Gloggnitz
Encyclopedia
Gloggnitz is a mountain town in the Neunkirchen
district of Lower Austria
, Austria
.
Gloggnitz is situated in the south-western part of the Vienna Basin in Lower Austria
. It is surrounded by the highest mountains in Lower Austria, Mount Rax
(2007m / 6585 ft) and Mount Schneeberg
(2076m / 6811 ft). The town is also a major traffic junction: Gloggnitz is situated on the main Südbahn
(the important rail route between Vienna
and Trieste
in Italy
) and the key S6 motorway .
Gloggnitz is famous for producing two of Austria's most distinguished Federal Presidents. Federal President Dr Michael Hainisch
(1858 - 1940) and the Chancellor of State and later Federal President Dr Karl Renner
(1870 - 1950) were both Gloggnitz citizens. Dr Karl Renner spent 42 years of his life in Gloggnitz (up until his death in 1950). On the occasion of the anniversary of his hundredth birthday a monument was erected in Dr Karl Renner Square. A museum in his former residence also commemorates the life of this highly respected former Gloggnitz resident.
Gloggnitz Provostry is a former medieval (gothic) Catholic
monastery
and a later secularised (baroque) complex of buildings, including the old Catholic parish church of Gloggnitz. It was also the home of the nationally renowned exhibition, "Lower Austrian Landesausstellung 1992“.
. It was completed in 1962.
is a baroque
manor-house and the birthplace of Dr. Michael Hainisch
, the first Federal President of the First Republic of Austria. Unfortunately the building is now in ruins.
was premiered by an ensemble, conducted by Count Francis of Walsegg-Stuppach, the sponsor of the now world-famous Requiem. The palace was restored in 1996.
, the first Federal President of the Second Republic of Austria.
word "Klokati", which means "bubble" or "murmur", and was first mentioned in 1094. "Clocniza" or "Glocniza" means "Murmuring River".
Monks from the Bavaria
n monastery of Formbach built a hermitage near the River Schwarza. This led to the establishment of a provostry for Gloggnitz. In the 15th century the monks and local inhabitants were active farmers, craftsmen and wine makers. Later climate changes made the conditions for wine making less favourable and as a consequence unprofitable.
For over 900 years (until the 19th century) the economic and social life of Gloggnitz and its local area was highly influenced and controlled by the monasterial lords of the manor. The town's favourable position on the strategic arterial route from Lower Austria to Italy encouraged colonisation and the small village of Gloggnitz grew. Gloggnitz also achieved the distinction of being able to hold its own market.
In 1660 Emperor Leopold I
visited Gloggnitz. When the French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte
travelled south across the Semmering
Pass in 1809, he also made a short overnight stay in Gloggnitz. On 17 August 1841 Emperor Ferdinand I
opened the new Semmering Pass Road. Other visits by famous persons to Gloggnitz include: Emperor Francis Joseph I
(1850 and 1854), Crown Prince Rudolph and his wife Princess Gisela (1862).
The building of the Semmering Railway
encouraged further progress. Over 150 years ago, on the 5 May 1842, the first train on the "Südbahn" arrived in Gloggnitz. In its earliest years the railway opened up the mountain scenery to the people of Vienna. Thousands of tourists visited Gloggnitz and went hiking around Vienna's so-called "Home Mountains“, Mount Rax and Mount Schneeberg. In 1854 the railway passage over Semmering was established.
The number of Gloggnitz houses and citizens increased steadily between 1796 and 1836. Prior to the arrival of the railway, the town had a rate of growth of 11% in buildings and 14% in population. Between 1836 and 1876 the rate of new building rose to 142% and there was a huge 284% rise in the local population.
Gloggnitz was granted town status on the 5 May 1926. On the 2 January 1927 Federal President Dr Michael Hainisch, Federal Chancellor Dr Ignaz Seipel
and the then former Chancellor of State Dr Karl Renner addressed a big audience when they granted Gloggnitz the grant of privileges due to a town.
World War II and the unsettled post-war period meant many upheavals in the lives of the citizens of Gloggnitz. There were many structural changes, particularly in relation to the labour market and the development of housing. It took decades until the town regained the opportunity to take measures to boost its tourist industry.
In 1972 Gloggnitz became a member of the Semmering-Rax-Schneeberg Tourism Association. This partnership has been beneficial in promoting Gloggnitz and its surrounding area as sites of interest to both national and international visitors. The over 900 year old town of Gloggnitz is still an important traffic junction in the east of Austria and has not lost any of its geographical significance.
Alongside municipal buildings, the historical monuments of the town are also being constantly cared for and restored. A new town hall was built and opened in September 2003. In 1992 Gloggnitz was the location of Lower Austria's biggest exhibition, the "Lower Austrian Landesausstellung“. The exhibition provided funds for the full restoration of the former monastery. Today Gloggnitz Provostry is used as a "wedding castle" and site for various exhibitions.
