Gmunden - Wikiwand

Gmunden (German: [ˈɡmʊndn̩] ^ⓘ) is a town in Upper Austria, in the district of Gmunden. It has 13,204 inhabitants (estimates 2016 ^[3]).

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Gmunden
Municipality
Lakeside
Coat of arms
Gmunden Location within Austria
Coordinates: 47°55′05″N 13°47′58″E
Country	Austria
State	Upper Austria
District	Gmunden
Government
• Mayor	Stefan Krapf (ÖVP)
Area ^[1]
• Total	63.52 km² (24.53 sq mi)
Elevation	425 m (1,394 ft)
Population (2018-01-01)^[2]
• Total	13,191
• Density	210/km² (540/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	4810
Area code	07612
Vehicle registration	GM
Website	www.gmunden.ooe.gv.at

Geography

Gmunden covers an area of 63.49 square kilometres (24.51 sq mi) and has a median elevation of 425 metres (1,394 ft). It is situated next to the lake Traunsee on the Traun River and is surrounded by high mountains, including the Traunstein (5,446 feet; 1,660 m), the Erlakogel (5,150 feet; 1,570 m), the Wilder Kogel (6,860 feet; 2,090 m) and the Höllengebirge.

The municipality of Gmunden is divided into five boroughs: Gmunden, Gmunden-Ort, Schlagen, Traundorf, and Unterm Stein.

Neighboring municipalities

	Ohlsdorf	Gschwandt
Pinsdorf		Sankt Konrad
Altmünster	Ebensee

Population

As of 2001, Gmunden had a population of 13,336; Approximately 88.4% were Austrian by nationality, 1.5% are from other European Union states, and 10.2% are other foreigners. Largest non-EU minorities were from Bosnia and Herzegovina (3.6%) and the former FR Yugoslavia (i.e. present-day Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo; 2.7%), followed by Turks (1.2%) and Germans (1.1%).

The majority (69.3%) are Roman Catholic by faith. Evangelicals make up the largest minority at 7.3%, followed by 5.9% Muslims and 3.3% Eastern Orthodox. Approximately 10.3% are irreligious.

Gmunden's population
Year	Population	Year	Population
1869	c. 6,500	1951	12,894
1880	6,857	1961	12,518
1890	7,521	1971	12,331
1900	8,451	1981	12,653
1910	8,451	1991	13,133
1923	9,633	2001	13,184
1934	9,838	2011	13,086
1939	10,792	2016	13,204

History

In 1000 BCE the Illyrians were mining salt here.^[4] A settlement was already in existence in the fifth century CE. By 1186 Gmunden was a fortified place surrounded by walls, although it did not receive a church until about 1300. In 1278 Gmunden became a town. On November 14, 1626, an army of rebellious peasants was completely defeated at Gmunden by General Pappenheim, who had been ordered by Maximilian I to suppress the peasant rebellion in Upper Austria.^[5] The dead peasant insurgents were buried in nearby Pinsdorf, where an obelisk styled memorial known as the Bauernhügel in their honour can still be seen.

Gmunden supplied naval ships to Austria during the 17th century and helped wounded soldiers in hospitals in World War I. During World War II, an SS maternity home was located here, "to insure racial purity" in accordance with Nazi racial theories.^[6]

In later years, it was much frequented as a health and summer resort, and had a variety of lake, brine, vegetable and pine-cone baths, a hydropathic establishment, inhalation chambers, whey cure, etc. It was also an important centre of the salt industry in Salzkammergut.^[7]

Politics

The local council consists of 37 members. In the last municipal election in 2021, the following are seats won by the political parties: 16 ÖVP, 7 GRÜNE, 5 SPÖ, 5 FPÖ und 4 NEOS.

