Neustift im Stubaital
Encyclopedia
Neustift im Stubaital is a municipality in the district Innsbruck-Land
. It has an area of 249 square kilometres (96.1 sq mi) and is the 3rd largest municipality of Tyrol in area. Its population (as of 1 January 2010) is 4,522. It is a major tourist centre, with more than 1 million overnight stays per year.
in the Stubaital
or Stubai Valley. This broad valley is one of the most scenic in Tyrol. At the entrance to the valley stand massive limestone formations. Around the upper valley, peaks of gneiss and granite rise above 3,000 metres (about 10,000 feet) to areas of permanent ice. Five glaciers covering 15 square kilometres (5.8 sq mi) form a large glacier ski area, the Stubai Glacier. Including the facilities here and in three other ski areas, the valley has 42 cable cars and ski lifts.
Neustift is connected to Innsbruck by Bus Line ST of the Innsbrucker Verkehrsbetriebe (IVB, Innsbruck Transport Company).
Neustift im Stubaital consists of the following sections and villages: Kampl, Neder, Dorf, Scheibe, Milders, Oberberg, Stackler, Lehner, Schaller, Krössbach, Neugasteig, Gasteig, Volderau, Ranalt, und Mutterberg.
The municipalities bordering on Neustift are Brenner
, Fulpmes
, Grinzens
, Gschnitz
, Längenfeld
, Mühlbachl
, Ratschings
, Sankt Sigmund im Sellrain
, Sellrain
, Sölden
, Telfes im Stubai, and Trins
.
Although the name Neustift appears in records from the 14th century as "Niwenstift im tal ze Stubai", centuries passed before the modern name Neustift prevailed over im Tal as the name of the community. The inhabitants of Neustift are still known today as Tholer ("valley dwellers").
Place names in the region point to pre-Roman settlement. When Caesar Augustus and his legions pushed north in 15 BCE, the mountain people living here and their region were subjugated as the Roman
province of Raetia
. Subsequently, the Romans made an impact on the region through their administration and later through Christianization. Prehistoric finds from the early Bronze Age
(c. 1800–1000 BCE) show that the valley was settled in ancient times. The many Rhaeto-Romance
place names suggest that the German language did not prevail in the region until some time during the Middle Ages. These place names include the following:
During World War II, the Schutzstaffel
(SS) had a mountaineering training centre in Neustift, where prisoners from the Dachau concentration camp were put to work.
hunted deer, chamois, and boar in the upper Stubaital. In 1505 he founded a chapel in Neustift, though the village did not receive its own priest until 1868. In 1516 the first church in Neustift was dedicated to Saint George by the bishop of Brixen
. In 1772 this church fell victim to a fire. In 1768 construction of a new church had already begun, since the original church was already too small. Pastor Franz de Paula Penz was the builder of the impressive Neustift parish church. He was one of the most celebrated architects of the late baroque in Tyrol.
In 1812 Neustift became an independent parish. Externally, St. George's Church, in the village centre, seems very plain. However, the interior is quite rich, decorated with frescos by well-known masters. The parish church is Tyrol's second-largest village church. The "glacier pastor" and co-founder of the Alpine Club
, Franz Senn
, is buried in the attractive church cemetery.
Innsbruck-Land
The Bezirk Innsbruck Land is an administrative district in Tyrol, Austria. It encloses the Statutarstadt Innsbruck, and borders Bavaria in the north, the district Schwaz in the east, South Tyrol in Italy to the south, and the district of Imst in the west.Area of the district is 1,990.09 km², with...
. It has an area of 249 square kilometres (96.1 sq mi) and is the 3rd largest municipality of Tyrol in area. Its population (as of 1 January 2010) is 4,522. It is a major tourist centre, with more than 1 million overnight stays per year.
Geography
Neustift is located 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of InnsbruckInnsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
in the Stubaital
Stubaital
The Stubaital is an alpine valley in the Austrian state of Tyrol. It is the central valley of the Stubai Alps. The Ruetz river flows through the valley....
or Stubai Valley. This broad valley is one of the most scenic in Tyrol. At the entrance to the valley stand massive limestone formations. Around the upper valley, peaks of gneiss and granite rise above 3,000 metres (about 10,000 feet) to areas of permanent ice. Five glaciers covering 15 square kilometres (5.8 sq mi) form a large glacier ski area, the Stubai Glacier. Including the facilities here and in three other ski areas, the valley has 42 cable cars and ski lifts.
Neustift is connected to Innsbruck by Bus Line ST of the Innsbrucker Verkehrsbetriebe (IVB, Innsbruck Transport Company).
Neustift im Stubaital consists of the following sections and villages: Kampl, Neder, Dorf, Scheibe, Milders, Oberberg, Stackler, Lehner, Schaller, Krössbach, Neugasteig, Gasteig, Volderau, Ranalt, und Mutterberg.
The municipalities bordering on Neustift are Brenner
Brenner
Brenner might refer to:* The Brenner Pass, one of the major passes through the Alps, linking Italy and Austria* Brenner, a municipality in South Tyrol* Brenner Base Tunnel railway tunnel through the base of the Brenner massif.* Brenner...
, Fulpmes
Fulpmes
Fulpmes is a village in Tyrolese Stubaital, Austria, with a population of approximately 4000...
, Grinzens
Grinzens
Grinzens is a municipality with 1307 inhabitants in the Austrian state of Tyrol in the district of Innsbruck-Land. It lies southwest of the city of Innsbruck on 945 m elevation.-External links:*...
, Gschnitz
Gschnitz
Gschnitz is a municipality with 415 inhabitants in the southern part of the District Innsbruck-Land and is located 25 km south of Innsbruck at an elevation of 1242 m.-Setting:...
