Friesach
Encyclopedia
Friesach is a historic town in the Sankt Veit an der Glan
district of Carinthia
, Austria
. First mentioned in a 860 deed, it is known as the oldest town in Carinthia.
.
n: Friesach, St. Salvator and Zeltschach.
It can be further divided into Friesach proper and the villages and hamlets of Dobritsch, Dörfl, Engelsdorf, Gaisberg, Grafendorf, Guldendorf, Gundersdorf, Gunzenberg, Gwerz, Harold, Hartmannsdorf, Hundsdorf, Ingolsthal, Judendorf, Kräuping, Leimersberg, Mayerhofen, Moserwinkl, Oberdorf I, Oberdorf II, Olsa, Pabenberg, Reisenberg, Roßbach, Sattelbogen, Schratzbach, Schwall, Silbermann, St. Johann, St. Salvator, St. Stefan, Staudachhof, Stegsdorf, Timrian, Wagendorf, Wels, Wiegen, Wiesen, Zeltschach, Zeltschachberg, Zienitzen, Zmuck.
of East Francia donated the lands of the estate ad Friesah - derived from Slavic
Breza (birch
) - in the Bavarian March of Carinthia
(Carantania) to Archbishop Adalwin of Salzburg
. From about 740 Bavarians
had crossed the Central Eastern Alps
and settled among the Slavic Carantanians.
After the formation of the Duchy of Carinthia
in 976, Friesach remained a southern Salzburg exclave and a strategically important outpost. About 1076 Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg
, a follower of Pope Gregory VII
in the Investiture Controversy
, had the Petersberg
fortress erected above the town in order to prevent Emperor Henry IV
from crossing the Alps. The archbishop also had fierce enemies in the Carinthian ducal House of Sponheim
, who after his deposition made several attempts to take possession of Friesach. Constant attacks by Duke Engelbert
were finally rejected in 1124. In 1149 King Conrad III of Germany
stayed at the castle on his way back from the Second Crusade
, as well as Richard the Lionheart
in 1192, one more time escaping from the guards of Duke Leopold V of Austria
. The fortress continued to be an important power basis of the Salzburg prince-archbishops throughout the Middle Ages, once again enlarged and strengthened by Leonhard von Keutschach
from 1495 onwards.
The settlement of Friesach beneath Petersberg Castle received town privileges
in 1215. During the Middle Ages
, it was a principal market town
and commercial centre due to an important trade route from Vienna
to Venice
that ran through the city. The town flourished when Archbishop Eberhard II of Regensberg (1200-1246) made it the second largest city in the Archdiocese of Salzburg and the most important town in Carinthia. From local silver resources it even minted its own currency called the Friesacher Pfennig or Frizatik
, widely used within the Austrian and Hungarian
lands in the 12th century. The importance of the town diminuished with the rise of the House of Habsburg, Carinthian dukes since 1335. It nevertheless belonged to Salzburg until the secularisation
of the archbishopric in 1803, when Friesach finally fell to Carinthia.
parish church of Saint Bartholomew and its city walls are preserved in quite good condition. From the 13th century on the Salzburg Archbishops stayed at the Fürstenhof residence. Furthermore:
Sankt Veit an der Glan (district)
The District of Sankt Veit an der Glan is an administrative district in Carinthia, Austria.-Communities:The district is divided into 20 municipalities, of which 4 are towns and 9 are market towns.-Towns:*Althofen...
district of Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
, 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...
. First mentioned in a 860 deed, it is known as the oldest town in Carinthia.
Location
Friesach covers an area of 120.83 km² and its mean elevation is 631 meters above sea level. It is located in northern Carinthia near the border with Styria, about 40 km (24.9 mi) north of its capital KlagenfurtKlagenfurt
-Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters...
.
Municipal arrangement
Friesach is divided into the following KatastralgemeindeKatastralgemeinde
A Katastralgemeinde , a German word , is a cadastral subdivision of municipalities in the nations of Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, the Italian provinces of South Tyrol, Trentino, Gorizia, Trieste, and in Slovenia.A cadastral community records property ownership in a cadastre,...
n: Friesach, St. Salvator and Zeltschach.
It can be further divided into Friesach proper and the villages and hamlets of Dobritsch, Dörfl, Engelsdorf, Gaisberg, Grafendorf, Guldendorf, Gundersdorf, Gunzenberg, Gwerz, Harold, Hartmannsdorf, Hundsdorf, Ingolsthal, Judendorf, Kräuping, Leimersberg, Mayerhofen, Moserwinkl, Oberdorf I, Oberdorf II, Olsa, Pabenberg, Reisenberg, Roßbach, Sattelbogen, Schratzbach, Schwall, Silbermann, St. Johann, St. Salvator, St. Stefan, Staudachhof, Stegsdorf, Timrian, Wagendorf, Wels, Wiegen, Wiesen, Zeltschach, Zeltschachberg, Zienitzen, Zmuck.
