Klagenfurt
Encyclopedia
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 or swamps. In Old Slovene cviljovec is a place haunted by such a wailing female ghost or cvilya. Thus they assumed that Klagenfurt's name was a translation made by the German settlers of the original Slovene name of the neighbouring wetland. However, the earliest Slovene mention of Klagenfurt in the form of "v Zelouzi" ('in Celovec', the Slovene name for Klagenfurt) dating from 1615 is 400 years more recent and thus appears to be a translation from German. The latest interpretation, on the other hand, is that the Old Slovene cviljovec itself goes back to an Italic l'aquiliu meaning a place at or in the water, which would make the wailing-hag theory obsolete.Scholars had at various times attempted to explain the city's peculiar name: In the 14th century the abbot and historiographer John of Viktring
John of Viktring
John of Viktring was a late medieval chronicler and political advisor to the rulers of Carinthia. He is also known as Johannes Victorensis, Johannes de Victoria, John of Victring, Johann von Viktring, or Joannes Victoriensis. In Slovene he is called Janez Vetrinjski.Nothing is known of John's...
translated Klagenfurt's name in his Liber certarum historiarum as Queremoniae Vadus, i.e. "ford of complaint", Hieronymus Megiser, Master of the university college of the Carinthian Estates
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
in Klagenfurt and editor of the earliest printed history of the duchy in 1612, believed to have found the origin of the name in a "ford across the River Glan", which, however, is impossible for linguistic reasons. The common people also sought an explanation: A baker's apprentice was accused of theft and executed, but when a few days afterwards the alleged theft turned out to be a mistake and the lad was proved to be totally innocent, the citizens' "lament (= 'Klagen') went forth and forth". This story was reported by Aeneas Silvius
Aeneas Silvius
Aeneas Silvius is the son of Silvius, grandson of Ascanius and great-grandson of Aeneas. He is the third in the list of the mythical kings of Alba Longa in Latium, and the Silvii regarded him as the founder of their house. Dionysius of Halicarnassus ascribes to him a reign of 31 years. Ovid does...
Piccolomini, who later became Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II
Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini was Pope from August 19, 1458 until his death in 1464. Pius II was born at Corsignano in the Sienese territory of a noble but decayed family...
.
In 2007 the city changed its official name to "Klagenfurt am Wörthersee" (i.e., Klagenfurt on Lake Wörth). However, since there are no other settlements by the name of Klagenfurt anywhere, the previous shorter name remains unambiguous.
History
Lindworm
Lindworm in British heraldry, is a technical term for a wingless bipedal dragon often with a venomous bite.-Etymology:In modern Scandinavian languages, the cognate lindorm can refer to any 'serpent' or monstrous...
", a winged dragon in the moors adjoining the lake, the staple diet
Staple food
A staple food is one that is eaten regularly and in such quantities that it constitutes a dominant portion of a diet, and that supplies a high proportion of energy and nutrient needs. Most people live on a diet based on one or more staples...
of which is said to have been virgins, but which did not spurn the fat bull on a chain that the men had mounted on a strong tower. The feat is commemorated by a grandiose 9-ton Renaissance monument in the city centre.
Historically, the place was founded by the Spanheim Duke Herman
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....
as a stronghold sited across the commercial routes in the area. Its first mention dates from the late 12th century in a document in which Duke Ulric II. exempted St. Paul's Abbey from the toll charge "in foro Chlagenvurth". That settlement occupied an area that was subject to frequent flooding, so in 1246 Duke Herman's son, Duke Bernhard von Spanheim
Bernhard von Spanheim
Bernhard von Spanheim was Duke of Carinthia for 54 years from 1202 until his death.-Family:...
moved it to a safer position and is thus considered to be the actual founder of the market place
Marketplace
A marketplace is the space, actual, virtual or metaphorical, in which a market operates. The term is also used in a trademark law context to denote the actual consumer environment, ie. the 'real world' in which products and services are provided and consumed.-Marketplaces and street markets:A...
, which in 1252 received a city charter
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
.
In the following centuries Klagenfurt suffered fires, earthquakes, invasions of locusts and attacks from Turks, and was ravaged by the Peasants' Wars
German Peasants' War
The German Peasants' War or Great Peasants' Revolt was a widespread popular revolt in the German-speaking areas of Central Europe, 1524–1526. At its height in the spring and summer of 1525, the conflict involved an estimated 300,000 peasants: contemporary estimates put the dead at 100,000...
. In 1514 a fire almost completely destroyed the city, and in 1518 Emperor Maximilian I
Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor
Maximilian I , the son of Frederick III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Portugal, was King of the Romans from 1486 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1493 until his death, though he was never in fact crowned by the Pope, the journey to Rome always being too risky...
, unable to rebuild it, despite the loud protests of the burgers, ceded Klagenfurt to the Estates
Estates of the realm
The Estates of the realm were the broad social orders of the hierarchically conceived society, recognized in the Middle Ages and Early Modern period in Christian Europe; they are sometimes distinguished as the three estates: the clergy, the nobility, and commoners, and are often referred to by...
, the nobility of the Duchy. Never before had such a thing happened. The new owners, however, brought about an economic renaissance and the political and cultural ascendancy of Klagenfurt. A canal was dug to connect the city to the lake as a supply route for timber to rebuild the city and to feed the city's new moats; the noble families had their town houses built in the duchy's new capital, the city was enlarged along a geometrical chequer-board lay-out according to the Renaissance ideas of the Italian architect Domenico dell'Allio
Domenico dell'Allio
Domenico dell'Allio was an Italian architect. He is most known for his work in the Landhaus of Graz .- External links :*...
; a new city centre square, the Neuer Platz, was constructed; and the new fortifications that took half a century to build made Klagenfurt the strongest fortress north of the Alps.
In 1809
War of the Fifth Coalition
The War of the Fifth Coalition, fought in the year 1809, pitted a coalition of the Austrian Empire and the United Kingdom against Napoleon's French Empire and Bavaria. Major engagements between France and Austria, the main participants, unfolded over much of Central Europe from April to July, with...