Neunkirchen (Austrian district)
Bezirk Neunkirchen is a district of the state of Lower Austria in Austria. It is located at the south-east of the state.-Municipalities:*Altendorf*Aspang-Markt*Aspangberg-Sankt Peter*Breitenau*Breitenstein*Buchbach*Bürg-Vöstenhof*Edlitz...
district of Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
, 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...
.
Gloggnitz is situated in the south-western part of the Vienna Basin in Lower Austria
Lower Austria
Lower Austria is the northeasternmost state of the nine states in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria since 1986 is Sankt Pölten, the most recently designated capital town in Austria. The capital of Lower Austria had formerly been Vienna, even though Vienna is not officially part of Lower Austria...
. It is surrounded by the highest mountains in Lower Austria, Mount Rax
Rax
The Rax is a mountain range at the border of the Austrian federal provinces Lower Austria and Styria, situated in the Northern Limestone Alps....
(2007m / 6585 ft) and Mount Schneeberg
Schneeberg (Alps)
The Schneeberg, with its 2076 m-high summit Klosterwappen, is the highest mountain of Lower Austria, and the easternmost 2000 m-high mountain in the Alps. It is a distinctive limestone massif with steep slopes on three sides....
(2076m / 6811 ft). The town is also a major traffic junction: Gloggnitz is situated on the main Südbahn
Austrian Southern Railway
The Austrian Southern Railway was an Austrian railway company established in 1841...
(the important rail route between 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...
and Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
in Italy
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...
) and the key S6 motorway .
Gloggnitz is famous for producing two of Austria's most distinguished Federal Presidents. Federal President Dr Michael Hainisch
Michael Hainisch
Michael Hainisch was an Austrian politician, and the second President of Austria, after the fall of the monarchy at the end of World War I. He did not belong to any party and was an independent candidate...
(1858 - 1940) and the Chancellor of State and later Federal President Dr Karl Renner
Karl Renner
Karl Renner was an Austrian politician. He was born in Untertannowitz in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and died in Vienna...
(1870 - 1950) were both Gloggnitz citizens. Dr Karl Renner spent 42 years of his life in Gloggnitz (up until his death in 1950). On the occasion of the anniversary of his hundredth birthday a monument was erected in Dr Karl Renner Square. A museum in his former residence also commemorates the life of this highly respected former Gloggnitz resident.
Gloggnitz Provostry
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
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...
and a later secularised (baroque) complex of buildings, including the old Catholic parish church of Gloggnitz. It was also the home of the nationally renowned exhibition, "Lower Austrian Landesausstellung 1992“.
Christ the King Church
This is the new Catholic parish church, designed by the world-famous Austrian architect Prof Clemens HolzmeisterClemens Holzmeister
Clemens Holzmeister was a prominent Austrian architect and stage designer of the early twentieth century. The Austrian Academy of Fine Arts listed his life's work as containing 673 projects. He is the father of Judith Holzmeister.Holzmeister was born in the village of Fulpmes in the Tyrol state of...
. It was completed in 1962.
St Othmar's Chapel
This is one of Gloggnitz's oldest buildings [the estimated date of construction lies between 1001 and 1102 A.D. (dependent upon different historical appraisals)]. It is situated in the town centre (Hauptplatz).The Aue Herrenhaus
The HerrenhausHerrenhaus
The German term Herrenhaus is equivalent to the English House of Lords and describes roughly similar institutions as the English House of Lords in German-speaking countries.More specifically, Herrenhaus, can refer to either of the following:...
is a baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
manor-house and the birthplace of Dr. Michael Hainisch
Michael Hainisch
Michael Hainisch was an Austrian politician, and the second President of Austria, after the fall of the monarchy at the end of World War I. He did not belong to any party and was an independent candidate...
, the first Federal President of the First Republic of Austria. Unfortunately the building is now in ruins.
Stuppach Palace
Stuppach Palace is the place where possibly a primal chamber musical version of Mozart's RequiemRequiem (Mozart)
The Requiem Mass in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed in Vienna in 1791 and left unfinished at the composer's death. A completion by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who had anonymously commissioned the piece for a requiem Mass to commemorate the...
was premiered by an ensemble, conducted by Count Francis of Walsegg-Stuppach, the sponsor of the now world-famous Requiem. The palace was restored in 1996.
The Renner Museum
This was the former residential mansion of Karl RennerKarl Renner
Karl Renner was an Austrian politician. He was born in Untertannowitz in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and died in Vienna...
, the first Federal President of the Second Republic of Austria.
