Burghausen, Altötting
Encyclopedia
Burghausen is the largest city
in the Altötting
district of Oberbayern in Germany
. It is situated on the Salzach
river, near the border with Austria
. Its castle, atop a ridge, is the longest castle in Europe (1,043 m).
The oldest mention of Burghausen is documented in the year 1025 as Imperial real property
. Emperor Conrad II
would later appoint the Counts of Burghausen as the financial administrators of the locality. But, as latest excavations have shown, the area around the main court of Burghausen's castle
has at least been inhabited since the Bronze Age
. With Archaeologists finding as well remnants of the Iron Age
, Celtic and Roman
Times, it is hard to pinpoint a "founding" date. The town has obviously developed over thousands of years, but it is not possible to say if there has been a permanent settlement.
In 1164, Duke Henry the Lion
took possession of the castle. The Wittelsbach
s took possession of the castle in 1180 and the surrounding valley settlements in 1229. The conferral of town status was presumed at some point, but is not supported by sources. Starting in 1255, after the first division of Bavaria
, Burghausen gained political and economic prominence as the second residence of the Lower Bavaria
n dukes.
Burghausen's main source of income was the trade in salt from Hallein
, (modern-day Austria). The salt was brought ashore in Burghausen and transported further overland. The landing spot was at the Mautner castle, which now houses the city's education and cultural centre, hosting adult education classes in photography and jazz
as well as crafts and jazz events.
In 1307, the pre-existing local law was codified as municipal law
, and in the first half of the 14th century, Emperor Louis IV
granted the town further important privileges. By the end of the 14th century, Burghausen had become an administrative center as the site of the area's revenue office.
Under the last three Lower Bavarian dukes, Henry XVI the Rich
(1393–1450), Louis IX the Rich (1450–1479) and George the Rich
, (1479–1503), Burghausen experienced an expansion and golden age
as the second capital of the duchy Bavaria-Landshut
. In 1505, after the Landshut War of Succession
, Burghausen was one of the four revenue offices in reorganized Bavaria.
The income from the salt trade was lost in 1594 because of the establishment of the ducal salt monopoly.
Following this, Burghausen experienced more than 300 years of administrative and commercial decline:
By the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th, Burghausen had become an impoverished provincial town with barely 2,500 inhabitants. However, an economic upturn began in 1915 with the establishment of Wacker Chemical Enterprises, Inc:
is the picturesque Old Town in southern Inn-Salzach style. The parish church St. Jakob was consecrated in 1140, reconstructed after a fire in 1353 but the dome of the spire was created only in 1778/81. The ancient Regierungsgebäude (former Government Building) was built in the 16th century with three decorative Renaissance-turrets. The Townhall with its Classicistic facade originates already from the 14th and 15th century. These buildings are all situated at Burghausen's grand central square Stadtplatz. To the north of this square is the former Jesuit church St.Joseph (1630/31), to the south the Holy Spirit Church (1325/30) which was altered during the Baroque. Upside the Old Town sprawls the gothic Burghausen Castle
. The baroque pilgrimage church St. Maria Himmelfahrt is situated in Marienberg a little distance outside in the southwest.
City
A city is a relatively large and permanent settlement. Although there is no agreement on how a city is distinguished from a town within general English language meanings, many cities have a particular administrative, legal, or historical status based on local law.For example, in the U.S...
in the Altötting
Altötting (district)
Altötting is a district in Bavaria, Germany. It is bounded by Austria and the Bavarian districts of Traunstein, Mühldorf and Rottal-Inn.- History :...
district of Oberbayern in 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...
. It is situated on the Salzach
Salzach
The Salzach is a river in Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Inn and is 225 kilometres in length.The river's name is derived from the German word Salz, meaning "salt". Until the 19th century shipping of salt down the river was an important part of the local economy...
river, near the border with Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. Its castle, atop a ridge, is the longest castle in Europe (1,043 m).
History
Real property
In English Common Law, real property, real estate, realty, or immovable property is any subset of land that has been legally defined and the improvements to it made by human efforts: any buildings, machinery, wells, dams, ponds, mines, canals, roads, various property rights, and so forth...
