Carinthia is the southernmost province of the Republic of Austria.
The state capital is Klagenfurt am Wörthersee. Carinthia borders the
federal state of Tyrol to the west, the state of Salzburg to the north,
Styria to the north and east, and Italy and Slovenia to the south.
Carinthia is a sunny federal state in southern Austria. It is
crossed by the three cultures due to its location - a German-Austrian
element with Romanesque and Slovene influences. The intersection of the
three cultures is the border triangle near Arnoldstein. Carinthia is
integrated into the Alpe-Adria region, which is characterized by customs
and cuisine. Carinthia has large parts of the high mountain ranges of
the Alps and also of the Mediterranean-style lake area of the Klagenfurt
Basin. This is precisely why many holidaymakers are drawn to the lakes
and mountains of Carinthia. In winter, the numerous ski areas attract
visitors to Carinthia.
Klagenfurt
Bad Kleinkirchheim
Friesach
Heiligenblut am Großglockner
Hermagor-Pressegger See
Spittal an der Drau
Steinfeld
Velden am Wörther See
Villach
Hohenburg auf Rosenberg Castle
Although the Carinthian dialect differs from the standard language, it is generally quite easy to understand. In southern Carinthia, Slovenian is also spoken in numerous communities and taught in schools. But everyone there will understand you if you speak German.
It is best to start a journey through Carinthia from Villach or Klagenfurt. Most international trains arrive in Villach and Klagenfurt is home to Carinthia's only airport, Klagenfurt Airport.
The easiest way to get around in Carinthia is by car, because many remote but charming villages are rarely served by bus or train. If you have enough time, you can also get on by bus and train. There are comfortable ascent aids with the mountain railways on the numerous mountains. You can use the liners on the Wörthersee, Ossiachersee and Weissensee.
The Kärnten Card is particularly recommended. This allows you to
visit over 100 excursion destinations, mountain railways, swimming and
adventure pools, panoramic roads and museums free of charge.
The
Grossglockner High Alpine Road, the Nockalm Road, the Ragga Gorge in the
Mölltal, the Dobratsch Nature Park or the Nockberge Biosphere Park, the
Bodental and the Nockalm Road are special natural sites.
The Gurk
Cathedral in Gurk is one of the most important buildings in Carinthia.
The Romanesque basilica from the 12th century is one of the most
important buildings of European sacred art. The crypt built for Countess
Hemma below the choir is unique in the German-speaking world. The Gurk
Cathedral is a high Romanesque, three-aisled, elongated pillar basilica
with a double-towered west facade, a gallery, a crypt and three apses.
Over the centuries, the church has become a total work of art of the
most diverse stylistic epochs.
Klagenfurt: The city center of
Klagenfurt with the Lindwurm, as well as the New and Old Square.
Miniature models of the most beautiful buildings from all five
continents can be viewed in Minumundus: over 150 models from 53
countries are detailed and handcrafted.
Pyramidenkogel: The 100 meter
high viewing and transmission tower near Keutschach, built in 2013, is
the tallest wooden tower in the world. Nowhere else does one have a more
beautiful view over Carinthia and Lake Wörthersee.
Malta-Hochalm-Straße - The 14.4km toll road (open from around mid-May to
the end of October) leads from the Maltatal from 911m to the Kölnbrein
dam at 1902m in the high mountains. The road has nine hairpin bends and
six tunnels. The data of the dam are impressive: height 200 m, width 626
m and thickness up to 41 m. There are also dam wall tours. There is also
an adventure center with an exhibition about energy production with
hydropower in the high mountains and the Tauern Treasure Chamber
(crystal collection from the Eastern Alps). Exact opening hours and
further information see www.tauerntouristik.at
Carinthia is a paradise for active athletes. In summer, the numerous
lakes tempt you to swim, and the mountains to hike or paraglide.
Mountain bikers also get their money's worth in Carinthia. In winter,
the Weissensee and Hörzendorfer See become ice skating rinks and the
mountains become ski areas. Cross-country skiers will also find enough
trails in Carinthia.
Regular events
Since 1977, the Days of
German-Language Literature in Klagenfurt, as part of the awarding of the
Ingeborg Bachmann Prize, have been the most important literary event in
Carinthia; https://bachmannpreis.orf.at/ The Ingeborg Bachmann Prize
supports young German-language authors.
Vierbergelauf, Central
Carinthia. On the second Friday after Easter, pilgrims pray from Friday
evening to Saturday noon over a distance of 50 kilometers through the
Zollfeld, north of Klagenfurt; http://www.vierbergelauf.info/site/
Kufenstegen, in St. Stefan im Gailtal. At Pentecost.
Comedy plays
dating back to the 18th century in Porcia Castle, Spittal an der Drau.
until August in the courtyard of the Castle of Porcia;
https://www.ensemble-porcia.at/spielplan-tickets/spielplan/
Kranzel
rides, in Weitensfeld in the Gurktal. At Pentecost.editinfo
Carinthian summer, orchestra and chamber concerts with top-class artists
in the collegiate church in Ossiach; https://carinthischersommer.at/ or
in the Congress Center in Villach. until October.
Villacher Kirchtag,
Villach (downtown), main square. Largest folk and customs festival in
Carinthia; https://www.villacherkirchtag.at/der-kirchtag/
Gailtal
bacon festival. In Hermagor in the Gailtal, the festival is celebrated
with music and entertainment at the beginning of June.
