Spittal an der Drau (German Spittal an der Drau, Slovenian Špital
ob Dravi) is an ancient city in Austria, in the west of the federal
state of Carinthia. The city is located on the banks of the Drava
River at the confluence of the small river Steyr.
In 1191,
Otto II, Count of Ortenburg, together with his brother Hermann,
founded a hospital (Hospital, Spittl) and a church in the upper
reaches of the Drava. Later, a small town grew up around the city,
which, after the end of the Ortenburg dynasty, came under the rule
of the counts of Celje.
In 1457, Spittal received city
rights. At the same time, it was annexed to the Austrian possessions
of the Habsburgs. In 1524, Emperor Ferdinand I granted the city to
one of his Spanish confidants, Gabriel Salamanca, along with the
title of Count of Ortenburg. Salamanca built in Spittal one of the
most beautiful Renaissance palaces in Austria - the Porzia Palace.
Porcia Castle, one of the most important Renaissance buildings
outside of Italy.
Khevenhüller City Palace (today City Hall)
Spittal an der Drau Parish Church
Rothenthurn Castle is an elongated
building in an elevated position above the Drautal. Its history goes
back to the 11th century - to that "red tower" that gave it and the
village in the valley its name. The castle received its present form in
the 17th and 18th centuries.
Spittl (historic, eponymous hospital,
today location of the FH Technikum Kärnten)
The town of Spittal is a
member of the Association of Small Historic Towns.
Museum for folk culture: district homeland museum in the attic of
Porcia Castle, founded in 1958 by Helmut Prasch. With around 20,000
exhibits from the Upper Carinthian region, it is one of the four largest
folklore collections in Austria.
World of experience railway:
Austria's largest private model railway
Every two years the Salamanca Fest (city festival) takes place.
Annual comedy plays take place in Porcia Castle in summer.
International Choir Competition at the beginning of July
Kleinfeld
football European cup for amateur teams in June
West of Spittal are the Drauauen, a local recreation and nature reserve on the north-east bank of the Drau. In the course of the integration of the upper Drau in the area from the state border at Oberdrauburg to the start of the Draustau near Paternion in the European conservation area Obere Drau (Natura 2000), the 13 meter high viewing platform DrAUENland was built in 2005 as a special attraction, from which there is a good view over the Drau with its shore zones.
Spittal an der Drau lies between the Lurnfeld and the Lower Drautal. The Lieser flows through the city from north to south and then flows into the Drava. Also south of Spittal is the Spittaler's "local mountain", the Goldeck. The municipality of Spittal extends partly over the south bank of the Millstätter See.
In 1191, Count Otto II von Ortenburg and his brother, the
archdeacon Hermann von Ortenburg, founded a hospital (Spittl) with a
chapel on the Lieserufer near today's parish church, which the
Salzburg Archbishop Adalbert confirmed in a document on April 11,
1191. The hospital, which gives the place its name, was intended for
the care of pilgrims who traveled south over the Katschberg and the
Radstädter Tauern. The emerging settlement on the right bank of the
Lieser was protected by a tower castle belonging to the
Ortenburgers, which probably stood on the site of today's castle.
In 1242 Spittal an der Drau was elevated to a market, the
convenient location at the confluence of Möll and Lieser in the Drau
as well as the toll and rafting rights on the Drau caused an initial
economic boom. In 1324 the market is mentioned as the seat of a
judge. In 1403 Spittal was given the right to hold four annual
markets lasting several days and one weekly market. In 1408 they got
the exclusive rights for the Drava rafting and iron transport from
the nearby Krems near Gmünd. The people of Gmünd had to have the
iron transported by the Spittalers and declare customs here. After
the Ortenburgers died out in 1418, rule over the Counts of Cilli
came to the rulers, the Habsburgs. Friedrich III. could assert the
county against claims of the Counts of Gorizia. In 1457 Spittal was
given the right to elect judges and councils itself. In 1478 the
market was destroyed by the Turks invading Carinthia, in the
following decades feuds, peasant revolts and the war with the
Hungarians under Matthias Corvinus, which resulted in years of
occupation of the entire region, brought prosperity; In 1522 the
market finally burned down completely. The hospital was then rebuilt
on the eastern bank of the Lieser and now houses the Carinthia
University of Applied Sciences.
