewer people. Five companies in the town employ more than 250 people each, and five more companies employ more than 100 people each.
Twin towns
BrignolesBrignoles
Brignoles is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.It was the summer residence of the counts of Provence...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Groß-Gerau
Groß-Gerau
Groß-Gerau is the district seat of the Groß-Gerau district, lying in the southern Frankfurt Rhein-Main Region in Hesse, Germany, and serving as a hub for the surrounding area.-Location:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Tielt
Tielt
Tielt is a Belgian municipality in the province of West Flanders. The municipality comprises the city of Tielt proper and the towns of Aarsele, Kanegem, and Schuiferskapelle.-History:Some traces of Gallo-Roman occupation have been found in this area...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Szamotuły, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
Sports
The locality is home to HC Val Pusteria (), a professional ice hockeyIce hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team currently playing in the country's top division, Serie A1.