, however, the French troops under Napoleon
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...
destroyed the city walls
Defensive wall
A defensive wall is a fortification used to protect a city or settlement from potential aggressors. In ancient to modern times, they were used to enclose settlements...
, leaving, against a large sum collected by the citizens, only one eastern gate (which was pulled down to make way for traffic some decades later), and the small stretch in the west which is now all that is left of the once grand fortifications. In 1863 the railway connection to St. Veit an der Glan
Sankt Veit an der Glan
Sankt Veit an der Glan is a town in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is the capital of a district with the same name.-Location:This town is a major point on the Glan River in the north of the Zollfeld Valley....
boosted the city's economy and so did the building of the Vienna-Trieste railway that brought the city an imposing central station
Central station
A central station usually designates the principal passenger railway station of cities which have multiple stations. The central station functions as the main transport hub for rail transport, normally with interchange with other modes of public transport...
(destroyed in World War II) and made Klagenfurt the absolute centre of the region.
During the 19th century, the city developed into an important centre of Carinthian Slovene
Carinthian Slovenes
Carinthian Slovenes are the Slovene-speaking population group in the Austrian State of Carinthia. The Carinthian Slovenes send representatives to the National Ethnic Groups Advisory Council...
culture. Many important Slovene public figures lived, studied or worked in Klagenfurt, among them Anton Martin Slomšek
Anton Martin Slomšek
Anton Martin Slomšek was a Slovene bishop, author, poet, and advocate of Slovene culture.Slomšek was born to a peasant family in the hamlet of Slom near the village of Ponikva in the Municipality of Šentjur, Lower Styria. He studied theology and philosophy before being ordained in 1824 at the...
, who later became the first bishop of Maribor and was beatified in 1999, the philologists Jurij Japelj
Jurij Japelj
Jurij Japelj, also known in German as Georg Japel was a Slovene Jesuit priest, translator and philologist. He was part of the Zois circle, a group of Carniolan scholars and intellectuals that were instrumental in the spread of Enlightenment ideas in the Slovene Lands...
and Anton Janežič
Anton Janežic
Anton Janežič, also known in German as Anton Janeschitz was a Carinthian Slovene linguist, philologist, author, editor, literary historian and critic.- Life :...
, the politician Andrej Einspieler
Andrej Einspieler
Andrej Einspieler was a Slovene politician, Roman Catholic priest and publicist, and one of the early leaders of the Old Slovene national movement in the 19th century. He was known as the "father of the Carinthian Slovenes"....
, and the activist Matija Majar
Matija Majar
Matija Majar, also spelled Majer was a Carinthian Slovene Roman Catholic priest and political activist, most famous as the author of the idea of a United Slovenia...
. The Slovene national poet France Prešeren
France Prešeren
France Prešeren was a Slovene Romantic poet. He is considered the Slovene national poet. Although he was not a particularly prolific author, he inspired virtually all Slovene literature thereafter....
also spent a short part of his professional career there. On the initiative of bishop Slomšek
Anton Martin Slomšek
Anton Martin Slomšek was a Slovene bishop, author, poet, and advocate of Slovene culture.Slomšek was born to a peasant family in the hamlet of Slom near the village of Ponikva in the Municipality of Šentjur, Lower Styria. He studied theology and philosophy before being ordained in 1824 at the...
, teacher Anton Janežič and vicar Andrej Einspieler on 27 July 1851 in Klagenfurt the Hermagoras Society publishing house was founded, which in 1919 moved to Prevalje and then in 1927 to Celje, but was re-established in Klagenfurt in 1947. Several Slovene language newspapers were also published in the city, among them the Slovenski glasnik
Slovenski glasnik
Slovenski glasnik was a Slovene-language magazine published monthly from 1858 till 1869. It was edited by Anton Janežič and published in Klagenfurt, then in the Duchy of Carinthia...
. By the late 19th century, however, the Slovene cultural and political influence in Klagenfurt had declined sharply, and by the end of World War One
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...
, the city showed an overwhelmingly Austrian German character.
Nevertheless, in 1919, the city was occupied by the Army of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
and claimed for the newly-founded South-Slav kingdom. In 1920, the Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
occupying forces withdrew from the town centre, but remained in its southern suburbs, such as Viktring and Ebenthal. They eventually withdrew after the Carinthian Plebiscite
Carinthian Plebiscite
The Carinthian Plebiscite on 10 October 1920 determined the final southern border between the Republic of Austria and the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes after World War I.- History :...
in October 1920, when the majority of voters in the Carinthian mixed-language Zone A decided to remain part of Austria.
In 1938 Klagenfurt's population suddenly grew by more than 50% through the incorporation of the town of St. Ruprecht and the municipalities of St. Peter, Annabichl, and St. Martin. But during WWII
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 city was bombed 41 times, the bombs killing 612 people, completely destroying 443 buildings, and damaging 1,132 others. 110,000 cubic metres of rubble had to be removed before the citizens could set about rebuilding their city.
In order to avoid further destruction and a major bloodshed, on May 3, 1945 General Löhr of Army Group
Army group
An army group is a military organization consisting of several field armies, which is self-sufficient for indefinite periods. It is usually responsible for a particular geographic area...
E (Heeresgruppe E) had agreed to declare Klagenfurt an "open city
Open city
In war, in the event of the imminent capture of a city, the government/military structure of the nation that controls the city will sometimes declare it an open city, thus announcing that they have abandoned all defensive efforts....
" "in case Anglo-American forces should attack the city", a declaration that was broadcast several times and two days later also published in the Kärntner Nachrichten.
