St. Wolfgang (village)
Encyclopedia
St. Wolfgang is a market town
of over 2,000 inhabitants in central Austria
, in the Salzkammergut
region of Upper Austria
, named after Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg
. The complete name of the town is Sankt Wolfgang im Salzkammergut.
. It is on the northern shore of the Wolfgangsee
lake (close to the towns of Strobl
and St. Gilgen
, both in the State of Salzburg
) at the foot of the Schafberg
mountain.
church with a late Gothic
altarpiece
by Michael Pacher
.
A destination spa
, St. Wolfgang is also a popular skiing resort during the winter. A rack railway
, the Schafbergbahn
runs up the mountain.
in 976. According to legend he threw an axe
down the mountain to find the site and even persuaded the Devil
to contribute to the building by promising him the first living being ever entering the church. However Satan was disappointed as the first creature over the doorstep was a wulf
(Wolf in German).
After Wolfgang's canonization
in 1052, the church became a major pilgrimage site, as it was first mentioned in an 1183 deed by Pope Lucius III
. In 1481 it was furnished with the famous Pacher polyptych
. There had been several places for lodging around the church since medieval times, while the Weißes Rössl hotel was not built until 1878.
During World War II
, a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp was located here.
), running from the city of Salzburg
to Bad Ischl
.
Market town
Market town or market right is a legal term, originating in the medieval period, for a European settlement that has the right to host markets, distinguishing it from a village and city...
of over 2,000 inhabitants in central 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...
, in 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...
region of Upper Austria
Upper Austria
Upper Austria is one of the nine states or Bundesländer of Austria. Its capital is Linz. Upper Austria borders on Germany and the Czech Republic, as well as on the other Austrian states of Lower Austria, Styria, and Salzburg...
, named after Saint Wolfgang of Regensburg
Wolfgang of Regensburg
Saint Wolfgang was bishop of Regensburg in Bavaria from Christmas 972 until his death. He is a saint of the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches...
. The complete name of the town is Sankt Wolfgang im Salzkammergut.
Geography
The town is located in central AustriaAustria
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 on the northern shore of the Wolfgangsee
Wolfgangsee
Wolfgangsee is a lake in Austria that lies mostly within the state of Salzburg and is one of the best known lakes in the Salzkammergut resort region. The municipalities on its shore are Strobl, St. Gilgen with the villages of Abersee and Ried as well as the market town of St. Wolfgang in the state...
lake (close to the towns of Strobl
Strobl
Strobl is a municipality of the Salzburg-Umgebung District , in the northeastern portion of the Austrian state of Salzburg, right on the border with Upper Austria...
and St. Gilgen
St. Gilgen
Sankt Gilgen is a picturesque village by the Wolfgangsee in the Austrian state of Salzburg, in the "Salzkammergut" region.-History:In the year 1376 Sankt Gilgen was first mentioned in documents. 1873 the shipping on the Wolfgangsee started and so did the tourism too. Also the construction of the...
, both in the 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...
) at the foot of the Schafberg
Schafberg
Schafberg is a mountain in the Austrian state of Salzburg. Its height is 1783 metres. Situated within the Salzkammergut mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps the Schafberg rises at the shore of a lake called Wolfgangsee....
mountain.
Culture
It is famous for the White Horse Inn (Hotel Weißes Rössl), the setting of the musical comedy and for its pilgrimagePilgrimage
A pilgrimage is a journey or search of great moral or spiritual significance. Typically, it is a journey to a shrine or other location of importance to a person's beliefs and faith...
church with a late Gothic
Gothic art
Gothic art was a Medieval art movement that developed in France out of Romanesque art in the mid-12th century, led by the concurrent development of Gothic architecture. It spread to all of Western Europe, but took over art more completely north of the Alps, never quite effacing more classical...
altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
by Michael Pacher
Michael Pacher
Michael Pacher was an Austrian Tyrolean painter and sculptor active during the last quarter of the 15th century. His best-known work is the altarpiece at the church in the village of St. Wolfgang, Austria. This altarpiece contains scenes from the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary...