Woodstockenboi. In Stockenboi, in the Villach Land district, the
Woodstockenboi music festival lasting several days takes place in
mid-July in the natural arena.
Gailtal Almkäse cut. On a pasture in
the Gailtal in July.
Irschner Herb Festival. In July in Irschen.
fish festival In August in Feld am See.
Gailtal Cheese Festival in
Kötschach-Mauthen. In August.
honey festival. The honey festival is
celebrated in Hermagor in mid-August with a program on the themes of
beekeeping, honey and bee products.
emperor festival In Millstatt in
August.
Venison Festival, in Seeboden. In August.
Carinthian Pasta
Festival. The festival takes place in August in Oberdrauburg.
Pancake
Festival. The festival is in August in Baldramsdorf, district of Spittal
an der Drau.
Lesachtal village and bread festival. The festival is in
Liesing in September.
Carnic Potato Festival. In September in St.
Paul/Gailtal.
Glockner Lamb Festival. In September in Heiligenblut.
Potato festival in Greifenburg. In September.
Gitschtal Herb
Festival. The festival is in Weißbriach in October.
apple festival
The festival is celebrated in Kirchbach/Gailtal in October.
polenta
festival. The festival takes place in October in Nötsch im Gailtal.
Stas'n Festival (Chestnut Festival). The festival is celebrated in
October in Reisach/Gailtal.
Of course, the Carinthian cuisine has become at home in Carinthia due
to the proximity to Italy and Slovenia and the Mediterranean region as
Alps-Adriatic cuisine. Dishes with olive oil, capers, pine nuts, basil
or rosemary come alongside ingredients from the Alps: bacon, smoked ham,
gray cheese, apples, trout and the local sea fish "Carinthian Laxn", or
with mushrooms, lamb, sheep's cheese and asparagus variations on the
table.
The Carinthian specialty par excellence is the Carinthian
Kasnudel. A pasta dough filled with a mixture of potatoes, curd cheese
(quark) and fresh spices (especially black mint). There is hardly a
Carinthian woman who does not have her own secret recipe. And the
kneading is also a special feature: this is the art of closing the
Kasnudel in such a way that it not only keeps it sealed, but also
represents a small ornamental work of art. To serve, hot butter is
poured over the Kasnudel and this delicacy can be enjoyed. Here you can
see that even vegetarians will not find it difficult to get enough in
Carinthia. There are many variations of the noodle. For example, meat
noodles, spinach noodles and kletzen noodles (a dessert - kletzen are
dried pears) find their way onto the plate.
Another specialty is
the Glundne Kas. A cheese specialty made from cooked and very mature
curds mixed with cumin and butter. But not only Kas (cheese) is eaten in
Carinthia and lovers of hearty dishes will also get their money's worth.
Ritschert . is a stew made from rolled barley, beans, lovage, sage and
smoked meat.
Frigga is a hearty lumberjack meal made from melted
mountain cheese with bacon, onions and eggs
May husks are patties
made from finely chopped pork lungs or hearts, wrapped in a pork net,
fried in lard and often served with sauerkraut as a side dish.
Sasaka
is a spicy spread made with smoked pork bacon and spices. It is served
on bread and in summer it is often offered in the taverns on the
Brettljause or as a separate dish.
A Kärntner Reindling is a
yeast dough filled with sugar, cinnamon, raisins, walnuts, butter and a
dash of rum.
Very little wine is grown in Carinthia; the few
vineyards are in the Taggenbrunn region in St. Veit an der Glan and St.
Paul in the Lavanttal. Therefore, the local table drinks are the famous
"Hirter" or "Schleppe" beer from Klagenfurt. Well-known types of beer
and beer bars are listed at bier-guide.net.
A specialty is the
"Kärntner Most", an alcoholic drink made from fermented apples, which is
often drunk with the typical Carinthian Brettljause. However, caution is
required: not everyone can tolerate it! The "Obstler" is a popular drink
as a traditional digestive aid after a meal. Fruit distillates made from
raspberries, blueberries and especially from Swiss stone pine are
popular delicacies in Carinthia.
The centers of nightlife are the cities of Klagenfurt and Villach and the communities around Lake Wörthersee. In July, Velden celebrates the intoxicating white nights, the Fete Blanche, with visitors from near and far.
Carinthia is an absolutely safe travel destination. The only dangers are the sun and ticks lurking in the woods for prey. A TBE vaccination is therefore definitely recommended. In addition, alpine dangers lurk in the mountains. Ski tours should only be undertaken with experienced alpine tour guides.
Carinthia produced some writers. Ingeborg Bachmann (1926 - 1973) and
Christine Lavant (1915 - 1973) became known as poets. Peter Turini (b.
1934) takes a critical look at his Carinthian homeland.
Carinthia's
internationally most important writer is Peter Handke (born 1942), who
made a name for himself in the 1990s with his pro-Serbian attitude
during the Yugoslav wars. The cosmopolitan is highly intellectual in
literary terms and caused a stir in the late 1960s with provocative
essays and completely new forms of plays. With the story "The Goalie's
Fear of the Penalty Kick" he entered new poetological territory and has
since published a large number of novels. Carinthia plays practically no
role in this. In 2019 he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature for
his literary work.