On 8 May 1945, 9:30 a.m., British troops
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
of the Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
under General McCreery
Richard McCreery
General Sir Richard Loudon McCreery GCB, KBE, DSO, MC , was a British career soldier, who was Chief of Staff to Field Marshal Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis, at the time of the Second Battle of El Alamein and later commanded the British Eighth Army in Northern Italy during...
entered Klagenfurt and were met in front of Stauderhaus by the new democratic city and state authorities. All the strategic positions and important buildings were immediately seized, and Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Horatius Murray was taken to General Noeldechen for the official surrender of the 438th German Division. Three hours later groups of partisans arrived on a train which they had seized in the Rosental valley
Feistritz im Rosental
Feistritz im Rosental is a market town in the district of Klagenfurt-Land in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is located on the northern slope of the Karawanken mountain range in the Rosental, a valley of the Drava River. According to the 2001 census 13.3% of the population are Carinthian...
the day before, and Yugoslav regular forces of the IVth army moved in at the same time, both claiming the city with its South Carinthian hinterland and immediately establishing a Komanda staba za Koroška, afterwards named the "Commandantura of the Carinthian Military Zone" under Major Egon Remec after they had made their way through the streets jammed with tens of thousands of Volksdeutsche
Volksdeutsche
Volksdeutsche - "German in terms of people/folk" -, defined ethnically, is a historical term from the 20th century. The words volk and volkische conveyed in Nazi thinking the meanings of "folk" and "race" while adding the sense of superior civilization and blood...
refugees and masses of soldiers of all the nationalities that had been fighting under German command and were now fleeing the Russians. On Neuer Platz - renamed "Adolf Hitler Platz" in 1938 - British armoured vehicles are said to have faced allied Yugoslav ones in a hostile way, which would have been a curious spectacle for the liberated burghers, but this is probably one more of those modern legends.
From the beginning of 1945, when the end of the war was rather obvious, numerous talks among representatives of democratic pre-1934 organisations had taken place, which later extended to high-ranking officers of the Wehrmacht and officials of the administration. Even representatives of the partisans in the hills south of Klagenfurt were met who, in view of the strong SS-forces in Klagenfurt, agreed not to attempt to take the city by force, but upheld the official declaration that Carinthia was to be a Yugoslav possession.
On May 7, a committee convened in the historic Landhaus building of the Gau
Reichsgau
A Reichsgau was an administrative subdivision created in a number of the areas annexed to Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1945...
authorities in order to form a Provisional State government, and one of the numerous decisions taken was a proclamation to the "People of Carinthia" reporting the resignation of the Gauleiter
Gauleiter
A Gauleiter was the party leader of a regional branch of the NSDAP or the head of a Gau or of a Reichsgau.-Creation and Early Usage:...
and Reichsstatthalter
Reichsstatthalter
The term Reichsstatthalter was used twice for different offices, in the imperial Hohenzollern dynasty's German Empire and the single-party Nazi Third Reich.- "Statthalter des Reiches" 1879-1918 in Alsace-Lorraine :...
Friedrich Rainer
Friedrich Rainer
Friedrich W. Rainer was a leader in the Nazi Party, as well as an Austrian State governor of Salzburg and Carinthia. He is the only Austrian governor who has ever held the same office in two separate states...
, the transfer of power to the new authorities, and an appeal to the people to decorate their homes with Austrian or Carinthian colours, which was printed in the Kärntner Zeitung of May 8. When on the following day Yugoslav military demanded of Klagenfurt's new mayor that he remove the Austrian flag
Flag of Austria
The flag of Austria has three equal horizontal bands of red , white, and red.The Austrian triband is the second-oldest flag in use at least since 1230, after the Danish flag .- Origins :...
from the city hall and fly the Yugoslav flag, the acting British Town Officer Cptn. Watson immediately prohibited this but also orderered that the Austrian flag be taken down. Accompanied by a guerilla carrying a machine pistol
Machine pistol
A machine pistol is a handgun-style, often magazine-fed and self-loading firearm, capable of fully automatic or burst fire, and normally chambered for pistol cartridges. The term is a literal translation of Maschinenpistole, the German term for a hand-held automatic weapon...
a Yugoslav emissary appeared on the same day in the Landesregierung building, demanding of the Acting State Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
Piesch repeal the order to take down the Yugoslav flag, which was ignored.
Several days passed before under British pressure with US diplomatic backing the Yugoslav troops withdrew from the city proper, not before establishing a parallel Carinthian-Slovene civil administration, a Carinthian National Council presided over by Dr. Franc Petek. However, protected by British soldiers, the members of the Provisional State Government went about their responsible business devising a comprehensive concept to cover the new political, sociological and economic situation in the land, which would serve the British military
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
authorities. Rapid financial assistance and the restitution of property to the victims of the Nazi regime was necessary. This posed a problem because one of the very first actions of the British had been to confiscate all the property of the Nazi Party, to freeze all bank accounts
Deposit account
A deposit account is a current account, savings account, or other type of bank account, at a banking institution that allows money to be deposited and withdrawn by the account holder. These transactions are recorded on the bank's books, and the resulting balance is recorded as a liability for the...
and to block all financial transfers. It took months before basic communication and public transport
Public transport
Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...
, mail service and supply were working again, to some extent at least. During the years that followed these turbulent days a major part of the British Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
, which in July 1945 was re-constituted as British Troops in Austria (BTA), had their headquarters in Klagenfurt, since Carinthia together with neighbouring Styria formed the British occupation zone in liberated Austria, a state of affairs which lasted until 26 Oct. 1955.
In 1961, Klagenfurt became the first city in Austria to adopt a pedestrian zone. The idea of a friendly twinning of cities in other countries that had started with the very first ever city partnership - Klagenfurt and Wiesbaden, Germany, as early as 1930 - was followed up by numerous city partnerships with the result that in 1968 Klagenfurt was honoured with the title of a "European City of the Year". Three times, a European record, Klagenfurt was also awarded the prestigious Europa Nostra Diploma of Merit
Europa Nostra
Europa Nostra, the pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, is the representative platform of 250 heritage NGOs active in 45 countries across Europe...
for the exemplary restoration and redevelopment of its ancient centre.
In 1973 Klagenfurt absorbed four more adjacent municipalities - Viktring with its grand Cistercian monastery, Wölfnitz, Hörtendorf, and St. Peter am Bichl, increasing the population of Klagenfurt to about 90,000.
Sights
The Old City with its central Alter Platz (Old Square) and the Renaissance buildings with their charming arcaded court yards is a major attraction. Notable landmarks also include:- LindwormLindwormLindworm in British heraldry, is a technical term for a wingless bipedal dragon often with a venomous bite.-Etymology:In modern Scandinavian languages, the cognate lindorm can refer to any 'serpent' or monstrous...
fountain of 1593, with a Hercules added in 1633 - Landhaus - Palace of the Estates, now the seat of the State Assembly.
