Mönchsberg
Encyclopedia
The Mönchsberg, at 540 metres (1,771.7 ft) above sea level, is one of the five mountains in the city of Salzburg
, Salzburgerland
, Austria
. It is named after the Benedictine
monks of St Peter's Abbey at the northern foot of the mountain.
(Nagelfluh). The massif
is a solidified river crushed stone, deposed as a delta into the interglacial see (Mindel-Riss Interglacial), which was not cleared away thereafter by the glaciers protected from of the hard limestone of the adjacent Festungsberg
and so remained.
Water ingressing into numerous bursts and cleavages can lead to falling stones and demolition of whole rock sections: In the early morning of 16 July 1669 tons of rock fell off the mountain on the Gstättengasse street below, killing about 230 citizens in their sleep by destroying two churches, a seminary and 13 houses. Since then there is the office of a Bergputzer (mountain inspector), filled by mountaineers who regularly and since 1778 annually dispose loose rocks and prove the condition of the mountain surface to examine. Thus a new disaster could be prevented.
Already from 1137 to 1143 the Archbishop of Salzburg
had the Stiftsarm branch of the Almkanal built through the mountain, in order to lead the waters into the city. This early adit
system can be visited during the annual Almabkehr in September.
The Sigmundstor (colloquially Neutor) city gate, a 131 m (429.8 ft) long tunnel with elaborate Baroque
portals, was built from 1764 to 1766 through the mountain at the behest of Archbishop Sigismund von Schrattenbach
; it is today one of the oldest street tunnels in Central Europe. Large air-raid shelter
s in the mountain were build during World War II
. After 1970 some of these were enlarged to a underground carpark for more than 1400 vehicles.
Furthermore several historic fortifications offer panoramic views over the city, to the Untersberg
, the Berchtesgaden Alps
and the Salzkammergut
mountains:
Not only due to Peter Handke's stay, the Mönchsberg is frequently called the “mountain of writers”: It plays a significant role in the autobiographic work of Thomas Bernhard
, but often not in the positive sense. It applies to him as „the suicide mountain“. The Austrian author Gerhard Amanshauser also was among the inhabitants of the Mönchsberg. In his autobiography “as a barbarian in the Prater” the mountain and the near Festungsberg is important.
are:
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...
, Salzburgerland
Salzburg (state)
Salzburg is a state or Land of Austria with an area of 7,156 km2, located adjacent to the German border. It is also known as Salzburgerland, to distinguish it from its capital city, also named Salzburg...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. It is named after the Benedictine
Order of Saint Benedict
The Order of Saint Benedict is a Roman Catholic religious order of independent monastic communities that observe the Rule of St. Benedict. Within the order, each individual community maintains its own autonomy, while the organization as a whole exists to represent their mutual interests...
monks of St Peter's Abbey at the northern foot of the mountain.
Geology
The Mönchsberg shapes Salzburg's historic townscape with its long drawn back consisting of conglomerateConglomerate (geology)
A conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual clasts within a finer-grained matrix that have become cemented together. Conglomerates are sedimentary rocks consisting of rounded fragments and are thus differentiated from breccias, which consist of angular clasts...
(Nagelfluh). The massif
Massif
In geology, a massif is a section of a planet's crust that is demarcated by faults or flexures. In the movement of the crust, a massif tends to retain its internal structure while being displaced as a whole...
is a solidified river crushed stone, deposed as a delta into the interglacial see (Mindel-Riss Interglacial), which was not cleared away thereafter by the glaciers protected from of the hard limestone of the adjacent Festungsberg
Festungsberg
Festungsberg is a mountain in the city of Salzburg, Salzburgerland, Austria. Its summit at about is the site of Hohensalzburg Castle.The mountain is located in the south of the Altstadt or Old Town quarter...
and so remained.
Water ingressing into numerous bursts and cleavages can lead to falling stones and demolition of whole rock sections: In the early morning of 16 July 1669 tons of rock fell off the mountain on the Gstättengasse street below, killing about 230 citizens in their sleep by destroying two churches, a seminary and 13 houses. Since then there is the office of a Bergputzer (mountain inspector), filled by mountaineers who regularly and since 1778 annually dispose loose rocks and prove the condition of the mountain surface to examine. Thus a new disaster could be prevented.