The writer Robert Musil (1880 - 1942), who was
born in St. Ruprecht near Klagenfurt and only spent the first months of
his life in Carinthia, achieved international fame. His novel The Man
Without Qualities is one of his most important works. All literary
institutions in the province of Carinthia - the Robert Musil Institute
of the Alpen Adria University in Klagenfurt and the Robert Musil
Literature Museum in the provincial capital of Klagenfurt are named
after him.
Egyd Gstättner (born 1962) lives and works in Klagenfurt
and is one of the most well-known satirists and writers of modern times.
The following have been published so far: "Vienna Defenestration", "Das
Freudenhaus", "Karl Kraus Learns Dumb German", "Man Cannot Fly" "An
Endsummer Night Nightmare".
Prof. Dr. Paul Watzlawick, born in
Villach (1921 - 2007) was an Austrian-American communication scientist
and author who gained international fame with his Kultubch: "How real is
reality", about delusion, deception and understanding. "A Guide to
Unhappiness" is a well-known work by Paul Watzlawick.
The writer G.F.
Jonke, born in Klagenfurt (1946 - 2009) published protocols and
anthologies in 1970: "The ordinary horror", "Ver Sacrum", and published
the books: "Glass house inspection" and epilogues entitled "The
beginning of despair".
Carinthia borders on East Tyrol in the west, on Salzburg in the
north-west, on Styria in the north-east and on Slovenia and the Italian
regions of Friuli and Veneto in the south. The total length of the
borders with neighboring countries is 280 km. The constriction of the
state area roughly in the middle to only 44 km, together with the
different types of terrain, results in the subdivision into Upper
Carinthia (characterized by the high mountains) and Lower Carinthia
(characterized by the Klagenfurt Basin). The provincial capital
Klagenfurt is located in the Klagenfurt Basin, which is bounded by the
Austrian Central Alps in the north and the Karawanken mountains in the
south. West of it is the Wörthersee. Together with many other lakes, it
is the center of summer tourism.
The country is traversed by
several valleys, the largest of which are the Möll, Gail, Rosen, Jaun
and Lavant valleys, along with the Drautal. The most important river in
Carinthia is the Drau. The hydroelectric power plants of the former
"Draukraft" supply twelve percent of the electricity for the whole of
Austria.
The location of Carinthia in the Eastern Alps is reflected in a large variety of rocks and complex bedrock conditions. The following large tectonic units can be found in Carinthia: Penninic, Eastern Alpine, Southern Alpine, Tertiary and Quaternary.
The Penninic is represented in Carinthia by the Tauern Window in the Hohe Tauern. The central gneiss, which originated from Variscan granite, builds up the Sonnblick core and the Ankogel-Hochalmspitz core. Around them lies the lower slate shell of the Old Roof (pre-Variscan gneisses) and the upper slate shell (metamorphic carbonate and clastic sediments - quartzite, marble and Bündner slate with inclusions of prasinite originating from undersea volcanism, such as at the Grossglockner).
All units of the Eastern
Alps are found in Carinthia: Lower, Middle and Upper Eastern Alps.
Lower Eastern Alps: The Matreier Zone is a narrow strip of rock and
limits the Tauern Window to the south. The rocks were deposited in the
Cretaceous and later metamorphic overprinted. Also known as
Tauernflysch, the Matreier Zone is sometimes counted as part of the
Tauern Window. The Katschberg zone, made up of phyllites, in the area of
the Katschberg furrow delimits the Tauern window to the east.
Central
Eastern Alps: The Central Eastern Alpine mountains are predominantly
made up of mica slates, paragneiss, orthogneiss, amphibolites,
quartzites, eclogites and marbles. They build up the Schober group,
Kreuzeck group, parts of the Goldeck group, the Ossiacher Tauern, the
southern and western parts of the Nockberge as well as the Saualp and
Koralpe. The predominant part can be attributed to the old crystalline.
Mesozoic sediments, known as the Stangalm Mesozoic, occur in the Nock
area and stretch from the Innerkrems via the Predigerstuhl to the south
of Bad Kleinkirchheim.
Oberostalpin: This unit includes the Gurktaler
Nappe and the Drauzug (Gailtaler Alpen and Nordkarawanken). They overlay
the old crystalline. The Gurktal Nappe consists of metamorphic old
Palaeozoic sediments (phyllites, quartzites, kieselschiefer, carbonates)
and basic volcanic rocks (metatuffe, diabase, greenschist). In the
Turracherhöhe - Königstuhl area, Upper Carboniferous sediments occur
that are rich in plant fossils and locally contain anthracite coal. Also
in the Nock area, Upper East Alpine Mesozoic sediments occur at the
Pfannock, which were "rolled in" between the Gurktal Nappe and the
Central East Alpine Stangalm Mesozoic.
The Gailtal Alps and the
North Karawanken consist of a crystalline basement (Gailtal crystalline,
Eisenkappler crystalline) and overlying sediments. In the Gailtal Alps,
these range from the Permian to the Upper Triassic, in the Karawanken to
the Lower Cretaceous; they contain carbonate rocks to varying degrees.
The Nötsch Carboniferous and the Dobratsch Massif form their own floes.
The North Karawanks north of the Periadriatic Seam consist of
Permo-Mesozoic rocks, the Eisenkappler Diabasezug and the Eisenkappler
Old Crystalline, granite and tonalite.