, Längenfeld
Längenfeld
Längenfeld is a municipality in the Imst and is located 25 km southeast of Imst in the Ötztal valley. With an area size of 195.8 km², 21 village parts and 4333 inhabitants it is the biggest location in the valley. Sights are the late Gothic-baroque church which was built in 1303. Main source of...
, Mühlbachl
Mühlbachl
Mühlbachl is a municipality in the district Innsbruck-Land and is located 15 km south of Innsbruck. Mühlbachl extends from the southern slopes of Schönberg im Stubaital along Matreiwald to Steinach . Rumor has it that the location was already founded 3000 years ago. It has 1349 inhabitants and the...
, Ratschings
Ratschings
Ratschings is a comune in South Tyrol in the Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about 90 km north of the city of Trento and about 45 km north of the city of Bolzano , on the border with Austria.-Geography:...
, Sankt Sigmund im Sellrain
Sankt Sigmund im Sellrain
Sankt Sigmund im Sellrain is a municipality in western Austria, in the district of Innsbruck-Land and is located southeast of Innsbruck, in the deepest part of the Sellrain Valley. It has a huge area size and the biggest height, but only a few hundred inhabitants live there. The main source of...
, Sellrain
Sellrain
Sellrain is a municipality in the district of Innsbruck-Land and is located 14.40 km southwest of Innsbruck in the Sellrain Valley. It is the main location in the valley with 1,351 inhabitants. The Melach River flows through it. It is a wonderful little village with a close knit community. Most...
, Sölden
Sölden
Sölden is a municipality in the Ötztal valley of Tyrol, Austria.-Geography:At c. 467 km² , it is the largest municipality in the country. The population of 3,449 is outnumbered by tourists, of which 15,000 can be accommodated...
, Telfes im Stubai, and Trins
Trins
Trins is a municipality in the district of Innsbruck-Land and is located 20.30 km south of Innsbruck at the Gschnitz brook. The village was mentioned as “Trunnes” for the first time in 1030. Formerly a part of the village Gschnitz Trins became an own municipality in 1811. It has 1270...
.
Origin
Around 1000, the Stubaital was first mentioned in writing as Stupeia. By 1400, the district of Stubai was composed of five small communities: Telfes, Schönberg, Mieders, Fulpmes, and "im Tal" ("in the valley").Although the name Neustift appears in records from the 14th century as "Niwenstift im tal ze Stubai", centuries passed before the modern name Neustift prevailed over im Tal as the name of the community. The inhabitants of Neustift are still known today as Tholer ("valley dwellers").
Place names in the region point to pre-Roman settlement. When Caesar Augustus and his legions pushed north in 15 BCE, the mountain people living here and their region were subjugated as the Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
province of Raetia
Raetia
Raetia was a province of the Roman Empire, named after the Rhaetian people. It was bounded on the west by the country of the Helvetii, on the east by Noricum, on the north by Vindelicia, on the west by Cisalpine Gaul and on south by Venetia et Histria...
. Subsequently, the Romans made an impact on the region through their administration and later through Christianization. Prehistoric finds from the early Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
(c. 1800–1000 BCE) show that the valley was settled in ancient times. The many Rhaeto-Romance
Rhaeto-Romance languages
Rhaeto-Romance languages are a Romance language sub-family which includes multiple languages spoken in north and north-eastern Italy, and Switzerland...
place names suggest that the German language did not prevail in the region until some time during the Middle Ages. These place names include the following:
- Falbeson: val busana: pocket valley
- Ranalt: rovina alta: high landslide
- Pfurtschell: furcella: notch or gap
- Tschangelair: cingularia: enclosure
- Kartnall: curtinale: small courtyard
- Kampl: campus: field
During World War II, the Schutzstaffel
Schutzstaffel
The Schutzstaffel |Sig runes]]) was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Built upon the Nazi ideology, the SS under Heinrich Himmler's command was responsible for many of the crimes against humanity during World War II...
(SS) had a mountaineering training centre in Neustift, where prisoners from the Dachau concentration camp were put to work.
Coat-of-arms
The emblem of the town consists of a red shield, with a central horizontal white band like the Austrian flag, and a crossbow with two central black arrows crossing each other. The crossbow is a reminiscent of the hunting trips of Emperor Maximilian to Oberbergtal.St. George Church
Emperor Maximilian IMaximilian 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...
hunted deer, chamois, and boar in the upper Stubaital. In 1505 he founded a chapel in Neustift, though the village did not receive its own priest until 1868. In 1516 the first church in Neustift was dedicated to Saint George by the bishop of Brixen
Brixen
Brixen is the name of two cities in the Alps:*Brixen, South Tyrol, Italy*Brixen im Thale, Tyrol, AustriaBrixen may also refer to:*Bishopric of Brixen, the former north-Italian state....
. In 1772 this church fell victim to a fire. In 1768 construction of a new church had already begun, since the original church was already too small. Pastor Franz de Paula Penz was the builder of the impressive Neustift parish church. He was one of the most celebrated architects of the late baroque in Tyrol.
In 1812 Neustift became an independent parish. Externally, St. George's Church, in the village centre, seems very plain. However, the interior is quite rich, decorated with frescos by well-known masters. The parish church is Tyrol's second-largest village church. The "glacier pastor" and co-founder of the Alpine Club
Österreichischer Alpenverein
The Austrian Alpine Club has 377,000 members in 197 branches and is the largest mountaineering club in Austria. It is responsible for the upkeep of over 242 alpine huts in Austria and neighbouring countries...
, Franz Senn
Franz Senn
Franz Senn was a pastor, whose concern for the poverty of his parishioners lead him to encourage tourism into the Stubai, and in particular he fostered the early development of mountaineering in the region. He was a founding member of the Austrian and German alpine associations...
, is buried in the attractive church cemetery.