. Emperor Conrad II
Conrad II, Holy Roman Emperor
Conrad II was Holy Roman Emperor from 1027 until his death.The son of a mid-level nobleman in Franconia, Count Henry of Speyer and Adelaide of Alsace, he inherited the titles of count of Speyer and of Worms as an infant when Henry died at age twenty...
would later appoint the Counts of Burghausen as the financial administrators of the locality. But, as latest excavations have shown, the area around the main court of Burghausen's castle
Burghausen Castle
The Burghausen Castle in Burghausen, Upper Bavaria is the longest castle complex in Europe .-History:The castle hill was already settled in the Bronze Age. The castle was transferred to the Wittelsbachs after the death of the last count of Burghausen Gebhard II in 1168...
has at least been inhabited since the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
. With Archaeologists finding as well remnants of the Iron Age
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
, Celtic and Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
Times, it is hard to pinpoint a "founding" date. The town has obviously developed over thousands of years, but it is not possible to say if there has been a permanent settlement.
In 1164, Duke Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion
Henry the Lion was a member of the Welf dynasty and Duke of Saxony, as Henry III, from 1142, and Duke of Bavaria, as Henry XII, from 1156, which duchies he held until 1180....
took possession of the castle. The Wittelsbach
Wittelsbach
The Wittelsbach family is a European royal family and a German dynasty from Bavaria.Members of the family served as Dukes, Electors and Kings of Bavaria , Counts Palatine of the Rhine , Margraves of Brandenburg , Counts of Holland, Hainaut and Zeeland , Elector-Archbishops of Cologne , Dukes of...
s took possession of the castle in 1180 and the surrounding valley settlements in 1229. The conferral of town status was presumed at some point, but is not supported by sources. Starting in 1255, after the first division of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Burghausen gained political and economic prominence as the second residence of the Lower Bavaria
Lower Bavaria
Lower Bavaria is one of the seven administrative regions of Bavaria, Germany, located in the east of the state.- Geography :Lower Bavaria is subdivided into two regions - Landshut and Donau-Wald. Recent election results mark it as the most conservative part of Germany, generally giving huge...
n dukes.
Burghausen's main source of income was the trade in salt from Hallein
Hallein
Hallein is a historic town in the Austrian state of Salzburg, the capital of the Hallein district. It is located in the Tennengau region south of the City of Salzburg, along the Salzach river in the shadow of the Untersberg massif, near the border with Germany. With a population of c...
, (modern-day Austria). The salt was brought ashore in Burghausen and transported further overland. The landing spot was at the Mautner castle, which now houses the city's education and cultural centre, hosting adult education classes in photography and jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
as well as crafts and jazz events.
In 1307, the pre-existing local law was codified as municipal law
Municipal law
Municipal law is the national, domestic, or internal law of a sovereign state defined in opposition to international law. Municipal law includes not only law at the national level, but law at the state, provincial, territorial, regional or local levels...
, and in the first half of the 14th century, Emperor Louis IV
Louis IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Louis IV , called the Bavarian, of the house of Wittelsbach, was the King of Germany from 1314, the King of Italy from 1327 and the Holy Roman Emperor from 1328....
granted the town further important privileges. By the end of the 14th century, Burghausen had become an administrative center as the site of the area's revenue office.
Under the last three Lower Bavarian dukes, Henry XVI the Rich
Henry XVI of Bavaria
Henry XVI of Bavaria , , since 1393 Duke of Bavaria-Landshut. He was a son of duke Frederick and his wife Maddalena Visconti, a daughter of Bernabò Visconti.-Life:...
(1393–1450), Louis IX the Rich (1450–1479) and George the Rich
George of Bavaria
George of Bavaria referred to as the Rich , was the last Duke of Bavaria-Landshut...
, (1479–1503), Burghausen experienced an expansion and golden age
Golden Age (metaphor)
A golden age is a period in a field of endeavour when great tasks were accomplished. The term originated from early Greek and Roman poets who used to refer to a time when mankind lived in a better time and was pure .-Golden Age in society:...
as the second capital of the duchy Bavaria-Landshut
Bavaria-Landshut
-History:The creation of the duchy was the result of the death of Emperor Louis IV the Bavarian. In the Treaty of Landsberg 1349, which divided up Louis's empire, his sons Stephen, William, and Albert were to receive jointly Lower Bavaria and the Netherlands. Four years later the inheritance was...