- the Baroque cathedral, built by the then Protestant Estates of Carinthia
- Viktring AbbeyViktring AbbeyViktring Abbey is a former Cistercian monastery in the Austrian state of Carinthia. Stift Viktring is now the name of the Roman Catholic parish in Viktring, since 1973 a district of the Carinthian capital Klagenfurt.-History:...
- Hypo-Arena Football stadiumStadiumA modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
- MinimundusMinimundusThe Minimundus is a miniature park on the Wörthersee at Klagenfurt in Carinthia, Austria. It displays over 150 miniature models of architecture from around the world, built at a ratio of 1:25....
, the "small world on lake Wörthersee" - the Kreuzbergl nature parkNational parkA national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
with a viewing tower and observatory - the small but attractive botanical gardenBotanical gardenA botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
at the foot of Kreuzbergl, with a mining museum attached - WörtherseeWörtherseeThe Wörthersee is an alpine lake in the southern Austrian state of Carinthia.-General facts:The lake is elongated, about 20 km long and 1–2 km wide. It stretches from the Carinthian capital Klagenfurt in the east to Velden in the west...
, the warmest of the large Alpine lakeAlpine lakeAlpine lakes are classified as lakes or reservoirs at high altitudes, usually starting around 5,000 feet in elevation above sea level or above the tree line....
s, with Europe's largest non-sea beach and lido taking 12,000 bathers on a nice summer day. - Maria Loretto peninsula with its newly renovated stately homeStately homeA stately home is a "great country house". It is thus a palatial great house or in some cases an updated castle, located in the British Isles, mostly built between the mid-16th century and the early part of the 20th century, as well as converted abbeys and other church property...
, until recently in the possession of one of Carinthia's noble families, the Rosenbergs, but acquired lately by the city. - Tentschach and Hallegg castles.
Economy
Klagenfurt is the economic centre of Carinthia, with 20 % of the industrial companies. In May 2001 there were 63,618 employees in 6,184 companies here. 33 of these companies counted more than 200 employees. The prevalent economical sectors are light industryLight industry
Light industry is usually less capital intensive than heavy industry, and is more consumer-oriented than business-oriented...
, electronics, and tourism
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. There are also several printing offices.
Transport
Klagenfurt AirportKlagenfurt Airport
Klagenfurt Airport is a small international airport in the state of Carinthia, Austria. It is located in the borough of Annabichl, only north northeast from the city centre of Klagenfurt. The airport is accessible by shuttle bus or city bus from Klagenfurt central station.- History :In 1905,...
is a small international airport
International airport
An international airport is any airport that can accommodate flights from other countries and are typically equipped with customs and immigration facilities to handle these flights to and from other countries...
connecting to some major cities in Europe and holiday resorts abroad.
There is also a Klagenfurt Hauptbahnhof
Klagenfurt Hauptbahnhof
Klagenfurt Hauptbahnhof is the main station at Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, the capital city of the federal state of Carinthia in Austria....
located south of the city centre.
The city is situated at the intersection of the A2 and S37 motorways. The A2 autobahn runs 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...
via Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
and Klagenfurt to Villach
Villach
Villach is the second largest city in the Carinthia state in the southern Austria, at the Drava River and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the population is 58,480.-History:...
and further to the state border of Italy.
The S37 freeway runs from Vienna via Bruck an der Mur
Bruck an der Mur
Bruck an der Mur is a city of some 13,500 people located in the Austrian state of Styria. It is located at the confluence of the Mur and Mürz Rivers. Its manufactures include metal products and paper; Bruck is an important rail junction in the region located on the Graz to Vienna main...
and Sankt Veit an der Glan
Sankt Veit an der Glan
Sankt Veit an der Glan is a town in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is the capital of a district with the same name.-Location:This town is a major point on the Glan River in the north of the Zollfeld Valley....
to Klagenfurt.
The Loibl Pass highway B91 goes to Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, the capital of Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, which is only 88 km (54.7 mi) from Klagenfurt.
The volume of traffic in Klagenfurt is high (motorisation level: 572 cars/1000 inhabitants in 2007).
In the 1960s, with the last streetcar (tram) line demolished, Klagenfurt was meant to become a car-friendly city, with lots of wide roads. A motorway was even planned which was to cross the city partly underground, but which now by-passes the city to the north. The problem of four railway lines from north, west, south and east meeting at the central station south of the city centre and strangulating city traffic has been eased by a considerable number of underpasses on the main arteries. Nevertheless, despite 28 bus lines
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
, traffic jams
Traffic congestion
Traffic congestion is a condition on road networks that occurs as use increases, and is characterized by slower speeds, longer trip times, and increased vehicular queueing. The most common example is the physical use of roads by vehicles. When traffic demand is great enough that the interaction...
are frequent nowadays as in most cities of similar size. Ideas of a rapid transport system
Transport network
A transport network, or transportation network in American English, is typically a network of roads, streets, pipes, aqueducts, power lines, or nearly any structure which permits either vehicular movement or flow of some commodity....
using the existing railway rails, of an elevated cable railway
Cable railway
A cable railway is a steeply graded railway that uses a cable or rope to haul trains.-Introduction:...
to the football stadium, or of a regular motorboat service on the Lend Canal from the city centre to the lake have not materialized. But for those who fancy leisurely travel there is a regular motorboat and steamer service on the lake connecting the resorts on Wörthersee. During severe winters, which unfortunately no longer occur regularly, you might of course be faster crossing the frozen lake on your skates.
Culture
There is a civic theatre-cum-opera house with professional companies, a professional symphony orchestra, a state conservatory and concert hall; there are musical societies such as Musikverein (founded in 1826) or Mozartgemeinde, a private experimental theatreExperimental theatre
Experimental theatre is a general term for various movements in Western theatre that began in the late 19th century as a retraction against the dominant vent governing the writing and production of dramatical menstrophy, and age in particular. The term has shifted over time as the mainstream...
company, the State Museum, a modern art museum and the Diocesan museum of religious art
Sacred art
Sacred art is imagery intended to uplift the mind to the spiritual. Sacred art involves the ritual and cultic practices and practical and operative aspects of the path of the spiritual realization within the bosom of the tradition in question....