In 1524 Gabriel von Salamanca
received the county of Ortenburg, a Spaniard and favorite of
Ferdinand I. From 1533 onwards he had the Porcia Castle built in the
Renaissance style. His descendants named themselves after the county
of Ortenburger. The area was largely Protestant when, in the course
of the Counter Reformation in 1600, an armed commission under the
governor, Count Johann von Ortenburg, tried to force the population
to re-enter the Catholic Church under threat of banishment and
expropriation.
In 1662, the French-born Princes Porcia became
landlords and lords of the castle. In the 18th century there was a
second economic boom as a result of the emerging iron industry and
the associated trade and commerce. This heyday ended in 1797 when
the market burned down in the course of the French Wars. In 1809
there were again fighting with Napoleon's troops near Spittal, all
of Upper Carinthia and East Tyrol then fell to France through the
Peace of Schönbrunn, and Spittal was assigned to the Carinthie
department in the French province of Illyria. After the end of the
coalition wars, this status was terminated in 1814. In 1829 the
market burned down again. In 1871 the train connection to the
southern railway came.
After the formation of the communities
in the Austrian Empire in 1849/50, Markt Spittal grew into a large
community in 1865 through the incorporation of the six local
communities Baldramsdorf, Molzbichl, Edling, Lendorf, Lieserhofen
and Amlach, but shrank back to almost its original size in 1886/87.
Since then, only St. Peter-Edling (1964) and Molzbichl (1973) have
been incorporated again, and parts of the Millstatt and Ferndorf
area were connected in 1973, whereby Spittal acquired a portion of
the Millstätter See south bank.
In autumn 1919, during the
Carinthian defensive battle, Porcia Castle was the seat of the
Carinthian provincial government for some time. In memory of this,
Spittal an der Drau was promoted to town on the occasion of the 10th
anniversary of the Carinthian referendum in 1930.
In the time
of National Socialism, Spittal an der Drau was next to Wolfsberg and
the Loiblpass one of the locations of a prisoner of war camp in
Carinthia. Two grave fields called “Russian cemeteries” with the
remains of around 6000 prisoners of war and forced laborers who died
under the inhuman camp conditions are a reminder of this time. The
station was bombed in 1944, and craters from misdirected projectiles
can still be found in the forest in the Fratres district.
After the end of the Second World War, the city was occupied by the
British and ruled from Graz.
The municipality of Spittal an der Drau has 16,045 inhabitants (as of the 2001 census), of whom 88.7% have Austrian, 4.7% Bosnian and 2.7% Croatian citizenship. As a religious affiliation, 67.9% Roman Catholic, 15.3% Protestant, 3.4% Islamic and 2.8% Orthodox. 8.3% are unaffiliated.
Spittal an der Drau is located directly on the Tauern Autobahn (A 10,
exits: Spittal-Millstättersee, Spittal-Ost, Spittal-Nord,
Spittal-Lendorf junctions), with the Katschberg Straße (B 99) running
parallel to Bischofshofen. In a westerly direction, the Drautal Straße
(B 100) leads to Lienz, in an easterly direction to Villach (via the
Lower Drautal). Millstätter Straße (B 98) branches off eastwards in
Lieserbrücke to Millstatt, Radenthein, Treffen and also Villach.
The train stations Spittal-Millstättersee (express train stop) and
Rothenthurn are in the municipality of Spittal. Lines 220 (Klagenfurt -
Villach - Salzburg) and 223 (Spittal-Millstättersee - Oberdrauburg -
Lienz - Franzensfeste/Fortezza - Brenner/Brennero - Innsbruck) meet at
the Spittal-Millstättersee train station. While Railjet, InterCity and
Eurocity trains also stop at Spittal-Millstättersee station, Rothenthurn
station is only a stop for regional and regional express trains.
Spittal an der Drau is also on the Rupertiweg, an Austrian long-distance
hiking trail that connects the Bohemian Forest with Nassfeld on the
Italian border.
The district police headquarters in Spittal an der Drau, which also
houses the police department, is located at Dr.-Arthur-Lemisch-Platz.
There is also a motorway police station in Lieserbrücke.
The
district fire brigade command with the Spittal/Drau volunteer fire
brigade and the Spittal mountain rescue service, which is responsible
not only for Spittal but also for the surrounding communities of
Stockenboi, Baldramsdorf, Paternion, Ferndorf, Lendorf, Seeboden and
Millstatt, is located in the Ortenburgerstraße. The district office of
the Red Cross is also located in nearby Koschatstrasse. Opened in 1925,
the general public hospital Spittal on Billrothstrasse is the medical
center of Upper Carinthia and has 263 beds and 354 employees. The
Olsach-Molzbichl volunteer fire brigade is located in the village of
Rothenthurn, which among other things ensures fire protection in the
eastern part of the municipality.
The Türk barracks, which housed
Jägerbataillon 26, are located on Villacher Strasse.
The Gabor shoe factory has had its Austrian branch in Spittal since
1960. Up to 1300 employees worked there. At the end of August 2009, the
era of permanent series production of shoes in the Lieserstadt came to
an end. The workforce was reduced to around 200 employees. In mid-March
2010, CEO Achim Gabor announced the end of the Spittal site at the end
of 2010 – the remaining 170 employees lost their jobs. The era of the
shoe industry in Carinthia finally came to an end. Production was moved
to Bánovce nad Bebravou in Slovakia.
STRABAG AG – international
construction company, formerly headquartered in Spittal an der Drau
Lindner-Recyclingtech GmbH is a global recycling company.
PPC Paper
Print Converting GmbH produces disposable tableware and articles as well
as hygiene products and household helpers.
The pharmaceutical and
chemical group Merck (sold to P&G since 2018) maintains one of its five
global production sites in Spittal.
Kärntnermilch has its
headquarters in Lieserstadt.
Public facilities
District Authority
Spittal an der Drau is an important school center for the region. In addition to five elementary schools, one special school and three secondary schools, there are numerous secondary schools, including a polytechnic school, two grammar schools (BG Porcia and BRG), a federal upper secondary school (BORG), vocational schools (HLW and HAK) and in the "Spittl" the de jure seat of the Carinthia University of Applied Sciences with the courses architecture and civil engineering.
Spittal is the place of publication of the Oberkärntner Nachrichten, a weekly newspaper that has been published since 1966. There are also editorial branches of the Kleine Zeitung, the Kärntner Woche and the regional newspaper Spittaler in the city.
Sports arena (football stadiums, ice rink, ski center)
Important
hub of Telekom
Goldeck ski area
Stadtpark Center Spittal (shopping
mall)
Drautal Pearl
town hall
Gabor ice rink
Old German wine
bar
The city council (city government) consists of seven members and has
been composed as follows since 2021:
Mayor Gerhard Köfer, TK
1st
Deputy Mayor Angelika Hinteregger, SPÖ
2nd Vice Mayor Willibald Koch,
TK
City Councilor Almut Smoliner, SPÖ
City Councilor Andreas
Unterrieder, SPÖ
City Councilor Christoph Staudacher, FPÖ
City
Councilor Lukas Gradnitzer, ÖVP
The municipal council has 31 members and will be composed as follows
after the municipal council elections in 2021:
10 SPÖ
4 ÖVP
5
Freedom Party
10 Team Carinthia
1 green
1 NEOS
1956 to 1963: Hans Schober
1963 to 1978: Hans Hatz
1978 to
1983: Franz Jamnig
1983 to 1997: Hellmuth Drewes
1997 to 2013:
Gerhard Koefer
2013 to 2021: Gerhard Pirih
since 2021: Gerhard
Koefer
King Ferdinand I bestowed a coat of arms on December 11, 1555 on what
was then the market place with the following description:
“… a
shield, divided into two equal Thaill according to the length, the hind
red or robin and from the Thaill white or silver-colored; in the middle
of it two flights appear, their Saxons running over and against each
other and alternating according to the colors of the shield, namely
those in the white velcro red and the others in the red velcro of the
shield white, and above that in the middle between both Saxons a
hexagonal yellow or gold-colored star appears..."
