Frastanz is a market town

Market town

Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...

 in the Feldkirch district

Feldkirch (district)

The Bezirk Feldkirch is an administrative district in Vorarlberg, Austria.Area of the district is 278.26 km², population is 98,717 , and population density 350 persons per km²...

, in Vorarlberg

Vorarlberg

Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal-state of Austria. Although it is the second smallest in terms of area and population , it borders three countries: Germany , Switzerland and Liechtenstein...

, 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...

. It used to be known for its production of tobacco.

Geography

Frastanz is located on the western border of Austria, at 510 meters above sea level. It is 32.25 square km in area. 61.2% of the area is wooded.

History

In ancient times, Frastanz was situated on a Roman Road

Roman road

The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...

. It was also the site of the Battle of Frastanz

Battle of Frastanz

The Battle of Frastanz between an army of the Old Swiss Confederacy and the troops of king Maximilian I of the Holy Roman Empire took place on April 20, 1499. In one of the many raids of the Swabian War, an expedition of Habsburg troops had plundered some villages in the Swiss Confederacy, who...

 in 1499.

Demographics evolution

• 1971: 5,174 people
• 1981: 5,413 people
• 1991: 5,881 people
• 2001: 6,214 people

Politics

The local council consists of 27 members. Fifteen seats belong to the Austrian People's Party

Austrian People's Party

The Austrian People's Party is a Christian democratic and conservative political party in Austria. A successor to the Christian Social Party of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, it is similar to the Christian Democratic Union of Germany in terms of ideology...

, 8 belong to the Social Democratic Party of Austria

Social Democratic Party of Austria

The Social Democratic Party of Austria is one of the oldest political parties in Austria. The SPÖ is one of the two major parties in Austria, and has ties to trade unions and the Austrian Chamber of Labour. The SPÖ is among the few mainstream European social-democratic parties that have preserved...

, and 4 belong to the Freedom Party of Austria

Freedom Party of Austria

The Freedom Party of Austria is a political party in Austria. Ideologically, the party is a direct descendant of the German national liberal camp, which dates back to the 1848 revolutions. The FPÖ itself was founded in 1956 as the successor to the short-lived Federation of Independents , which had...

. The current mayor is Eugen Gabriel.

External links

• Official Website