; the Artists' House, two municipal and several private galleries, a planetarium in Europa Park
Europa-Park
Europa-Park is the largest theme park in Germany and third most popular theme park resort in Europe. Having over 4.2 million visitors in 2009, it is the second most popular seasonal theme park in the world and is only behind the Tivoli Gardens and Disneyland Paris. Europa-Park is located in Rust,...
, literary institutions such as the Robert Musil
Robert Musil
Robert Musil was an Austrian writer. His unfinished long novel The Man Without Qualities is generally considered to be one of the most important modernist novels...
House, and a reputable German-literature competition awarding the prestigious Ingeborg Bachmann Prize
Ingeborg Bachmann Prize
The Festival of German-Language Literature, formerly Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, is a literary competition which takes place yearly in Klagenfurt, Austria...
.
Klagenfurt is the home of a number of small but fine publishing houses
Publishing
Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of literature or information—the activity of making information available to the general public...
, and several papers or regional editions are also published here including dailies such as "Kärntner Krone
Kronen Zeitung
The Kronen Zeitung, commonly known as the Krone, is Austria's largest newspaper. According to a Österreichische Media-Analyse study, the average daily readership is 2,970,000 , which corresponds to 43,7% of all newspaper readers...
", "Kärntner Tageszeitung", "Kleine Zeitung
Kleine Zeitung
Kleine Zeitung is an Austrian newspaper based in Graz, Styria. It was founded in 1904 by the Katholischen Pressverein. The first issue was published on Tuesday, November 22, 1904. It was designed from the start as a paper to be read by the masses, covering general news topics and being very cheap...
".
Klagenfurt is a popular vacation spot with mountains both to the south and north, numerous parks and a series of 23 stately homes and castles on its outskirts. In summer the city is home to the Altstadtzauber (The Magic of the Old City) festival.
Also located here are the University of Klagenfurt
University of Klagenfurt
The University of Klagenfurt was founded in 1960 in Klagenfurt, Austria. It began as a College of Educational Studies . Since October 2004 the official German name is Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt in order to stress the intercultural connections between the Alpine regions and the Adriatic Sea...
, a campus of the Fachhochschule Kärnten, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences, a college of education for primary and secondary teacher training
Teacher education
Teacher education refers to the policies and procedures designed to equip prospective teachers with the knowledge, attitudes, behaviors and skills they require to perform their tasks effectively in the classroom, school and wider community....
and further education
Further education
Further education is a term mainly used in connection with education in the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is post-compulsory education , that is distinct from the education offered in universities...
of teachers as well as a college of general further education (VHS) and two institutions of further professional and vocational education
Vocational education
Vocational education or vocational education and training is an education that prepares trainees for jobs that are based on manual or practical activities, traditionally non-academic, and totally related to a specific trade, occupation, or vocation...
(WIFI and BFI). Among other Austrian educational institutions, there is a Slovene language Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
(established in 1957) and a Slovene language commercial high school. Several Carinthian Slovene
Carinthian Slovenes
Carinthian Slovenes are the Slovene-speaking population group in the Austrian State of Carinthia. The Carinthian Slovenes send representatives to the National Ethnic Groups Advisory Council...
cultural and political associations are also based in the city, including the Hermagoras Society, the oldest Slovene publishing house founded in Klagenfurt in 1851.
In addition to cultural attractions and activities available in and around Klagenfurt, this city has one more important attribute that must be mentioned. Klagenfurt is in a central location for many other great European destinations. Klagenfurt is less than an hour's drive from 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 Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, and only a few hours 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...
, Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
, Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, and Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
.
Tertiary
- University of KlagenfurtUniversity of KlagenfurtThe University of Klagenfurt was founded in 1960 in Klagenfurt, Austria. It began as a College of Educational Studies . Since October 2004 the official German name is Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt in order to stress the intercultural connections between the Alpine regions and the Adriatic Sea...
- Klagenfurt Campus of FH Kärnten, Carinthia University of Applied Sciences CUAS
- Pädagogische Hochschule Viktor Frankl, a college of educationSchool of educationIn the United States and Canada, a school of education is a division within a university that is devoted to scholarship in the field of education, which is an interdisciplinary branch of the social sciences encompassing sociology, psychology, linguistics, economics, political science, public...
- Health Science Centre with Academy for Midwifery and hospital-based Nursing SchoolNursing schoolA nursing school is a type of educational institution, or part thereof, providing education and training to become a fully qualified nurse. The nature of nursing education and nursing qualifications varies considerably across the world.-United Kingdom:...
at the Klagenfurt State Hospital
Secondary
A number of general high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s such as
- Europa-GymnasiumGymnasium (school)A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
, Austria's oldest - BG/BRG MössingerstraßeGymnasium (school)A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
- BRG Klagenfurt-ViktringBRG Klagenfurt-ViktringThe BRG Klagenfurt-Viktring is in 13th district of Klagenfurt . Emphasis is placed on the musical education and in art education. In addition, there is also a branch with emphasis on science, this branch is also accessible to children whose residence lies outside of the 13th district of...
with emphasis on arts (music and drawing) - ORG St. UrsulaSaint UrsulaSaint Ursula is a British Christian saint. Her feast day in the extraordinary form calendar of the Catholic Church is October 21...
, a private Catholic institution - a Slovene-language GymnasiumGymnasium (school)A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
and senior high schools offering general-cum-professional education:
- 2 Schools of EngineeringHöhere Technische LehranstaltHöhere Technische Lehranstalten , also called Höhere Technische Bundeslehranstalten or Höhere Technische Bundeslehr- und Versuchsanstalten are technology and crafts orientated higher colleges in Austria...
HTL Lastenstrasse and HTL Mössingerstraße - 2 commercial high schools: Handelsakademie #1 and #2
- a Slovene-language Commercial High School ("Handelsakademie")
- a High School of Catering, Fashion and Design
- a School of Pre-SchoolNursery schoolA nursery school is a school for children between the ages of one and five years, staffed by suitably qualified and other professionals who encourage and supervise educational play rather than simply providing childcare...