In Carinthia, the Southern Alps include the Carnic Alps and the
Southern Karawanken. They lie south of the Periadriatic Seam. The Carnic
Alps are composed of predominantly marine sediments from the Younger
Ordovician to the Triassic. A lower, predominantly Old Palaeotic stratum
is mainly composed of sandstones (greywacke and quartzite). The younger,
higher floor consists of sandstone rich in quartz, clay slate and
limestone rich in fossils and forms the Auernig and Rattendorf layers.
The Südkarawanken are structured similarly to the Carnic Alps. The lower
layer of Ordovician to Carboniferous rocks comes to light in the
Seeberger Aufbruch. The main chain consists of Upper Paleozoic
sedimentary rocks and thick Triassic marine deposits. The latter build
the most important massifs such as Koschuta, Vertatscha, Hochstuhl and
Mittagskogel.
Tertiary
The Tertiary era was characterized by
the Alpine formation of mountains. In the course of the folding
processes, some areas sank, for example the Lavanttal Basin was formed,
which was filled with around 1000 meters of thick sediment. This also
resulted in the lignite seams that were mined near St. Stefan until
1968. The only basalt in Carinthia is near Kollnitz near St. Paul. In
the Klagenfurt Basin, the Sattnitz conglomerates were deposited in the
course of the erosion of the strongly uplifted Karawanken, as well as
the tertiary sediments of the Karawanken foothills (bear tal
conglomerate).
Quaternary
The Quaternary was shaped by the ice
ages. The glacial action created the trough valleys and cirques as well
as numerous ground, end and lateral moraines. Meltwater deposited large
amounts of sediment, particularly in the Klagenfurt Basin. The basins of
the Carinthian lakes were also dug out at this time.
Carinthia is located in the temperate climate zone of Central Europe.
The Mediterranean climate influence is usually overestimated. Although
the main Alpine ridge is a clear weather divide, it is not a climate
divide, especially in the eastern part of the Eastern Alps. However, the
climate is strongly modified by the location to the south, by the relief
and other local conditions, so that the climate is structured on a very
small scale.
An important phenomenon of the Klagenfurt Basin and
the adjacent valleys is the winter temperature reversal. The cold air
lake and thus usually the fog cover often reaches heights of up to 1000
m above sea level. A. The temperatures at altitudes between 1000 and
1400 meters are therefore often 15 °C higher than in the valley. The
Carinthian cold lake is the largest in the eastern Alps and the main
reason for the relatively low average annual temperature compared to
other regions in Austria and for the fact that Carinthia, unlike e.g.
Parts of South Tyrol or Ticino do not have a year-round temperature
advantage over the regions north of the main Alpine ridge.
The
(incorrect) impression of a Mediterranean-influenced climate is
essentially due to the warm, sunny summer months that a. are relevant to
tourism. At many stations in the Klagenfurt Basin and the adjacent main
valleys, an average daily maximum of over 25 °C is reached in July,
which is above average compared to other regions in Austria.
The
annual temperature fluctuation is mostly 20 to 24 °C in valley areas,
while it is only 14 to 20 °C in mountain areas.
Precipitation
follows the Central European pattern with precipitation minima in winter
(February) and maxima in summer. In the southern parts of the country
(Gailtal, Gailtal Alps, Karawanken), a second precipitation maximum
occurs as a southern Alpine element in late autumn (October/November) as
a result of the Adriatic and Genoa lows. Precipitation in summer often
comes from heavy rain, especially thunderstorms. In general, annual
precipitation decreases from west to east. The mountains in the
northwest and south receive particularly high rainfall (over 2000 mm per
year), while the rest of the country is in the rain shadow. The areas of
Krappfeld (750 mm), Görtschitztal and Unteres Lavanttal (800 mm) are
particularly dry, as are the northern Klagenfurt Basin, the Mölltal and
Liesertal.
The number of days with snow cover is 75 to 100 days
in the Klagenfurt Basin and the large valleys, and even fewer in the
lower Lavanttal. In large parts of the mountains, however, it is over
150 days. The opposite is true for the length of the vegetation period
(days above +5 °C): It is less than 90 days in the high mountains, 180
to 220 days in large parts of the country, and 220 to 230 days in the
Drau Valley, the Klagenfurt Basin and the Lower Lavant Valley .
57.6% of the country's area (5490 km²) is covered by forest, around
half of which is secondary spruce forest
15.6% (1500 km²) is
subalpine and alpine forest-free vegetation
19.4% form the main
agricultural working area
9.1% arable grassland complexes
10.3%
commercial grassland
0.31% are larger wet biotopes
5.13% (490 km²)
settlement and traffic areas
1.14% water surfaces
0.54% Glacier
0.28% slope areas
The table offers a more detailed representation
from an agricultural point of view.
Around 15,000 animal species are known in Carinthia. The composition
of the fauna can be explained by the resettlement of the area after the
last ice age, in which Carinthia was largely glaciated. The first wave
of resettlement was by alpine faunal elements now native to the cool
mountain regions, such as Alpine Apollo (Parnassius phoebus), Alpine
Marmot (Marmota marmota), and Chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra).
Representatives of the Nordic-Alpine fauna that are now found in
Scandinavia and the Alps are the ground cricket (Podisma frigida) and
the mountain hare (Lepus timidus).
