Graz
Webpages concerning "Graz"
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Wikipedia-Article "Graz"
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| General information | |
| Federal State: | Steiermark |
| Bezirk: | Graz (Statutarstadt) |
| Area: | 127.58 km² |
| Population: |
240.278 (1. January 2005) 305.000 including suburbs |
| Population density: | 2,362/km² |
| Elevation: | 353 m |
| Postal code: | A-801x, A-802x, A-803x A-804x, A-805x |
| Area code: | +43 316 |
| Location: | 47°04′N 15°26′E |
| Community Identification Number: | 60101 |
| Address of the City Hall: |
Rathaus A-8011 Graz |
| Website: | http://www.graz.at |
| e-mail: | buergerbuero@stadt.graz.at |
| Politics | |
| Mayor: | Siegfried Nagl (ÖVP) |
| Map: Graz in Steiermark | |
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Graz [graːts] (Slovenian: Gradec IPA: /gra.deʦ/), with a population of 300,000 (in 2005) is the second-largest city in Austria and the capital of the federal state of Styria (Steiermark in German). It has a long tradition as a student city, with six Universities with over 55,000 students. Graz's "Old Town" is one of the best-preserved city centers in Central Europe, and was recently included in the UNESCO list of World Cultural Heritage Sites. In 2003 Graz was named Cultural Capital of Europe.
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Geography
The city is situated on the Mur river, in the southeast of Austria. It is approximately 2.5 hours south of Vienna by train or 2 hours by car. Graz is the capital and largest city in Styria, a beautiful and heavily forested area. The city itself is surrounded by low hills on 3 sides, thus making it predisposed to haze in the warmer months.
History
Graz was originally the site of a Roman fort. Later a small castle was built here by the Slovenians, which in time became a heavily defended fortification. 'Gradec' literally means "small castle" in Slovenian. The German name 'Graz' was first used in 1128, and during this time dukes under Babenberg rule made the town into an important commercial center. Later Graz came under the rule of the Habsburgs, and in 1281 gained special privileges from King Ruldoph I.
In the 14th century Graz became the city of residence of the Inner Austrian line of the Habsburgs. The royalty lived in the Schlossberg castle and from there ruled Styria, Carinthia, and parts of today's Italy and Slovenia (Carniola, Gorizia and Gradisca).
In the 16th century, the city's design and planning was primarily controlled by Italian Renaissance architects and artists. One of the most famous buildings built in this style is the Landhaus, designed by Domenico dell'Allio, from which the local rulers used as a governmental headquarters.was controlled by Italian Renaissance architects and artists. One of the most famous buildings built in this style is the Landhaus, designed by Domenico dell'Allio, from which the local rulers used as a governmental headquarters.
Karl-Franzens Universität, also referred to as the University of Graz, is the city's oldest university, founded in 1585 by Archduke Charles II. For most of its existence it was controlled by the Catholic church, and was closed in 1782 by Joseph II in an attempt to gain state control over educational institutions. Joseph II transformed it into a lyceum where civil servants and medical personnel were trained. In 1827 it was re-instituted as a university by Emperor Franz I, thus gaining the name 'Karl-Franzens Universität,' meaning 'Charles-Francis University.' Over 30,000 students currently study at this university.
Nikola Tesla studied electrical engineering at the Polytechnic in Graz in 1875. Nobel Laureate Otto Loewi taught at the University of Graz from 1909 until 1938. Johannes Kepler was a professor of mathematics at the University of Graz.
Erwin Schrödinger was briefly chancellor of the University of Graz in 1936. Hitler was given a warm welcome when he visited in 1938, the year Austria was anexed by Nazi Germany. He promised the people of Graz 1000 years of prosperity and an end to mass unemployment. About 7 years later the Graz resistance surrendered the city to Soviet troops sparing Graz any further destruction. By then about 16% of buildings had been destroyed by Allied bombing - luckily the Old Town was not seriously hit.
Graz lies in Styria, or Steiermark in German. Mark is an old German word indicating a large area of land used as a defensive border, in which the pesantry are taught how to organize and fight in the case of an invasion. With a strategic location at the head of the open and fertile Mur valley, Graz was often assaulted (unsuccessfully), e.g. by the Hungarians under Matthias Corvinus in 1481, and by the Ottoman Turks in 1529 and 1532. Graz is home to the region's provincial armory, which is the world's largest historical collection of weaponry. It has been preserved since 1551, and displays over 30,000 items.
From the earlier part of the 15th century Graz was the residence of the younger branch of the Habsburgs, which succeeded to the imperial throne in 1619 in the person of Emperor Ferdinand II, who moved the capital to Vienna. New fortifications were constructed on the Schlossberg at the end of the 16th century, which were overrun when Napoleon's army invaded and occupied Graz in 1797. During the course of the invasion, the commanding officer in the fortress was ordered to defend it with his men against Napoleon's army, which numbered about 900 and 3,000 respectively. He successfully defended the Schlossberg against 8 attacks, but they were forced to give up since the Grande Armee conquered Vienna and the Emperor ordered to surrender. The fortress of Graz is seen as the strongest fortress ever built.
Following the defeat of Austria by Napoleonic forces at the Battle of Wagram in 1809, the fortifications were demolished using explosives, as stipulated in the peace terms of 1815. The belltower and the civic clock tower, often used as the symbol of Graz, were allowed to survive this fate after the people of Graz paid a ransom for their preservation.
Archduke Charles II of Inner Austria had 20,000 Protestant books burned in the square of what is now a mental hospital, and succeeded in returning Styria to the authority of Rome. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was born in Graz, in what is now the Stadtmuseum (city museum).
Sister Cities
Famous Grazer
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, former bodybuilding champion, actor and currently governor of California. In 2005, the football stadium named after Schwarzenegger was renamed to the Stadion Graz-Liebenau after a controversy over the use of the death penalty in California.
External links
- City website in German
- Graz Tourism Office
- Virtual-Reality 3D-Sightseeing of Graz
- Kunsthaus Graz (Modern Art House)
- Jazz Sommer Graz - A free summer festival
- LaStrada - a street festival
- Tom in Austria - An American exchange student's photoblog
- public transport in Graz
- Pictures from Graz
- Diary of intimate journalist and mature photo model living in Graz
- Lokalguide for Graz (in German)
- KulturServerGraz Town's cultural portal (in German)
- Pictures and sights of Graz
- Schwarzenegger in Austrian spat