Education - a School of Alpine Agriculture and Nutrition ScienceNutritionNutrition is the provision, to cells and organisms, of the materials necessary to support life. Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet....
- a School of Social Management of the Caritas CharityCaritas (charity)Caritas Internationalis is a confederate of 164 Roman Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide....
Further education
- College of Further Education Volkshochschule
- Technical Training Institute of the Trade UnionsTrade unionA trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
- Berufsförderungsinstitut (BFI) - Technical Training Institute of the Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerceA chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
- Wirtschaftsförderungsinstitut (WIFI) - evening schools (Gymnasium and Schools of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering)
Others
- Landeskonservatorium, a state music conservatory
- a Waldorf School
- a School for Social Workers operated by the Austrian Caritas CharityCaritas (charity)Caritas Internationalis is a confederate of 164 Roman Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide....
- the Carinthian State School of Fire Control
Sports
The Austrian 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...
record-champion EC KAC
EC KAC
EC KAC is a professional ice hockey team in the Austrian Erste Bank Hockey League. The team plays their home games in Klagenfurt, Carinthia, Austria at Stadthalle Klagenfurt...
is one of the best known sports club
Sports club
A sports club or sport club, sometimes athletics club or sports association is a club for the purpose of playing one or more sports...
s in 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...
. The "Eishockey Club Klagenfurter Athletiksport Club" has won the Austrian Championship 29 times and its fans come from all over 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...
.
The Premier League Football club
Football team
A football team is the collective name given to a group of players selected together in the various team sports known as football.Such teams could be selected to play in an against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-star team or even selected as a...
SK Austria Kärnten is based in Klagenfurt.
Klagenfurt hosts the Start/Finish of the Austrian Ironman
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
Contest, 3.8 km swim 180 km bike 42 km run, part of the WTC Ironman series, which culminates in the Hawaii World Championships.
One of the FIVB
Fédération Internationale de Volleyball
The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball , commonly known by the acronym FIVB, is the international governing body for the sport of indoor, beach and grass volleyball.. Its headquarters are located in Lausanne, Switzerland and its current president is Wei Jizhong .- History :The FIVB was founded...
's Beach Volleyball
Beach volleyball
Beach volleyball, or sand volleyball, is an Olympic team sport played by two teams of two players on a sand court divided by a net.Like volleyball, the object of the game is to send the ball over the net in order to ground it on the opponent’s court, and to prevent the same effort by the opponent....
Grand Slams takes place in Klagenfurt every July and is almost always one of Austria's biggest celebrations during the year. Beach volleyball is popular in Austria even though the country is landlocked. Austrian players Clemens Doppler
Clemens Doppler
Clemens Doppler is a beach volleyball player from Austria.He and team mate Peter Gartmayer represented Austria at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China...
, Florian Gosch
Florian Gosch
Florian Gosch is a beach volleyball player from Austria.He and team mate Nikolas Berger represented Austria at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. Gosch and team mate Alexander Horst represented Austria at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.-External links:* * at the Beach...
and Alexander Horst
Alexander Horst
Alexander Horst is a beach volleyball player from Austria. Horst found most success with partner Florian Gosch on the FIVB world Beach Volleyball Tour. A knee injury forced Florian Gosch into retirement in the fall of 2010....
, who are perennial European powerhouses take part every year. The 2009 champions of this tournament were the 2008 Beijing gold medal team from the USA, Phil Dalhausser
Phil Dalhausser
Philip "Phil" Peter Dalhausser is an American professional beach volleyball player. He and his playing partner, Todd Rogers, are the 2007 AVP Tour champions and the reigning FIVB world champions....
and Todd Rogers
Todd Rogers
Todd Jonathan Rogers is an American professional beach volleyball player. He and his partner, Phil Dalhausser, were the 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 AVP Tour champions, and are the reigning FIVB world champions, and reigning Olympic gold medalists from the Summer Olympics in Beijing.Rogers and...
.
Klagenfurt also hosted three games during the UEFA Euro 2008 Championships in the recently built Hypo-Arena. Klagenfurt was also a contender for the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
and is home to an American Football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
team, the Carinthian Black Lions, competing in the First League of the Austrian Football League. The Black Lions attract fans from all over Carinthia, playing home games in both Klagenfurt and Villach.
Notable natives and residents
- Milivoj Ašner, Croatian Nazi Chief of PoliceChief of policeA Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
, fugitive war criminalWar crimeWar crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility... - Ingeborg BachmannIngeborg BachmannIngeborg Bachmann was an Austrian poet and author.-Biography:Bachmann was born in Klagenfurt, in the Austrian state of Carinthia, the daughter of a headmaster. She studied philosophy, psychology, German philology, and law at the universities of Innsbruck, Graz, and Vienna...
, poetess - Cesar BaenaCesar BaenaCesar Augusto Baena Sierraalta, , is a Venezuelan cross country skier. He was the winner of the 7 km Merino Muster in New Zealand in 2009. He is the first South-American Cross Country Skier to participate in World Cup for Cross Country Skiing.- Education :Baena was born in Altamira, Caracas...
, cross country skierCross-country skiingCross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles... - Günther DomenigGünther DomenigGünther Domenig is an Austrian architect.Domenig studied architecture at the Technische Universität, Graz , and after working as an architectural assistant, set up in practice with Eilfried Huth , producing highly regarded buildings in a brutalist vein...
, architect - James AubreyJames Aubrey (actor)James Aubrey was an English stage and screen actor. He trained for the stage at the Drama Centre London. He made his professional acting debut in a 1962 production of Isle of Children. Aubrey made his screen acting debut in the 1963 adaptation of Lord of the Flies. Aubrey performed with the Royal...
(James Aubrey Tregidgo) famous British actor - Andrej EinspielerAndrej EinspielerAndrej Einspieler was a Slovene politician, Roman Catholic priest and publicist, and one of the early leaders of the Old Slovene national movement in the 19th century. He was known as the "father of the Carinthian Slovenes"....