The largest part of the
Carinthian fauna is at home in the forest areas of Europe and Asia
(Baltic fauna). These species immigrated when Carinthia was reforested.
Typical representatives are the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus), the
peacock moth (Saturnia pyri) and the adder (Vipera berus).
The
Balkan moor frog (Rana arvalis wolterstorffi) is a representative of the
Pontic fauna element from Eastern Europe. The types of
Illyrian-Mediterranean fauna that migrated from the Mediterranean region
are, for example, the Croatian mountain lizard (Iberolacerta horvathi),
the rock thrush (Monticola saxatilis) and the sand viper (Vipera
ammodytes). They have their northern distribution limit in Carinthia.
About 150 animal species are endemic to Carinthia. Some examples are
Carinthian door snail (Macrogastra badia carinthiaca), Carinthian
woodlouse (Armadillidium carynthiacum) and the Carinthian mountain
cricket (Miramella carinthiaca). According to Schmalfuss, Armadillidium
carynthiacum is most likely just a synonym for the woodlice
Armadillidium opacum, which is widespread in Central Europe.
In
the last few decades, a number of neozoa have also become native. In
addition to the species that are widespread in Europe, such as rainbow
trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa
decemlineata), Spanish slug (Arion vulgaris) or horse chestnut leaf
miner (Cameraria ohridella), rarer species such as the African cichlids
Hemichromis fasciatus and Hemichromis bimaculatus also occur in
Carinthia in the Warmbach of Villach or the Japanese oak silk moth
(Antherea yamamai).
Most of Carinthia's population lives in the Klagenfurt Basin between
Villach and Klagenfurt.
In 2008 there were 4718 live births. The
proportion of those born out of wedlock was 53.3%, by far the best value
in Austria. This was offset by 5385 deaths, giving a negative birth
balance of −667. A slight increase in population resulted from the
positive migration balance of 939 people, with 675 people migrating to
the rest of Austria compared with 1614 people immigrating from abroad.
The number of naturalizations in 2008 again fell sharply to 427
naturalizations. The population forecast predicts that Carinthia will be
the only federal state to experience a slight population decline of
around 2% by 2050.
In 2008 around 51,700 people had a migration
background. Of these, 41,500 people were born abroad, 10,200 were
children of foreign-born parents born in Austria. The proportion of the
population with a migration background in Carinthia was 9.3% of the
total population in 2008, around half of Austria's figure of 17.5%. By
2017, the proportion of the population with a migration background in
Carinthia had risen to 12.8%, yet this figure remains only half the
Austrian average, where almost a quarter of the population has a
migration background.
The majority of the population of Carinthia
is German-speaking. In the south of the federal state (especially in the
districts of Villach-Land, Klagenfurt-Land and Völkermarkt) Carinthian
Slovenes live as a recognized minority. The discussion about the rights
of the ethnic groups (e.g. bilingual place-name signs) was very
emotional (see dispute about place-name signs).
The number of
Slovenes living in Carinthia is disputed. As a result of a survey
carried out in bilingual parishes in 1991, in which the colloquial
language of the parishioners was asked, the figure was 50,000 Slovene
ethnic group members. According to the census of 2001, however, 13,225
people born in Austria stated Slovene as their colloquial language, of
which 11,119 in Carinthia indicated Slovene and 535 indicated Windisch.
The majority of the population professes the Roman Catholic Church,
the proportion of followers of the Protestant Church is after Burgenland
(13.3%) in Carinthia with 10.3% the second highest in Austria.
The Catholic diocese of Gurk is practically identical in scope to the
federal state. The patron saint of Carinthia is Saint Joseph (March 19),
Saint Emma from Gurk (June 27) is the provincial mother. The Evangelical
Superintendency of Carinthia and East Tyrol looks after the Evangelical
Christians of the Augsburg and Helvetic Confessions.
Carinthia
belongs to the district of Graz of the Islamic Religious Community in
Austria. Carinthians of Jewish faith belong to the Israelite religious
community for Styria, Carinthia and the political districts of
Burgenland Oberwart, Güssing and Jennersdorf. Carinthian Old Catholics
belong to the parish of Klagenfurt (incl. East Tyrol). There are Old
Catholic places of worship in Klagenfurt (St. Markus) and in Villach
(castle chapel).
The Hallstatt period population of Carinthia, consisting partly of
Venetern, mixed 300 BC. with Celtic immigrants, whereby religion,
customs and social structure persisted. At that time, the independent
tribal societies combined to form the Principality of Noricum, the first
state entity on the soil of what is now the federal state of Carinthia.
Noricum was absorbed peacefully into the Roman province of Regnum
Noricum under Emperor Augustus. At that time, the centers of the
province were on the Magdalensberg on the Zollfeld and in Teurnia on the
Lurnfeld. At the beginning of the migration of peoples there was an
Ostrogothic upper class with a Roman administrative and military
structure. After the Slavs replaced this upper class around the year 600
and formed their own state of Karantania with its center in Karnburg,
the Slavic language supplanted the other languages by the 8th century,
while the Noric, Roman and Slavic populations continued to exist. Called
into the country to ward off the Avars, the Bavarian and Franconian
dukes gradually gained influence in Carinthia. From 743 to 907, Frankish
kings and emperors ruled over the area. Carinthia then became part of
the Duchy of Bavaria again, with large numbers of Bavarian settlers
following and spreading the German language.