Economy and Industry
There have been vast changes in all branches of the Gloggnitz economy within the past 30 years. Within this period Gloggnitz developed from a local commercial centre and railway junction into an economically pulsing town. Today Gloggnitz can be proud of several internationally-active companies, employing hundreds of people.History
The place name "Gloggnitz" descends from the SlavicSlavic 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...
word "Klokati", which means "bubble" or "murmur", and was first mentioned in 1094. "Clocniza" or "Glocniza" means "Murmuring River".
Monks from the 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...
n monastery of Formbach built a hermitage near the River Schwarza. This led to the establishment of a provostry for Gloggnitz. In the 15th century the monks and local inhabitants were active farmers, craftsmen and wine makers. Later climate changes made the conditions for wine making less favourable and as a consequence unprofitable.
For over 900 years (until the 19th century) the economic and social life of Gloggnitz and its local area was highly influenced and controlled by the monasterial lords of the manor. The town's favourable position on the strategic arterial route from Lower Austria to Italy encouraged colonisation and the small village of Gloggnitz grew. Gloggnitz also achieved the distinction of being able to hold its own market.
In 1660 Emperor Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
visited Gloggnitz. When the French conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte
Napoleon I of France
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
travelled south across the Semmering
Semmering
For the town of the same name, see Semmering, Austria.Semmering is a mountain pass in the Eastern Northern Limestone Alps connecting Lower Austria and Styria, between which it forms a natural border.-Location:...
Pass in 1809, he also made a short overnight stay in Gloggnitz. On 17 August 1841 Emperor Ferdinand I
Ferdinand I of Austria
Ferdinand I was Emperor of Austria, President of the German Confederation, King of Hungary and Bohemia , as well as associated dominions from the death of his father, Francis II, Holy Roman Emperor, until his abdication after the Revolutions of 1848.He married Maria Anna of Savoy, the sixth child...
opened the new Semmering Pass Road. Other visits by famous persons to Gloggnitz include: Emperor Francis Joseph I
Franz Joseph I of Austria
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, King of Croatia, Apostolic King of Hungary, King of Galicia and Lodomeria and Grand Duke of Cracow from 1848 until his death in 1916.In the December of 1848, Emperor Ferdinand I of Austria abdicated the throne as part of...
(1850 and 1854), Crown Prince Rudolph and his wife Princess Gisela (1862).
Tourism
Semmering Railway
The Semmering railway, Austria, which starts at Gloggnitz and leads over the Semmering to Mürzzuschlag was the first mountain railway in Europe built with a standard gauge track. It is commonly referred to as the world's first true mountain railway, given the very difficult terrain and the...
encouraged further progress. Over 150 years ago, on the 5 May 1842, the first train on the "Südbahn" arrived in Gloggnitz. In its earliest years the railway opened up the mountain scenery to the people of Vienna. Thousands of tourists visited Gloggnitz and went hiking around Vienna's so-called "Home Mountains“, Mount Rax and Mount Schneeberg. In 1854 the railway passage over Semmering was established.
The number of Gloggnitz houses and citizens increased steadily between 1796 and 1836. Prior to the arrival of the railway, the town had a rate of growth of 11% in buildings and 14% in population. Between 1836 and 1876 the rate of new building rose to 142% and there was a huge 284% rise in the local population.
Gloggnitz was granted town status on the 5 May 1926. On the 2 January 1927 Federal President Dr Michael Hainisch, Federal Chancellor Dr Ignaz Seipel
Ignaz Seipel
Ignaz Seipel was an Austrian prelate and politician who served as Chancellor during the 1920s.-Career:Seipel studied theology at the University of Vienna and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1899...
and the then former Chancellor of State Dr Karl Renner addressed a big audience when they granted Gloggnitz the grant of privileges due to a town.
World War II and the unsettled post-war period meant many upheavals in the lives of the citizens of Gloggnitz. There were many structural changes, particularly in relation to the labour market and the development of housing. It took decades until the town regained the opportunity to take measures to boost its tourist industry.
In 1972 Gloggnitz became a member of the Semmering-Rax-Schneeberg Tourism Association. This partnership has been beneficial in promoting Gloggnitz and its surrounding area as sites of interest to both national and international visitors. The over 900 year old town of Gloggnitz is still an important traffic junction in the east of Austria and has not lost any of its geographical significance.
Alongside municipal buildings, the historical monuments of the town are also being constantly cared for and restored. A new town hall was built and opened in September 2003. In 1992 Gloggnitz was the location of Lower Austria's biggest exhibition, the "Lower Austrian Landesausstellung“. The exhibition provided funds for the full restoration of the former monastery. Today Gloggnitz Provostry is used as a "wedding castle" and site for various exhibitions.
External links
- Homepage of Gloggnitz - pictures of the sights and buildings of Gloggnitz
- Virtual tour through Gloggnitz
- Gloggnitz pictures and a visit in a restaurant