, politician and journalist - Felix ErmacoraFelix ErmacoraFelix Ermacora was the leading human rights expert of Austria and a member of the Austrian People's Party...
, human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
expert - Heinz GollHeinz GollHannes Heinz Goll was an Austrian sculptor, printmaker and painter, who worked predominantly in Colombia.- Life and work :...
(1934–1999), sculptor and painter - Stephanie GrafStephanie GrafStephanie Graf is a former Austrian middle distance runner.She finished second to Maria de Lurdes Mutola in the women's 800 meters at both the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and the 2001 World Athletics Championships in Edmonton, Alberta.Her time from the 2000 Olympics, 1:56.64 minutes, is the current...
, athlete - Karl-Heinz GrasserKarl-Heinz GrasserKarl-Heinz Grasser is a former Austrian politician who held the office of Austrian Minister of Finance from February 2000 to January 2007 as a member of the two subsequent governments of Wolfgang Schüssel...
, former federal minister of finance - Emanuel HerrmannEmanuel HerrmannEmanuel Alexander Herrmann was an Austrian national economist. He is considered the decisive last in an international line of inventors of the postcard.-Life and work:...
(1839–1902), national economist; one of several inventors of the postcard - Sissy HöffererSissy HöffererSissy Höfferer is an Austrian television actress.She had engagements at numerous theater companies such as the Residenztheater Munich, the Deutsches Schauspielhaus Hamburg and the Volkstheater Munich after completing her studies at the Max-Reinhardt-Seminar in Vienna...
, actress - Anton JanežičAnton JanežicAnton Janežič, also known in German as Anton Janeschitz was a Carinthian Slovene linguist, philologist, author, editor, literary historian and critic.- Life :...
, philologian - Jurij JapeljJurij JapeljJurij Japelj, also known in German as Georg Japel was a Slovene Jesuit priest, translator and philologist. He was part of the Zois circle, a group of Carniolan scholars and intellectuals that were instrumental in the spread of Enlightenment ideas in the Slovene Lands...
, Slovene philologist and translator - Gert JonkeGert JonkeGert Jonke was an Austrian poet, playwright and novelist.-Life:Jonke was born and educated in Klagenfurt, Austria. He attended the Gymnasium and the Conservatory...
, writer - Udo JürgensUdo JürgensUdo Jürgens is an Austrian composer and singer of popular music whose career spans over fifty years...
, singer/composer - Dieter KaltDieter KaltDieter Kalt , is a professional Austrian ice hockey player. He is currently playing for the Klagenfurt AC in the Erste Bank Hockey League, his hometown club...
, ice hockey player - Dagmar KollerDagmar KollerDagmar Koller is an Austrian actress and singer.Born in Klagenfurt, she is recognized as the leading German language musical star of her time. She married Austrian journalist and politician, Helmut Zilk, in 1978, and became the first lady of Vienna while he served as mayor...
, actress - Stefan KoubekStefan KoubekStefan Koubek is a tennis player from Austria. Koubek plays left-handed with a double-handed backhand. His idol when growing up was Thomas Muster. Koubek has won three titles, two of which have come on hardcourts; despite this, he says his favorite surface is clay.His nickname is Cooley or Stef...
, tennis playerTennisTennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all... - Ernst LerchErnst LerchErnst Lerch was one of the most important men of Operation Reinhard , responsible for "Jewish affairs", and the mass murder of the Jews in the General Government .-Life and early career:...
, war criminal suspect - Stefan LexaStefan LexaStefan Lexa is an Austrian football player.-Club career:Much-travelled Lexa was born in Klagenfurt but was raised in Germany. At the age of seven years he started at SV Heimstetten. As youth player he also played for 1860 München...
, Footballer - Matija MajarMatija MajarMatija Majar, also spelled Majer was a Carinthian Slovene Roman Catholic priest and political activist, most famous as the author of the idea of a United Slovenia...
, political activistActivismActivism consists of intentional efforts to bring about social, political, economic, or environmental change. Activism can take a wide range of forms from writing letters to newspapers or politicians, political campaigning, economic activism such as boycotts or preferentially patronizing...
, author and ethnologist - Penny McLeanSilver ConventionSilver Convention was a German euro disco recording act of the 1970s. The group was originally named Silver Bird Convention, or Silver Bird.-Career:...
, singer - Manfred Mocher, former keeper for the Austrian national football teamAustria national football teamThe Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
- Robert MusilRobert MusilRobert Musil was an Austrian writer. His unfinished long novel The Man Without Qualities is generally considered to be one of the most important modernist novels...
, writer - Heinz NittelHeinz NittelHeinz Nittel , a leader of the Austrian Socialist party and the president of the Austrian-Israeli Friendship League, was shot to death on May 1, 1981 outside his home in Vienna by Hesham Mohammed Rajeh, 21, born in Iraq. Rajeh was also indicted for the 1981 Vienna synagogue attack.-References:...
, politician in Vienna's city administration - Danny Nucci, actor
- Vinko OšlakVinko OšlakVinko Ošlak is a Slovene author, essayist, translator, columnist and esperantist from the Austrian state Carinthia.Ošlak was born in the town of Slovenj Gradec, then part of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia in former Yugoslavia...
, essayist - Antonia RadosAntonia RadosAntonia Rados is an Austrian television journalist working for RTL Television since 1995.Working as a foreign correspondent for Austrian national radio from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, she gained a reputation as a crisis reporter, most notably for her first-hand coverage of the Romanian...
, television journalist - Wolfgang PetritschWolfgang PetritschWolfgang Petritsch is an Austrian diplomat of Slovene ethnicity. He was born to a Carinthian Slovene family in Klagenfurt and spent his childhood in a partially Slovene, partially German-speaking environment. He has a PhD from the University of Vienna and was a Fulbright Scholar at the University...
, diplomat,former UN High Representative in Bosnia - Ursula PlassnikUrsula PlassnikUrsula Plassnik is an Austrian diplomat and politician. She was Foreign Minister of Austria between October 2004 and December 2008.-Early life and career:...