ÖVP: 16 seats
FPÖ: 5 seats
SPÖ: 5 seats
NEOS: 4 seats
Die Grünen: 7 seats^[8]

Mayors:

1946–1955: Fritz Eiblhuber
1955–1956: Alfred Klimesch
1956–1973: Karl Piringer
1973–1979: Karl Sandmeier (1917-2000)
1979–1997: Erwin Herrmann
1997–2014: Heinz Köppl
2014– ... Stefan Krapf (ÖVP)^[9]

Main sights

There are a great number of excursions and points of interest round Gmunden, notably the Traun Fall, 10 miles (16 km) north of Gmunden, a castle called Schloss Ort, and a ceramic factory producing Gmundner Keramik branded pottery. The town hall is also a popular tourist destination.

Education

In Gmunden there are four kindergartens, four elementary schools and three Hauptschulen. The three high schools are BG/BRG Gmunden, BRG Schloss Traunsee, and Gymnasium Ort.

Notable people

Johannes von Gmunden (ca.1380/84 – 1442), an astronomer, mathematician and humanist.
Karl Scherffer (1716–1783), an Austrian Jesuit mathematician and natural scientist.
Caspar Erasmus Duftschmid (1767-1821), an Austrian naturalist and physician
Matthias von Schönerer (1807–1881), an engineer and railway pioneer, worked locally
Friedrich Theodor Vischer (1807–1887), novelist, poet and playwright, died locally.^[10]
Carl Rahl (1812–1865), an Austrian painter, lived locally
John Haswell (1812–1897), a Scottish engineer and locomotive designer, worked here
Count Richard Belcredi (1823–1902), statesman, Minister-President, 1865 to 1867, died here
Christian Griepenkerl (1839–1916), a German painter and professor, lived here
Horaz Krasnopolski, (DE Wiki) (1842-1908), lawyer, died here
William Heaton-Armstrong (1853–1917), a British Liberal Party politician and banker.
Ludwig Bemelmans (1898–1962), an Austrian-American writer, grew up locally
Walter Reder (1915–1991), an SS commander and war criminal, buried in Gmunden
Alfred Hilbe (1928–2011), Prime Minister of Liechtenstein, 1970 to 1974.
Thomas Bernhard (1931–1989), an Austrian novelist, playwright and poet
Szörényi Levente, (HU wiki) (born 1945) lead singer of Hungarian rock band Illés
Helmut Trawöger (born 1948), conductor and flautist
Heinrich Schiff (1951–2016), cellist and conductor
Christoph Ransmayr (born 1954), an Austrian writer, grew up locally
Andreas Berger (born 1961), an Austrian former track and field sprinter
Gabi Burgstaller (born 1963), an Austrian politician (SPÖ), and former Governess of Salzburg, went to local high school
Jory Vinikour (born 1963), American born harpsichordist, worked as a teacher nearby
Conchita Wurst (born 1988), drag queen and winner of Eurovision Song Contest 2014

Aristocracy

Princess Maria Antonia of the Two Sicilies (1814–1898), the Grand Duchess of Tuscany from 1833 to 1859, died locally
Marie of Saxe-Altenburg (1818–1907), Queen of Hanover, 1851 to 1866, died in exile locally
George V of Hanover (1819–1878), in 1868 he bought a local summer villa for his exile.^[11]
Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover (1845–1923), exiled and died locally
Princess Frederica of Hanover (1848–1926), member of the House of Hanover, lived locally
Princess Marie of Hanover (1849–1904), daughter of King George V of Hanover lived and died locally
Princess Thyra of Denmark (1853–1933), daughter of Christian IX of Denmark, lived and died locally
Archduchess Margarete Sophie of Austria (1870–1902), member of the House of Habsburg, died locally
Princess Marie Louise of Hanover (1879–1948), child of Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover
Frederick Francis IV (1882–1945), the last Grand Duke of Mecklenburg, married locally
Princess Alexandra of Hanover (1882-1963), the last consort of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, was born and married locally
Ludwig Rudolph von Hannover, (1955–1988), a member of the House of Hanover, died locally

References

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External links