.
A destination spa
Destination spa
A destination spa is a short term residential/lodging facility with the primary purpose of providing individual services for spa-goers to develop healthy habits. Historically many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or sources of mineral waters...
, St. Wolfgang is also a popular skiing resort during the winter. A rack railway
Rack railway
A rack-and-pinion railway is a railway with a toothed rack rail, usually between the running rails. The trains are fitted with one or more cog wheels or pinions that mesh with this rack rail...
, the Schafbergbahn
Schafbergbahn
The Schafberg Railway is a metre gauge cog railway in Upper Austria leading from Sankt Wolfgang im Salzkammergut up to the Schafberg . With a total length of 5.85 km it gains about 1,200 m in height difference. The rail gauge is . It uses the Abt system. Operation started in 1893...
runs up the mountain.
History
Saint Wolfgang erected the first church at the shore of the Wolfgangsee after he withdrew to the nearby Mondsee AbbeyMondsee Abbey
Mondsee Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Mondsee in Upper Austria.-History:The region of the Mondseeland, in which Mondsee is located, was formerly part of Bavaria. In 748 Mondsee Abbey was founded by Odilo, Duke of Bavaria. The abbey tradition was that the first monks came from Monte Cassino...
in 976. According to legend he threw an axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
down the mountain to find the site and even persuaded the Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
to contribute to the building by promising him the first living being ever entering the church. However Satan was disappointed as the first creature over the doorstep was a wulf
Wulf
-History of name:There are several possible explanations as to the origin of the surname.The first explanation for German origin of this name: It may be patronymic in origin being derived from the first name of a father. In this case, Wulf is associated with the very popular German first name...
(Wolf in German).
After Wolfgang's canonization
Canonization
Canonization is the act by which a Christian church declares a deceased person to be a saint, upon which declaration the person is included in the canon, or list, of recognized saints. Originally, individuals were recognized as saints without any formal process...
in 1052, the church became a major pilgrimage site, as it was first mentioned in an 1183 deed by Pope Lucius III
Pope Lucius III
Pope Lucius III , born Ubaldo, was pope from 1 September 1181 to his death.A native of the independent republic of Lucca, he was born ca. 1100 as Ubaldo, son of Orlando. He is commonly referred to as a member of the aristocratic family of Allucingoli, but this is not proven...
. In 1481 it was furnished with the famous Pacher polyptych
Polyptych
A polyptych generally refers to a painting which is divided into sections, or panels. The terminology that follows is in relevance to the number of panels integrated into a particular piece of work: "diptych" describes a two-part work of art; "triptych" describes a three-part work; "tetraptych"...
. There had been several places for lodging around the church since medieval times, while the Weißes Rössl hotel was not built until 1878.
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...
, a subcamp of the Dachau concentration camp was located here.
Transportation
St. Wolfgang can be reached via a branch of the B 158 Wolfgangsee Straße federal highway (BundesstraßeBundesstraße
Bundesstraße , abbreviated B, is the denotation for German and Austrian national highways.-Germany:...
), running from 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...
to Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden Ahorn, Bad Ischl, Haiden, Jainzen, Kaltenbach, Lauffen, Lindau, Pfandl, Perneck, Reiterndorf and Rettenbach...
.
See also
|
Schafberg Schafberg is a mountain in the Austrian state of Salzburg. Its height is 1783 metres. Situated within the Salzkammergut mountain range of the Northern Limestone Alps the Schafberg rises at the shore of a lake called Wolfgangsee.... Wolfgangsee Wolfgangsee is a lake in Austria that lies mostly within the state of Salzburg and is one of the best known lakes in the Salzkammergut resort region. The municipalities on its shore are Strobl, St. Gilgen with the villages of Abersee and Ried as well as the market town of St. Wolfgang in the state... |