History
In 860 King Louis the GermanLouis the German
Louis the German , also known as Louis II or Louis the Bavarian, was a grandson of Charlemagne and the third son of the succeeding Frankish Emperor Louis the Pious and his first wife, Ermengarde of Hesbaye.He received the appellation 'Germanicus' shortly after his death in recognition of the fact...
of East Francia donated the lands of the estate ad Friesah - derived from Slavic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
Breza (birch
Birch
Birch is a tree or shrub of the genus Betula , in the family Betulaceae, closely related to the beech/oak family, Fagaceae. The Betula genus contains 30–60 known taxa...
) - in the Bavarian March of Carinthia
March of Carinthia
The March of Carinthia was a frontier district of the Carolingian Empire created in 889. Before it was a march, it had been a principality or duchy ruled by native-born Slavic princes at first independently and then under Bavarian and subsequently Frankish suzerainty...
(Carantania) to Archbishop Adalwin of Salzburg
Archbishopric of Salzburg
The Archbishopric of Salzburg was an ecclesiastical State of the Holy Roman Empire, its territory roughly congruent with the present-day Austrian state of Salzburg....
. From about 740 Bavarians
Bavarii
The Bavarii were a Germanic tribe whose name emerged late in Teutonic tribal times. The full name originally was the Germanic *baio-warioz. This name has been handed down as Baiwaren, Baioaren, Bioras, latinised Bavarii, Baioarii. or Bavarii, Bavarians, Bajuwaren, Bajuvarii, Bajuwaren and Baiern....
had crossed the Central Eastern Alps
Central Eastern Alps
The Central Eastern Alps comprise the main chain of the Eastern Alps with its highest peaks, located between the Northern Limestone Alps and the Southern Limestone Alps, from which they differ in geological composition....
and settled among the Slavic Carantanians.
After the formation of the Duchy of Carinthia
Duchy of Carinthia
The Duchy of Carinthia was a duchy located in southern Austria and parts of northern Slovenia. It was separated from the Duchy of Bavaria in 976, then the first newly created Imperial State beside the original German stem duchies....
in 976, Friesach remained a southern Salzburg exclave and a strategically important outpost. About 1076 Archbishop Gebhard of Salzburg
Gebhard of Salzburg
Blessed Gebhard of Salzburg , also occasionally known as Gebhard of Helfenstein, was Archbishop of Salzburg from 1060 until his death. He was one of the fiercest opponents of King Henry IV during the Investiture Controversy....
, a follower of Pope Gregory VII
Pope Gregory VII
Pope St. Gregory VII , born Hildebrand of Sovana , was Pope from April 22, 1073, until his death. One of the great reforming popes, he is perhaps best known for the part he played in the Investiture Controversy, his dispute with Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor affirming the primacy of the papal...
in the Investiture Controversy
Investiture Controversy
The Investiture Controversy or Investiture Contest was the most significant conflict between Church and state in medieval Europe. In the 11th and 12th centuries, a series of Popes challenged the authority of European monarchies over control of appointments, or investitures, of church officials such...
, had the Petersberg
Burgruine Petersberg
Burgruine Petersberg is a castle in Carinthia, Austria.-External links:* This article was initially translated from the German Wikipedia....
fortress erected above the town in order to prevent Emperor Henry IV
Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor
Henry IV was King of the Romans from 1056 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1084 until his forced abdication in 1105. He was the third emperor of the Salian dynasty and one of the most powerful and important figures of the 11th century...
from crossing the Alps. The archbishop also had fierce enemies in the Carinthian ducal House of Sponheim
House of Sponheim
The House of Sponheim or Spanheim was a noble family of the Holy Roman Empire in the High Middle Ages. They were Dukes of Carinthia from 1122 until 1269 and Counts of Sponheim until 1437...
, who after his deposition made several attempts to take possession of Friesach. Constant attacks by Duke Engelbert
Engelbert, Duke of Carinthia
Engelbert II from the House of Sponheim was Margrave of Istria and Carniola from sometime between 1101 and 1107 until 1124...
were finally rejected in 1124. In 1149 King Conrad III of Germany
Conrad III of Germany
Conrad III was the first King of Germany of the Hohenstaufen dynasty. He was the son of Frederick I, Duke of Swabia, and Agnes, a daughter of the Salian Emperor Henry IV.-Life and reign:...
stayed at the castle on his way back from the Second Crusade
Second Crusade
The Second Crusade was the second major crusade launched from Europe. The Second Crusade was started in response to the fall of the County of Edessa the previous year to the forces of Zengi. The county had been founded during the First Crusade by Baldwin of Boulogne in 1098...
, as well as Richard the Lionheart
Richard I of England
Richard I was King of England from 6 July 1189 until his death. He also ruled as Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Lord of Cyprus, Count of Anjou, Count of Maine, Count of Nantes, and Overlord of Brittany at various times during the same period...
in 1192, one more time escaping from the guards of Duke Leopold V of Austria
Leopold V, Duke of Austria
Leopold V , the Virtuous, was a Babenberg duke of Austria from 1177 and of Styria from 1192 until his death...