History
Driven into the walls of rock above of the St Peter's Cemetery, established about 700, are Early Christian hermitages, called Katakomben (catacombs), which however never were funeral places.Already from 1137 to 1143 the Archbishop 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....
had the Stiftsarm branch of the Almkanal built through the mountain, in order to lead the waters into the city. This early adit
Adit
An adit is an entrance to an underground mine which is horizontal or nearly horizontal, by which the mine can be entered, drained of water, and ventilated.-Construction:...
system can be visited during the annual Almabkehr in September.
The Sigmundstor (colloquially Neutor) city gate, a 131 m (429.8 ft) long tunnel with elaborate Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
portals, was built from 1764 to 1766 through the mountain at the behest of Archbishop Sigismund von Schrattenbach
Sigismund von Schrattenbach
Sigismund Graf von Schrattenbach was the Archbishop of Salzburg from 1753 to 1771. He was the son of Otto Heinrich, Graf von Schrattenbach, and Maria Theresa, Countess of Wildenstein, widowed Baroness Gall von Gallenstein.After studying theology, he was ordained a priest in 1723...
; it is today one of the oldest street tunnels in Central Europe. Large air-raid shelter
Air-raid shelter
Air-raid shelters, also known as bomb shelters, are structures for the protection of the civil population as well as military personnel against enemy attacks from the air...
s in the mountain were build during World War II
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...
. After 1970 some of these were enlarged to a underground carpark for more than 1400 vehicles.
Mönchsberg today
The Mönchsberg plateau offers a small-scale change of forests and meadows and therefore is a popular local recreation area for the Salzburg citizens and tourists. Castles on the Mönchsberg include:- The Johannesschlössl, rebuilt by Archbishop Wolf Dietrich RaitenauWolf Dietrich RaitenauWolf Dietrich von Raitenau was Prince-Bishop of Salzburg from 1587 to 1612.-Biography:Raitenau was born at Hofen Castle in Lochau near Bregenz in Further Austria, the son of the Habsburg colonel Hans Werner von Raitenau and Helene von Hohenems, a niece of Pope Pius IV, sister of Markus Sitticus...
around 1590, since 1926 a guest house of the Catholic PallotinePallottinesThe Society of the Catholic Apostolate , better known as the Pallottines, are a Society of Apostolic Life within the Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1835 by the Roman priest Saint Vincent Pallotti. Pallottines are part of the Union of Catholic Apostolate and are present in 45 countries on six...
order. - The archiepiscopal Marketenderschlössl, also held by the Pallottines and since 1960 a study centre run by the University of RedlandsUniversity of RedlandsThe University of Redlands is a private liberal arts and sciences university located in Redlands, California. The university's campus sits on near downtown Redlands. The university was founded in 1907 and was associated with the American Baptist Church. The land for the university was donated by...
, California - Schloss Mönchstein, formerly held by the Benedictine University of SalzburgUniversity of SalzburgThe University of Salzburg, or Paris Lodron University after its founder, the Prince Archbishop Paris Lodron, is located in the Austrian city of Salzburg, Salzburgerland, home of Mozart. It is divided into 4 faculties: catholic theology, law, humanities and natural science.Founded in 1622, it...
, since 1948 a hotel. - The Kupelwieserschlössl, where the Austrian writer Peter HandkePeter HandkePeter Handke is an avant-garde Austrian novelist and playwright.-Early life:Handke and his mother lived in the Soviet-occupied Pankow district of Berlin from 1944 to 1948 before resettling in Griffen...
lived from 1979 to 1988. He described a walk over the Mönchsberg in his novella Nachmittag eines Schriftstellers (“afternoon of a writer”).
Furthermore several historic fortifications offer panoramic views over the city, to the Untersberg
Untersberg
The Untersberg is a mountain massif of the Berchtesgaden Alps that straddles the border between Berchtesgaden, Germany and Salzburg, Austria.The mountain is popular with tourists due to its proximity to the city of Salzburg: less than 16 km to the north and within easy reach by bus, for...
, the Berchtesgaden Alps
Berchtesgaden Alps
The Berchtesgaden Alps are a mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps, named after the market town of Berchtesgaden located in the centre...
and the Salzkammergut
Salzkammergut
The Salzkammergut is a resort area located in Austria. It stretches from City of Salzburg to the Dachstein mountain range, spanning the federal states of Upper Austria , Salzburg , and Styria . The main river of the region is the Traun, a tributary of the Danube...
mountains:
- The Richterhöhe, which makes an excellent prospect on the south of the city and the mountain chain of the alps behind it. The fort structures are documented were first documented in 1278. Prince-archbishop Paris von Lodron strengthened it during the Thirty Years' WarThirty Years' WarThe Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
. - The Bürgerwehr was established about 1487/88 with 4 towers as part of the city walls and was extended with another 4 towers after 1500.
