Zell am See is a spa town in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria. It is the administrative center of the Zell am See district (Bezirk), also known as Pinzgau. Zell am See is located at 47°19′26″N, 12°47′55″E, on the Zeller See, and has a population of 9,638 (2001).
Geography
Geographical location
Zell is located at the Zeller Lake (4.5 km long; 850 - 1400 m wide; area of 4.7 sq.km; depth up to 68 m).
City structure
Zell am See divides into five cadastral townships:
- Bruckberg
- Erlberg
- Schmitten
- Thumersbach
- Zell am See
History
Zell am See was populated already at the times of the Romans. In 740 AD, by order of the Archbishop Johannes (John) of Salzburg, monks founded the village "Cella in Bisonzio". Zell am See belongs to the eldet bayuvarian settlements of the Pinzgau. It received the rights of a market town in 1357, and its city rights on January 24, 1928.
Further important facts of Zell am See
- 1868 Foundation of the Voluntary Firefighters
- July 30th 1875 Railway opening (Giselabahn), start of tourism in the summer months
- July 15th 1879 Opening of the Hotel "Elisabeth"
- 1881 Start of steam navigation with boat "Elisabeth" on the lake
- 1885 Empress Elisabeth (Sissi) visits the Schmittenhöhe (mountain)
- 1887 The Municipality takes over the ship navigation on the Zeller Lake
- 1893 Visit of the Austrian Emperor Franz Josef I
- 1894 A landmark of the town - das Grand Hotel - is built in three stages
- 1898 Business start of the Pinzgau Local Railway (Pinzgauer Lokalbahn)
- 1906 Foundation of the Skiing Club Zell am See; first winter sports festival
- 1906 and 1910 Acquisition of electric motor boats, end of steam ship navigation
- 1914 Railway track becomes double tracked
- 1924 A light plane lands on the sheet of ice of the Zeller Lake
- 1928 Construction of the tennis courts (used for ice-skating and ice-hockey in winter)
- January 25th 1928 Commissioning of the Schmittenhöhebahn (switchback up to the Schmitten mountain)
- 1928 Foundation of a chapter of the Austrian Aeronautical Association (Österr. Flugtechnischer Verein)
- 1930 Opening of the Hauptschule (like Secondary Modern School)
- February 1937 5. Academic World Wintergames
- 8. Mai 1952 Opening of the Alpine Gliding School
- 15. Mai 1959 Opening of Airport Zell
- 1961 Zell receives the status of a climatic spa
- 1966 Big damages due to a thunderstorm, the River Schmitten transgresses its riverbed
- 1968 Construction of the Spa- and Sportcenter and foundation of the Europe Sports Region
- 1973 Ski-Worldcup (December 12th to December 20th)
- 1975 Rosenberg Castle (16th century) becomes the town hall
- 1976 Opening of the new hospital
- 1977 Commissioning of the one-rope switchback "Zeller Bergbahn"
- 1979 Consecration of the pedestrian area
- 1979 Worldcup Downhill Women
- 1981 Honorary citizen/Dr.h.c.Ferdinand Porsche
- 1981 Honorary citizen/Commercial Council Dr.h.c. Louise Piech-Porsche
- 1996 Opening of the circumnavigation tunnel (Schmittentunnel 5110 m)
- 2000 Award ceremony of the Sydney Olympia winners Steinacher + Hagara (Tornado-Sailing)
- 2004 Award ceremony of the Athens Olympia winners Steinacher + Hagara (Tornado-Sailing)
- 2005 Christening of the third ship on the Zeller Lake, the "Schmittenhöhe)
(Source: Custos Cav. H. Scholz)
Coat of Arms
Zell am See Coat of Arms
Alongside the Coat of Arms, the municipality uses a flag with the colors white-red-white.
Education
In Zell am See there are 3 Elementary Schools, one Hauptschule (like Secondary Modern School), one Special School, one Vocational School, one Grammar School, one Commercial Academy and a Commercial School: