Bruneck

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Gemeinde Bruneck Comune di Brunico
Municipal coat of arms
Country	Italy
Region	Trentino-South Tyrol
Province	South Tyrol (BZ)
Mayor	Christian Tschurtschenthaler

Elevation	800/1,500 m
Area	45 km²
Population
- Total (as of 2004-12-31)	14,148
- Density	300/km²
Time zone	CET, UTC+1
Coordinates	46°48′N 11°56′E
Gentilic	Brunicensi
Dialing code	0474
Postal code	39031
Frazioni	Aufhofen (Villa Santa Caterina), Dietenheim (Teodone), Luns (Lunes), Reischach (Riscone), Stegen (Stegona)), St. Georgen (San Giorgio)

Map of South Tyrol with the town of Bruneck-Brunico marked.

Bruneck (German), Brunico (Italian), or Bornech (Ladin) is the largest town in the Pustertal-Val Pusteria comprensorio in South Tyrol, Italy. Bruneck lies at the confluence of the Ahr-Aurino with the Rienz (which itself flows into the Adige).

Bruneck lies 35 km (22 miles) from Brixen (Bressanone) and 70 km (44 miles) from Bolzano and from the Brenner Pass. To the east, the town is 60 km (37 miles) from Winnebach on the border to East Tyrol.

In 2004, 81% of the population was German-speaking, 16% spoke Italian and 2% Ladin.

1 History
2 Economy
3 Twin towns
4 Gallery
5 External links

[edit] History

Bruneck was founded by the Prince-Bishop Bruno von Kirchberg of Brixen, and was first mentioned on 23 February 1256. At that time the town consisted of two rows of houses forming a narrow lane. The town walls and moat were completed in 1336 under Bishop Albert von Enn. Soon thereafter, further rows of houses were built outside the eastern gate. These led to the small Church of Our Lady (today's Church of the Assumption of Mary). The first church inside the town walles (at first only a small chapel) was built beneath the castle by the Brunecker burgher Niklas Stuck. This church is today the Rainkirche. In 1358, Heinrich von Stuck, Niklas's brother, funded the hospital/almshouse that was built in the following years.

Soon the town received the right to hold a weekly market and impose high justice. A castle leader occupied the fortress as the bishop's representative.

In the 14th and 15th centuries there was brisk trade between Augsburg and Venice. Some of the traded goods were brought through the Pustertal and often stored long-term in Bruneck on the Ballplatz. This soon brought the town prosperity and fame. In this time the Pustertal painting school was founded by the painter Hans von Bruneck and others. The great masters Michael Pacher and Friedrich Pacher also studied at this school. Michael Pacher's studio in Bruneck became one of the most famous institutes in the whole Alpine region. For this reason, Bruneck is also known as Michael-Pacher-Stadt.

In 1500 the Pustertal was reunited with Tyrol because of a testamentary contract between the house of Habsburg and the counts of Görz-Tirol. The town of Bruneck remained an episcopal possession.

In 1610 the town of Bruneck, which had previously belonged to the parish of St. Lorenzen, became a parish in its own right. The first parish priest documented was Johann Herlin in 1613. In 1626 the Capuchin order came to Bruneck. The Fathers built themselves a monastery at the "Spitalangerle", which still exists today. In 1741 a convent was built by the Ursulines.

On 11 April 1723 the worst fire in the town's history occurred. In Oberragen, not far from the church, a fire broke out, which was soon spread by the strong east wind across a large part of the town, mostly destroying it.

During the long-lasting Napoleonic Wars the town suffered no material damage, but as a marching station went into great debt because of housing and feeding soldiers and infantrymen for many years.

The city was spared damage in World War I, but in World War II the town was bombed, leading to loss of both life and property.

[edit] Economy

After the war, industrial zones, workshops, and department stores were built, permitting the town considerable economic and geographic growth. In the 1960s, tourism was especially important to the town, resulting in the building of numerous new hotels and guest houses.

Today Bruneck is characterizied by the manufacturing and service industries. Important tourist centers are found all around Bruneck. Especially worthy of mention is the ski resort on Kronplatz mountain.

As of 22 October 2001, the day of the Italian population and employment census, Bruneck had 10,692 employed persons in 1,678 workplaces, making it the second-largest employer of South Tyrol. It lay only just after Brixen, which on census day employed 239 fewer people. Five companies in the town employ more than 250 people each, and five more companies employ more than 100 people each.