In 976 the Duchy of
Carinthia began a phase of independence that lasted until 1335; During
this period, numerous monasteries were founded and castles and
fortifications were built. Emperor Ludwig the Bavarian transferred
Carinthia to the Habsburgs in 1335, who united it with Austria, Styria
and Carniola.
In the period that followed up to the 18th century,
Carinthia was initially affected by the Turkish wars, peasant uprisings
and the consequences of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. In the
course of re-Catholicization, thousands of Protestants were forced into
exile, mainly to southern Germany and western Hungary, or were forced to
emigrate.
At the end of the 18th century, under Maria Theresa,
reforms were introduced that curtailed the power of the estates and
guaranteed the farmers the right to their property, although Carinthia
also lost its administrative independence. The coalition wars from 1797
resulted in a renewed setback in the development of the country, which
ultimately led to the whole of Upper Carinthia falling to France in
1809. The country was liberated again in 1813 and placed under the
Habsburg kingdom of Illyria.
After the revolution of 1848,
Carinthia regained its independence and national unity in 1849 and was a
duchy in the western half of Austria-Hungary from 1867 to 1918. After
the provisional national assembly for German-Austria met on October 21,
1918 in the course of the dissolution of the Habsburg multi-ethnic
empire after the First World War, the provisional national assembly of
Carinthia decided on November 11, 1918 to constitute the state of
Carinthia and to join Carinthia in the state of German-Austria.
After the loss of territory from Raibl and the Kanaltal (445 km²) to
Italy and Mießtal, Unterdrauburg and the municipality of Seeland im
Kankertal (331 km²) to the new SHS state and after the democratically
guaranteed preservation of southern Carinthia after the referendum of
October 10, 1920 Carinthia is a Land of the Republic of Austria within
the boundaries defined by the Peace Treaty of Saint Germain.
The name Carinthia possibly goes back to the Celtic term karanto for
"stone, rock". Karnburg, Karawanken and similar names also belong to the
same root.
There is also a word caranto in Venetian for dry and
hard ground, in Friulian carantàn with a similar meaning. Another
possibility would be a derivation from the also Celtic carant for
"friend", from which the personal names Carantius and Carantia are
derived in Roman times.
Probably the earliest mention of the name
Carinthia was in the cosmography of the anonymous Ravenna, which is
dated between the 8th and 9th centuries. There the Slavic tribe is
called the Carontani (IV 37). In his history of the Lombards, Paulus
Diaconus mentions the "Sclavorum gens in Carnuntum, quod corrupte
vocitant Carantanum" (V 22: "the tribe of the Slavs in Carnuntum, which
they distortingly call Carantanum") for the year 663.
The old
Slovene Korotan is also related to Karantania, from which today's
Slovene Koroška or Koroško (originally adjective *korot-sk-), the latter
mainly in the locative use na Koroškem "in Carinthia" was derived.
In the Middle Ages, the name Carinthia was derived from "caritate
plena" ("full of love"), to refer to the generous charity of the
inhabitants of this area.
The legislature of the state of Carinthia consists of a unicameral
parliament, the Carinthian Landtag, with 36 members who are elected for
a legislative period of five years. The meetings are chaired by one of
the three state parliament presidents elected by the state parliament.
The seat of the state parliament is Landhaus Klagenfurt.
The
executive consists of the Carinthian provincial government chaired by
the Provincial Governor of Carinthia. Until 2018, every parliamentary
group (from a certain strength) was represented in this concentration
government. The election is carried out by the Landtag, whereby the
election procedure for the governor corresponds to the majority vote,
that of the other members of the government to proportional
representation. The Carinthian provincial government consists of seven
members: the provincial governor, two deputy provincial governors and
four provincial councillors.
Complete and submit applications
regardless of time and place. Among other things, in the areas of
health, environment or economy and tourism, the way to the authorities
is saved. In Carinthia, the provincial governor earned 14,254 euros
gross monthly in 2016, 9-18% less than in the eight other federal
states.
Blazon of the
Carinthian coat of arms: "Split of gold and red, in front three striding
black lions armed and tongued red, behind a silver bar. On the
gold-crowned spangenhelm with red-gold covers are two golden buffalo
horns, each with five golden chopsticks on the outside, on each of which
three hanging black lime leaves and three red lime leaves on the left.”
It was created as a claim coat of arms of Duke Ulrich III. to the
Babenberger Land. The original coat of arms was a black panther in
silver.
The Carinthian flag is gold, red and white and is therefore the only flag of an Austrian federal state to have three colours.
The national anthem is the Carinthian folk song. The first three stanzas were written in 1822 by Johann Thaurer Ritter von Gallenstein and set to music by Josef Ritter von Rainer-Harbach in 1835. They describe Carinthian landscapes. It was made the national anthem in 1911. In 1930, after a competition, the anthem was expanded to include a fourth stanza by Agnes Millonig, which refers to the Carinthian defensive struggle.
In 2020, Carinthia achieved an index value of 108 compared to the gross domestic product of the European Union at purchasing power standards (EU-27: 100, Austria: 124). At market prices, Carinthia's gross domestic product per capita in 2020 even corresponded to an index value of 123 compared to the EU average (Carinthia: 36,900 euros, EU-27: 29,900 euros). The largest employer is the Carinthian state hospital operating company, followed by the Carinthian state government and the Austrian Federal Railways.
