Oberndorf bei Salzburg
Encyclopedia
Oberndorf bei Salzburg is a town
in the Austria
n state of Salzburg
, about 17 km (11 mi) north of the City of Salzburg
. It is situated on the river Salzach
in the Flachgau
district.
Its twin sister-town across the Salzach Bridge is Laufen in Bavaria
. The town was split in two in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars
when the former Principality of the Salzburg Archbishops
was divided in 1816 following the Congress of Vienna
into a part taken by the Kingdom of Bavaria
and a part taken by the Austrian Empire
.
Oberndorf is famous worldwide as the birthplace of the carol Silent Night, which was first performed at the former St. Nikola
parish church by the school master Franz Gruber and the young priest Joseph Mohr
on Christmas Eve
1818, from where it spread out to the world. As in the 1890s several flood
s of the Salzach river destroyed large parts of Oberndorf, the church was finally demolished and a memorial chapel was erected on its site in 1937. A replica
can be found in Frankenmuth, Michigan
.
Oberndorf has just over 5000 inhabitants and can be reached from Salzburg by S-Bahn
rapid transit railway and the B 156 Lamprechtshausener Straße federal highway
running from Salzburg toward Braunau am Inn
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the 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...
n state of Salzburg
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...
, about 17 km (11 mi) north of the City of 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...
. It is situated on the river Salzach
Salzach
The Salzach is a river in Austria and Germany. It is a right tributary of the Inn and is 225 kilometres in length.The river's name is derived from the German word Salz, meaning "salt". Until the 19th century shipping of salt down the river was an important part of the local economy...
in the Flachgau
Flachgau
The Bezirk Salzburg-Umgebung is an administrative district in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria, and congruent with the Flachgau region, except for the Statutarstadt of Salzburg, which forms a district of its own.Area of the district is 1,004.36 km², with a population of 140,914 , and...
district.
Overview
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. The town was split in two in the wake of the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
when the former Principality of the Salzburg Archbishops
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....
was divided in 1816 following the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
into a part taken by the Kingdom of Bavaria
Kingdom of Bavaria
The Kingdom of Bavaria was a German state that existed from 1806 to 1918. The Bavarian Elector Maximilian IV Joseph of the House of Wittelsbach became the first King of Bavaria in 1806 as Maximilian I Joseph. The monarchy would remain held by the Wittelsbachs until the kingdom's dissolution in 1918...
and a part taken by the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
.
Oberndorf is famous worldwide as the birthplace of the carol Silent Night, which was first performed at the former St. Nikola
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
parish church by the school master Franz Gruber and the young priest Joseph Mohr
Josef Mohr
Joseph Mohr, sometimes spelt Josef was an Austrian Roman Catholic priest and composer, who wrote the words to the Christmas carol "Silent Night".-Biography:...
on Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
1818, from where it spread out to the world. As in the 1890s several flood
Flood
A flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s of the Salzach river destroyed large parts of Oberndorf, the church was finally demolished and a memorial chapel was erected on its site in 1937. A replica
Replica
A replica is a copy closely resembling the original concerning its shape and appearance. An inverted replica complements the original by filling its gaps. It can be a copy used for historical purposes, such as being placed in a museum. Sometimes the original never existed. For example, Difference...
can be found in Frankenmuth, Michigan
Frankenmuth, Michigan
Frankenmuth is a city in Saginaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 4,838 at the 2000 census. The 2009 census estimate places the population at 4,619. The city is located within Frankenmuth Township, but is politically independent. Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland, which bills...
.
Oberndorf has just over 5000 inhabitants and can be reached from Salzburg by S-Bahn
S-Bahn
S-Bahn refers to an often combined city center and suburban railway system metro in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Denmark...
rapid transit railway and the B 156 Lamprechtshausener Straße federal highway
Bundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
running from Salzburg toward Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn
Braunau am Inn is a town in the Innviertel region of Upper Austria , the north-western state of Austria. It lies about 90 km west of Linz and about 60 km north of Salzburg, on the border with the German state of Bavaria. The population in 2001 was 16,372...
.
Notable people
- Leopold KohrLeopold KohrLeopold Kohr was an economist, jurist and political scientist known both for his opposition to the "cult of bigness" in social organization and as one of those who inspired the small is beautiful movement...
(1909-1994), economistEconomistAn economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
, was born in Oberndorf - Benita Ferrero-WaldnerBenita Ferrero-WaldnerDr. Benita Ferrero-Waldner is an Austrian diplomat and politician, and a member of the conservative Austrian People's Party . Ferrero-Waldner served as the Foreign Minister of Austria 2000–2004 and was the candidate of the Austrian People's Party in the Austrian presidential election, 2004, which...
, diplomatDiplomatA diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
, (b. 1948) 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...
, but grew up in Oberndorf - Barbara Hansel (b. 1983), worldclass beachvolleyball player, grew up in Oberndorf