. In 1505, after the Landshut War of Succession
Landshut War of Succession
The Landshut War of Succession resulted from an agreement between the duchies of Bavaria-Munich and Bavaria-Landshut . The agreement concerned the law of succession when one of the two Dukes should die without a male heir...
, Burghausen was one of the four revenue offices in reorganized Bavaria.
The income from the salt trade was lost in 1594 because of the establishment of the ducal salt monopoly.
Following this, Burghausen experienced more than 300 years of administrative and commercial decline:
- Heavy casualties and losses in the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' WarThe Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
(1618–48), the War of the Spanish SuccessionWar of the Spanish SuccessionThe War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
(1701–14) and the War of the Bavarian Succession (1778–79). - The transfer of the InnviertelInnviertelThe Innviertel is a traditional Austrian region south-east of the Inn river. It forms the western part of the state of Upper Austria and borders the German state of Bavaria...
in the Treaty of TeschenTreaty of TeschenThe Treaty of Teschen was signed on May 13, 1779, in Cieszyn , Austrian Silesia, between Austria and Prussia, which officially ended the War of the Bavarian Succession sparked by the death of Elector Maximilian III Joseph...
at the end of the War of the Bavarian Succession, and the consequent loss of business from the border region. - The crisis caused by the French Revolutionary WarsFrench Revolutionary WarsThe French Revolutionary Wars were a series of major conflicts, from 1792 until 1802, fought between the French Revolutionary government and several European states...
and dissolution of government in 1802. - In 1807, the loss of the title of "capital" which had been granted in 1688.
- The establishment of river shipping and the loss of the garrison in 1891.
By the end of the 19th century and beginning of the 20th, Burghausen had become an impoverished provincial town with barely 2,500 inhabitants. However, an economic upturn began in 1915 with the establishment of Wacker Chemical Enterprises, Inc:
- The new city has developed alongside the old town, with a coherence of design, reorganization and increased security from the construction of the flood control dam and the Uferstraße from 1969-71.
- Expansion of Wacker Chemical Enterprises, Inc. In 1966, the then Deutsche Marathon built a refinery (now OMVOMVOMV is Austria's largest oil-producing, refining and gas station operating company with important activities in other Central European countries...
).
- The population has increased from 2,500 in 1910 and 5,000 in 1946 to 19,000 (2005).
- Burghausen gained regional fame through the SV Wacker Burghausen Soccer Sports Association and the annual Burghausen international jazz festival.
- In 2004, the National Horticultural Show received approximately one million visitors.
- In the winter of 2005-2006, the town gave Christmas benefits to all of its unemployment benefit recipients, gaining nationwide attention in all news media, including the BildBild-ZeitungThe Bild is a German tabloid published by Axel Springer AG. The paper is published from Monday to Saturday, while on Sundays, Bild am Sonntag is published instead, which has a different style and its own editors...
tabloid newspaper.
Main sights
The main sight of Burghausen besides the Burghausen CastleBurghausen Castle
The Burghausen Castle in Burghausen, Upper Bavaria is the longest castle complex in Europe .-History:The castle hill was already settled in the Bronze Age. The castle was transferred to the Wittelsbachs after the death of the last count of Burghausen Gebhard II in 1168...
is the picturesque Old Town in southern Inn-Salzach style. The parish church St. Jakob was consecrated in 1140, reconstructed after a fire in 1353 but the dome of the spire was created only in 1778/81. The ancient Regierungsgebäude (former Government Building) was built in the 16th century with three decorative Renaissance-turrets. The Townhall with its Classicistic facade originates already from the 14th and 15th century. These buildings are all situated at Burghausen's grand central square Stadtplatz. To the north of this square is the former Jesuit church St.Joseph (1630/31), to the south the Holy Spirit Church (1325/30) which was altered during the Baroque. Upside the Old Town sprawls the gothic Burghausen Castle
Burghausen Castle
The Burghausen Castle in Burghausen, Upper Bavaria is the longest castle complex in Europe .-History:The castle hill was already settled in the Bronze Age. The castle was transferred to the Wittelsbachs after the death of the last count of Burghausen Gebhard II in 1168...
. The baroque pilgrimage church St. Maria Himmelfahrt is situated in Marienberg a little distance outside in the southwest.