In 2007 there were 18,911 agricultural and forestry businesses in
Carinthia, of which 5,272 were full-time. The number of companies has
almost halved since 1945.
In 2008, 34,118 dairy cows were kept,
which provided 206,000 tons of milk. In total there were 193,758 cattle,
142,224 pigs, 43,344 sheep and 4,236 goats.
The forest area in
Carinthia is 505,910 hectares. In 2008, a total of 2,798,455 solid cubic
meters of wood were felled, which is 12.8% of the total felling in
Austria.
Industry is Carinthia's most important branch of the economy. In
2018, 35,337 residents were directly employed in the manufacture of
goods, while there are significantly fewer in tourism at 14,638. The
strongest branches of industry are: electronics with a production value
of 2.9 billion euros in 2017, machines/metal with 1.8 billion euros,
wood with 1.2 billion euros and chemicals with 1.16 billion euros.
Carinthian industry plays a key role in shaping the research and
innovation location. The 2015 data published by the IHS Carinthia in the
summer of 2017 on research and development in the Austrian federal
states show an improvement compared to 2013. With a share of 3.15
percent in the regional GDP, the federal state rose from fifth to fourth
place behind Styria (5.16 percent), Vienna (3.66 percent) and Upper
Austria (3.18 percent). The total research expenditures amount to 585.3
million euros, i. i. 15.5% more than in 2013. This increase puts
Carinthia in third place in a comparison of the federal states. Around
79 percent of research expenditure comes from the business sector. This
is also a top value in Austria. Of all the federal states, Carinthia has
the highest proportion of research expenditure by foreign companies.
According to WIFO (4th quarter 2018), manufacturing/industry has the
highest proportion of high-tech employees here of all federal states at
17.2 percent.
After Tyrol and Salzburg, Carinthia is the most important tourist
state in Austria. In 2020, it achieved 11.1 million overnight stays.
Carinthia thus has a tourism intensity of 20 overnight stays per
inhabitant, also more than all other federal states with the exception
of Tyrol and Salzburg. This means that tourism in Carinthia plays a
particularly important role economically and socio-economically.
In terms of the average length of stay, with 4.4 overnight stays per
tourist arrival, it ranks first among all federal states together with
Tyrol. Carinthia's tourism differs from that of the other provinces in a
number of ways.
Carinthia is a largely one-season country:
Carinthia has a winter percentage of overnight stays of only 28%
compared to 49% in the Austrian average. Although Carinthia has some
important winter sports areas (Nassfeld, Bad Kleinkirchheim, Mallnitz,
Heiligenblut, Katschberg), the summer tourism regions (Wörthersee,
Klopeiner See, Millstättersee, Weißensee, Pressegger See, Faaker See)
are so strong that they account for around 72% of all annual overnight
stays. The location south of the main ridge of the Alps, relatively far
from the most important sources of winter tourism and the difficult
accessibility when the onset of winter is heavy, also contribute to
this.
For an Alpine federal state, Carinthia has a relatively
wide range of origins in terms of foreign and domestic demand. In 2011,
37% of all overnight stays were made by residents and 63% by foreigners.
It is precisely the increasing domestic tourism that has saved Carinthia
from a sharp drop in demand in recent years.
While Carinthia's
bed capacity occupancy rates in commercial establishments are good
(4/5-star establishments have an average occupancy rate of 55% in the
summer months, 3-star 36%, 2/1-star establishments, however, only 23%),
it is often insufficient in the many private accommodations. Many of
them have therefore left the market in the last decade. In 1990
Carinthia still had 220,000 beds. Since then, 90,000 beds have been
given up, mainly in private quarters and lower-quality commercial
establishments, so that in 2011 Carinthia still had 130,000 beds - this
is also a high value after Tyrol and Salzburg. But in no federal state
has the number of beds decreased so much during this period. The
background is a sharp drop in demand, especially for foreign overnight
stays. Around 1980, Carinthia had almost 20 million overnight stays. In
the period from 1990 to 1995 in particular, it recorded the strongest
declines of all federal states, a dramatic drop of around 5 million
overnight stays. This primarily affected foreign demand and thus summer
tourism. Since then, demand has leveled off at around 12 million
overnight stays.
Around 20% of overnight stays were at the 128
campsites in 2008, a high figure from an international perspective. 85%
of all overnight stays were made by Germans (41%), Austrians (37%) and
Dutch (9%).
The municipalities of Sankt Kanzian am Klopeinersee,
Keutschach am See, Maria Wörth and Pörtschach recorded the highest
density of tourism (overnight stays per inhabitant).
Winter
tourism is less pronounced in Carinthia, but it is a growth sector. In
the 2007/08 season (November to April), 3.7 million overnight stays were
counted, which is the highest value since statistical records began.
Overnight stays increased by 3.1% compared to the previous year. In
terms of country of origin, the Austrians (33%) led ahead of the Germans
(30%) and Hungarians (7%). The municipalities of Bad Kleinkirchheim,
Heiligenblut, Rennweg, Mallnitz and Weißensee recorded the highest
density of tourism.