, former federal minister of foreign affairs - Thomas PöckThomas PockThomas Dietmar Pöck is an Austrian professional defenceman currently playing for Modo Hockey of the Swedish Elitserien. He previously played in the National Hockey League with the New York Rangers and the New York Islanders....
, ice hockey player - Roland RainerRoland RainerRoland Rainer was an Austrian architect.Born in Klagenfurt, Roland Rainer decided to become an architect when he was 18, so he studied at the Vienna University of Technology. His thesis was about the Karlsplatz in Vienna. Then, he left Austria visiting the Netherlands and the German Academy for...
, architect - Hanns Albin RauterHanns Albin RauterJohann Baptist Albin Rauter was a high-ranking Austrian Nazi war criminal. He was the highest SS and Police Leader in the occupied Netherlands and therefore the leading security and police officer there during the period of 1940-1945...
, SS-general in Nazi-occupied Netherlands, executed war criminal - Bernhard von SpanheimBernhard von SpanheimBernhard von Spanheim was Duke of Carinthia for 54 years from 1202 until his death.-Family:...
, DukeDukeA duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
of Carinthia - Josef StefanJoseph StefanJoseph Stefan was a physicist, mathematician, and poet of Slovene mother tongue and Austrian citizenship.- Life and work :...
, mathematician and physicist - Maximilian Daublebsky von SterneckMaximilian Daublebsky von SterneckMaximilian Daublebsky Freiherr von Sterneck zu Ehrenstein was an Austrian admiral who served as the chief administrator of the Austro-Hungarian Navy from 1883 until his death.-Biography:...
, admiral - Johann von ViktringJohn of ViktringJohn of Viktring was a late medieval chronicler and political advisor to the rulers of Carinthia. He is also known as Johannes Victorensis, Johannes de Victoria, John of Victring, Johann von Viktring, or Joannes Victoriensis. In Slovene he is called Janez Vetrinjski.Nothing is known of John's...
, historiographer
Twin towns — Sister cities
Klagenfurt is twinned with:| Wiesbaden Wiesbaden Wiesbaden is a city in southwest Germany and the capital of the federal state of Hesse. It has about 275,400 inhabitants, plus approximately 10,000 United States citizens... , Germany, since 1930 Venlo Venlo Venlo is a municipality and a city in the southeastern Netherlands, next to the German border. It is situated in the province of Limburg.In 2001, the municipalities of Belfeld and Tegelen were merged into the municipality of Venlo. Tegelen was originally part of the Duchy of Jülich centuries ago,... , Netherlands, since 1961 Nova Gorica Nova Gorica Nova Gorica ; 21,082 ; 31,000 ) is a town and a municipality in western Slovenia, on the border with Italy... , Slovenia, since 1965 Gorizia Gorizia Gorizia is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, and it is a local center of tourism, industry, and commerce. Since 1947, a twin... , Italy, since 1965 Gladsaxe, Denmark, since 1969 Dessau-Rosslau Dessau-Roßlau ' is an independent city and urban district in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Elbe and Mulde. The town was formed by merger of the independent city of Dessau with the town of Roßlau in the course of the Kreisreform Sachsen-Anhalt on 1 July 2007... , Germany, since 1970 Dushanbe Dushanbe -Economy:Coal, lead, and arsenic are mined nearby in the cities of Nurek and Kulob allowing for the industrialization of Dushanbe. The Nurek Dam, the world's highest as of 2008, generates 95% of Tajikistan's electricity, and another dam, the Roghun Dam, is planned on the Vakhsh River... , Tajikistan, since 1973 Dachau Dachau Dachau is a town in Upper Bavaria, in the southern part of Germany. It is a major district town—a Große Kreisstadt—of the administrative region of Upper Bavaria, about 20 km north-west of Munich. It is now a popular residential area for people working in Munich with roughly 40,000 inhabitants... , Germany, since 1974 |
Rzeszów Rzeszów Rzeszów is a city in southeastern Poland with a population of 179,455 in 2010. It is located on both sides of the Wisłok River, in the heartland of the Sandomierska Valley... , Poland, since 1975 Sibiu Sibiu Sibiu is a city in Transylvania, Romania with a population of 154,548. Located some 282 km north-west of Bucharest, the city straddles the Cibin River, a tributary of the river Olt... , Romania, since 1990 Zalaegerszeg Zalaegerszeg In 2001 Zalaegerszeg had 61,654 inhabitants . The distribution of religions were, 71.1% Roman Catholic, 3.8% Calvinist, 1.6% Lutheran, 11.6% Atheist .-Notable people:* Lajos Botfy , mayor... , Hungary, since 1990 Chernivtsi Chernivtsi Chernivtsi is the administrative center of Chernivtsi Oblast in southwestern Ukraine. The city is situated on the upper course of the River Prut, a tributary of the Danube, in the northern part of the historic region of Bukovina, which is currently divided between Romania and Ukraine... , Ukraine, since 1992 Nazareth Illit Nazareth Illit Nazareth Illit is a city in the North District of Israel. At the end of 2007 it had a population of 40,800.Nazareth Illit was founded in the 1950s. Foundations were laid in 1954 and first residents moved in two years later... , Israel, since 1993 Tarragona Tarragona Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia on the north-east of Spain, by the Mediterranean. It is the capital of the Spanish province of the same name and the capital of the Catalan comarca Tarragonès. In the medieval and modern times it was the capital of the Vegueria of Tarragona... , Spain, since 1994 Nanning Nanning Nanning is the capital of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in southern China. It is known as the "Green City" because of its abundance of lush tropical foliage.-History:... , China, since 2001 Laval Laval, Quebec Laval is a Canadian city and a region in southwestern Quebec. It is the largest suburb of Montreal, the third largest municipality in the province of Quebec, and the 14th largest city in Canada with a population of 368,709 in 2006... , Canada, since 2005 |
External links
- Klagenfurt info
- Statistisches Jahrbuch der Landeshauptstadt Klagenfurt 2007, S. XXIX. Statistical Yearbook 2007 of the Capital City of Klagenfurt (PDFin German)
- Slovene postage stamp 150th anniversary of Hermagoras
- Speech of the President of Slovenia in Klagenfurt on the 150th anniversary of Hermagoras