. The fortress continued to be an important power basis of the Salzburg prince-archbishops throughout the Middle Ages, once again enlarged and strengthened by Leonhard von Keutschach
Leonhard von Keutschach
Leonhard von Keutschach was Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg from 1495 until his death, the last to rule in the feudal style.- Biography :...
from 1495 onwards.
The settlement of Friesach beneath Petersberg Castle received town privileges
German town law
German town law or German municipal concerns concerns town privileges used by many cities, towns, and villages throughout Central and Eastern Europe during the Middle Ages.- Town law in Germany :...
in 1215. During the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, it was a principal 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...
and commercial centre due to an important trade route from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to 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...
that ran through the city. The town flourished when Archbishop Eberhard II of Regensberg (1200-1246) made it the second largest city in the Archdiocese of Salzburg and the most important town in Carinthia. From local silver resources it even minted its own currency called the Friesacher Pfennig or Frizatik
Frizatik
Frizatik was a currency minted in Croatia in the twelfth century. It got its name after the town of Friesach in Carinthia ....
, widely used within the Austrian and Hungarian
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
lands in the 12th century. The importance of the town diminuished with the rise of the House of Habsburg, Carinthian dukes since 1335. It nevertheless belonged to Salzburg until the secularisation
German Mediatisation
The German Mediatisation was the series of mediatisations and secularisations that occurred in Germany between 1795 and 1814, during the latter part of the era of the French Revolution and then the Napoleonic Era....
of the archbishopric in 1803, when Friesach finally fell to Carinthia.
Demographics
As of the 2001 census, Friesach has 5,335 inhabitants. Of that, 89.8% are Roman Catholic, 2.6% are Evangelist and 1.5% are Muslims. 4.8% of the population is non-religious.Objects of interest
The mediæval town around the RomanesqueRomanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
parish church of Saint Bartholomew and its city walls are preserved in quite good condition. From the 13th century on the Salzburg Archbishops stayed at the Fürstenhof residence. Furthermore:
- Church of St. Blaise
- DominicanDominican OrderThe Order of Preachers , after the 15th century more commonly known as the Dominican Order or Dominicans, is a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic and approved by Pope Honorius III on 22 December 1216 in France...
monastery - Teutonic KnightsTeutonic KnightsThe Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
' church and hospital
Economy
Friesach has several small to medium-sized industries, including metalworking and textilemaking. Like most regions of Carinthia, the town mainly depends on tourism. With the Teutonic Order hospital, it is also a supraregional health centre.Municipal Council
As of the 2009 elections, Friesach's local council (Gemeinderat) consists of 23 members of the following parties:- 13 SPÖSPO- Technology :SPO: Microsoft SharePoint Online, Microsoft Cloud Computing, Office 365. See Microsoft Online Services-Economics:* Secondary Public Offering, an equity capital market instrument...
- 5 LSM (Independent)
- 3 BZÖBZOBZO can mean:* Bolzano Airport, with IATA code BZO* Alliance for the Future of Austria, abbreviated BZÖ...
- 2 BFF (Independent)
- 1 FPÖFPOFPO may refer to:*Fleet Post Office, a "city" designation in military mail *Field post office, a term for military post offices in military mail systems *For position only, a designation for placeholder graphics...
Twin towns
Friesach is twinned with:-
CormonsCormonsCormons is a comune in the Province of Gorizia in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 45 km northwest of Trieste and about 12 km west of Gorizia, on the border with Slovenia...
, ItalyItalyItaly , 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... -
Bad Griesbach, GermanyGermanyGermany , 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...
Born in Friesach
- Josef BucherJosef BucherJosef Bucher is an Austrian politician and is the leader of the Alliance for the Future of Austria . He is also a Member of Parliament for the party...
, August 19, 1965, politician - Gerda HofstatterGerda HofstatterGerda Hofstatter , nicknamed "G-Force", is a professional pool player and nine-ball champion. She won the World Nine-ball Championship in 1995; She is European Champion ten times; 1997 U.S. National Champion; and won the Austrian Championship seventeen times...
, February 9, 1971, professional billiards player - Robert StadloberRobert StadloberRobert Stadlober is an Austrian actor and musician. His sister is Anja Stadlober, also an actress.-Biography:Robert Stadlober was born 3 August 1982 in the Austrian province of Carinthia and grew up in Puchfeld in the Steiermark and in Berlin...
, August 3, 1982, actor - Jürgen SäumelJürgen SäumelJürgen Säumel is an Austrian footballer who plays as a midfielder for SK Sturm Graz.-Club career:After Säumel's contract with SK Sturm Graz expired, he decided to sign for Torino on 22 July 2008 on a three year contract.After a season with Torino and a half-year loan spell at Brescia, he signed...
, September 8, 1984, football player