Hydropower is used particularly intensively in Carinthia. The 540
Carinthian hydroelectric power plants (of which 330 are small
hydroelectric power plants) cover 90% of Carinthian electricity
requirements. Half of the production is accounted for by the ten power
plants on the Drau. The largest storage power plants are the Malta power
plant, the Reißeck power plant and the particularly complex Fragant
power plant group.
The Adria-Vienna Pipeline, the Transalpine Oil
Pipeline and the Trans Austria Gas Pipeline run through Carinthia.
Mining only plays a minor role in Carinthia today. In addition to a
large number of quarries, there are only two active mining companies:
Eisenglimmer in Waldenstein (Municipality of Wolfsberg) and Magnesite
near Radenthein.
However, the mining of lithium on the Koralpe
(Wolfsberg) is planned.
Of the 237,648 employees in 2011, 5 percent worked in agriculture and
forestry, 26 percent in industry and commerce and 69 percent in the
service sector.
On average in 2008, there were 209,291 employees
in Carinthia, around 47% of whom were women. The most important sectors
were manufacturing (37,062), public administration/social security
(33,650) and trade/repair of motor vehicles (32,414), which together
employed 49% of the workforce. There were 17,059 employees in
construction, 16,168 in health and social services and 13,659 in hotels
and restaurants.
The unemployment rate was 4.7% in 2020, the
second highest among the federal states after Vienna (10.7%) and ahead
of Styria (4.4%), Burgenland (4.2%) and Lower Austria (4.2%).
The largest research and educational institution in Carinthia is the
Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt, founded in 1970, with around 12,000
students and an annual budget of 74 million euros (as of 2022, without
third-party funds). It provides university teaching and research in
cultural and social sciences, economics, law and technical sciences.
The Gustav Mahler Private University of Music was newly founded in
2019 in the legal form of a private university.
The Carinthia
University of Applied Sciences offers courses in technology, business,
health and social affairs at four locations in Klagenfurt, Villach,
Spittal an der Drau and Feldkirchen.
Since 2013, the Carinthia
University of Education, together with the University of Klagenfurt, has
been part of the "South-East Development Association" for teacher
training, together with colleges and universities in Styria and
Burgenland.
The museums in Carinthia include the Carinthian State Museum with its locations in Klagenfurt, the Maria Saal open-air museum, the Magdalensberg Archaeological Park and the Teurnia Roman Museum. One of the most important city museums is the City Museum of Villach, which documents, among other things, the life story of its temporary citizen Paracelsus.
Carinthia has produced a number of internationally renowned writers
in recent decades. In the early 20th century, Robert Musil, Josef
Friedrich Perkonig, Dolores Viesèr and Gerhart Ellert gained some
notoriety.
After the Second World War, the poets Ingeborg
Bachmann, Michael Guttenbrunner and Christine Lavant first came to the
fore. They were followed by Peter Handke, Gert Jonke, Josef Winkler and
Peter Turrini. Among other things, they took a very critical look at
their homeland, like Josef Winkler in his trilogy “Das wilde Kärnten”.
Other important representatives of Carinthian literature include Janko
Messner, Janko Ferk, Lydia Mischkulnig, Werner Kofler, Antonio Fian, and
Florjan Lipus.
The most important publishers are Johannes Heyn,
Carinthia and the Carinthian printing and publishing company. Slovenian
literature is primarily promoted by the Carinthian publishers
Mohorjeva/Hermagoras, Drava and the Wieser-Verlag founded by Lojze
Wieser.
The most important literary event in Carinthia is the
Days of German-language Literature in Klagenfurt, during which the
Ingeborg Bachmann Prize is awarded, which has been held annually since
1977 and particularly supports younger authors. The Ingeborg Bachmann
Prize is one of the most important literary awards in the
German-speaking world.
In the early 20th century, the Nötsch circle was active with the
painters Sebastian Isepp, Franz Wiegele, Anton Kolig and Anton Mahringer
with its European orientation. The painter Herbert Boeckl was only
loosely associated with the circle. An art-political controversy was the
dispute over the Kolig frescoes in the Klagenfurt country house from
1931, which ended in the removal of the frescoes in 1938. In terms of
architecture, Gustav Gugitz, the builder of the State Museum, should be
mentioned, while the Wörthersee architecture with the villas and hotels
is primarily characterized by Viennese architects. Switbert Lobisser is
known for his woodcuts. Werner Berg made woodcuts and paintings,
especially of his adoptive home in Bleiburg.
After 1945, Maria
Lassnig, Hans Staudacher and Hans Bischoffshausen initiated a radical
new beginning. Important sites were and are the Carinthian Art
Association, the Hildebrand Gallery, the Nötscher-Kreis-Museum and the
Museum of Modern Art Carinthia, which opened in 2003. Two high-profile
“art scandals” were the frescoes by Giselbert Hoke in Klagenfurt main
station in 1950 and the redesign of the meeting room in the country
house in 1998 by Anton Kolig's grandson, Cornelius Kolig.
A
fountain designed by Kiki Kogelnik stands near the country house. Other
visual artists are Valentin Oman, Bruno Gironcoli, Meina Schellander and
Karl Brandstätter. In Carinthia, the architect Günther Domenig designed
the Steinhaus am Ossiacher See, the building for the state exhibition in
Hüttenberg and the extension for the Klagenfurt City Theater.