This
representation has not changed over the centuries, either in the seals
or in the color representations. A new award of the coat of arms and the
flag took place by decision of the Carinthian state government on
December 7, 1973 with the following blazon:
"In a cleft shield of
white and red, a flight of alternate colors, surmounted by a six-pointed
golden star."
The red and white flight in a confused shield
background is a modification of the coat of arms of the Counts of
Ortenburg, the founders of the hospital and the market, the golden star
has been found again and again in their coat of arms since the county of
Sternburg was acquired by the Ortenburgers in 1329.
The flag is
red and white with an integrated coat of arms.
Löhne, Germany
Pordenone, Italy
Porcia, Italy
Kocevje,
Slovenia
Andreas Rieder (1792–1869), Austrian leather master and politician,
MdL Carinthia
Alex Ebner (1821–1890), land and factory owner; During
his lifetime and after his death, he provided the former Markt Spittal
with a wealth of social facilities (money and land for the hospital,
school system, construction of the water pipe). In his honor, the
Alexius fountain was erected on Burgplatz in 1892, which had to give way
to traffic in 1926.
Vinzenz Rizzi (1816-1856), priest, author, editor
of the Klagenfurter Zeitung and Carinthia
Johann Gasser (1847–1896),
manufacturer
Gustav Weindorfer (1874–1932), Austro-Australian farmer,
naturalist, resort operator and ranger
Anton Gasperschitz
(1885–1975), labor secretary and politician
Max Beier (1903–1979),
zoologist
Helmut Prasch (folkologist) (1910–1996), teacher and
folklorist
Peter Brandstätter (1917-2015), painter, honorary citizen
Arthur Trattler (1917–1994), district captain in Spittal an der Drau and
resistance fighter
Friedrich Moser (* 1926), architect, urban
planner, painter and university lecturer
Günther Steyrer (1931–1986),
teacher, headmaster, dialect poet and composer
Fritz Gruber
(1940–2022), mining historian and author
Walter Kolbow (born 1944),
German politician (SPD)
Hans Kary (born 1949), tennis player
Renate Egger (born 1947), politician
Herbert Haupt (born 1947),
former Vice Chancellor and Federal Minister
Reinhard Kannonier (*
1947), musicologist, publicist, university lecturer and rector of the
Linz Art University
Heidemarie Lex-Nalis (1950–2018), sociologist and
educator
Alois Morgenstern (born 1954), ski racer
Luise Maria
Sommer (* 1955), educator, memory athlete, keynote speaker and author
Albert Winkler (born 1955), photographer, graphic designer, digital
artist
Nikolaus Moser (born 1956), painter
Monika Kircher (born
1957), manager and politician
Hartmut Prasch (* 1961), director of
the Museum of Folk Culture
Heinz Weixelbraun (born 1963), actor
Manfred Weber-Vienna (* 1969), draftsman and painter
Josef
Kleindienst (writer) (born 1972), writer and actor
Christoph
Staudacher (* 1981), politician, member of the Carinthian state
parliament
Roland Kaspitz (born 1981), ice hockey player
Katharina
Gritzner (born 1985), actress and TV presenter
Edmir Adilovic (born
1986), footballer
Thomas Morgenstern (born 1986), ski jumper, nephew
of Alois Morgenstern
Lisa Zaiser (born 1994), swimmer
Christoph
Pichorner (born 1999), soccer player
Ute Gfrerer, opera singer and
actress
Udo Hohenberger (* 1967), visual artist
Kristin Krammer
(born 2002), soccer player