- The Müllner Schanze with its the military towers of the Augustinerpforte and Monikapforte were build by Archbishop Paris von Lodron in the years 1621 to 1644 as a three-step fortress and a part of the new city wall.
- The Humboldtterrasse, a fortofication structure also erected under Paris von Lodron, offers a unique panorama toward the Salzburg old town. It was originally called Klausenkavalier and is today named after Alexander von HumboldtAlexander von HumboldtFriedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander Freiherr von Humboldt was a German naturalist and explorer, and the younger brother of the Prussian minister, philosopher and linguist Wilhelm von Humboldt...
, who allegedly once called the areas of Salzburg, NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
and ConstantinopleConstantinopleConstantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
the “most beautiful on earth”. - The top of the Mönchsberg since 2004 is the second location of the Salzburg Museum of Modern Art. It formerly was the site of the Grand Café Winkler, a popular restaurant destination, and the Salzburg Casino. Since 1890 visitors can reach the place with an elevator in the mountain. The panorama terrace adjacent to the museum is a much visited point with a view all over the old town.
Not only due to Peter Handke's stay, the Mönchsberg is frequently called the “mountain of writers”: It plays a significant role in the autobiographic work of Thomas Bernhard
Thomas Bernhard
Thomas Bernhard was an Austrian novelist, playwright and poet. Bernhard, whose body of work has been called "the most significant literary achievement since World War II," is widely considered to be one of the most important German-speaking authors of the postwar era.- Life :Thomas Bernhard was...
, but often not in the positive sense. It applies to him as „the suicide mountain“. The Austrian author Gerhard Amanshauser also was among the inhabitants of the Mönchsberg. In his autobiography “as a barbarian in the Prater” the mountain and the near Festungsberg is important.
Mountains of Salzburg
The other mountains in SalzburgSalzburg
-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...
are:
- KapuzinerbergKapuzinerbergKapuzinerberg is a hill on the eastern bank of Salzach river in Salzburg, Salzburgerland, Austria.-History:It is home to a Capucines cloister built in 1599-1605 on the site of a medieval fortress, the "Trompeterschlössl"....
- RainbergRainberg-See also:* Salzburg* Salzburgerland...
- FestungsbergFestungsbergFestungsberg is a mountain in the city of Salzburg, Salzburgerland, Austria. Its summit at about is the site of Hohensalzburg Castle.The mountain is located in the south of the Altstadt or Old Town quarter...
- Hellbrunner BergHellbrunner Berg-Location:It's located in the south of the Altstadt or Old City and close to the Schloss Hellbrunn, and a stone theater can be found there.-See also:* Salzburg* Salzburgerland...
See also
- SalzburgSalzburg-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...
- Salzburgerland
Literature in german language
- Katrin Hauer: Der Bergsturz des Mönchsbergs in der Stadt Salzburg von 1669. Wahrnehmung, Deutung und Bewältigung, in: Historische Sozialkunde, Themenheft 2/2008: Naturkatastrophen (Hg. Christian Rohr), Wien 2008, 21-31.
- Reinhard Medicus: Der Mönchsberg in Natur- und Kulturgeschichte, in: Der Gardist - Jahresschrift der Bürgergarde der Stadt Salzburg, 23. Jahrgang, 2003
- Reinhard Medicus: Die Felsen des Mönchsbergs und ihre Geschichte, in: Bastei - Zeitschrift für die Erhaltung von Bauten Kultur und Gesellschaft, 53. Jahrgang, 3. Folge, Salzburg, 2004
- Reinhard Medicus: Dreißigjähriger Krieg und Müllner Schanze - Rekonstruktion einer Wehranlage , in: Bastei - Zeitschrift für die Erhaltung von Bauten Kultur und Gesellschaft, 54. Jahrgang, 1. Folge, Salzburg, 2005
- Reinhard Medicus: Die alte Bürgerwehr am Mönchsberg und ihre Geschichte, in: Bastei - Zeitschrift für die Erhaltung von Bauten Kultur und Gesellschaft, 53. Jahrgang, 2. Folge, Salzburg, 2004