Villach

Villach
Villach (view towards the south).jpeg
Coat of arms of Villach
Villach is located in Austria
Villach
Country  Austria
State Carinthia
District Statutory city
Mayor Helmut Manzenreiter (SPÖ)
Area 134.89 km2 (52.1 sq mi)
Elevation 501 m  (1644 ft)
Population  58,480  (31 December 2006)[1]
 - Density 434 /km² (1,123 /sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate VI
Postal code 9500
Area code 04242
Website www.villach.at

Villach (German pronunciation: [ˈfɪlax]; Slovene: Beljak) is the second largest city in Carinthia in the south of Austria, at the Drava River and represents an important traffic junction for Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. As of December 2006, the population is 58,480.[1]

Contents

History

Near the center of Villach

The oldest human traces found in Villach date back to 3500 BC. Many Roman artifacts have been discovered in the city, as it was near an important Roman road called the Römerweg. A document mentions a bridge in what is today Villach in 878, and the settlement across the bridge was given market town status in 1060, though Villach is first mentioned in records in 1240. Villach's first mayor took office in the 16th century.

On January 25, 1348, an earthquake destroyed a large part of Villach, followed by another earthquake in 1690. There were also several fires in Villach, which destroyed many buildings.

In 1759 Empress Maria Theresa of Austria formally purchased Villach, as well as much of Carinthia. During the Napoleonic Wars, Villach was part of the Illyrian provinces of the French Empire from 1809 until 1813.

The Südbahn railway finally reached Villach in 1864, providing growth and expansion.

During the period of the German Anschluss (1938-45) when Austria was annexed to Nazi Germany, the mayor of Villach was Oskar Kraus, an enthusiastic Nazi.[2] A memorial for the 1919 border conflict caused controversy when it was inaugurated in 2002, as Kraus, who had not been especially prominent in the conflict, was the only person named.[3]

During World War II, allied forces bombed Villach 37 times. About 42,500 bombs killed 300 people and damaged 85% of the buildings. Nevertheless the city quickly recovered.[4]

Today, Villach is a bustling city with commerce and recreation, yet it retains its historic background.

Geography

Villach railway station.

Geographical position

The city is located west of the Klagenfurt Basin at the confluence of the Drau and the Gail Rivers. Nearby countries are Slovenia with a direct line to the border of 11 km (6.8 mi) and Italy with a distance of 14.5 km (9 mi) respectively. Slovenia could be accessed via the Karawanken Autobahn (A11) and the Karawanken Tunnel, Italy by the Süd Autobahn (A2).

The municipal area borders on or surrounds several lakes, including Lake Ossiach, Lake Faak, Silbersee, Vassacher See, Magdalensee, and St. Leonharder See.

Villach is surrounded by mountains of the Alps which are used for skiing in winter and hiking in summer.

Villach
Climate chart ()
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
47
 
1
−6
 
 
47
 
5
−5
 
 
66
 
11
−1
 
 
83
 
15
3
 
 
96
 
20
8
 
 
121
 
23
11
 
 
134
 
26
13
 
 
111
 
25
13
 
 
102
 
21
9
 
 
106
 
15
5
 
 
102
 
7
−1
 
 
61
 
2
−5
average max. and min. temperatures in °C
precipitation totals in mm
source: ZAMG

Structure

The following sections belong to Villach:

In 1905 a part of the municipal area St. Martin was incorporated. In 1973 the city area was further enlarged through the incorporation of Landskron, Maria Gail and Fellach.

Politics

Municipal council

The municipal council (Gemeinderat) consists of 45 members, with the mayor as president, and following the 2009 elections is composed of:[5]

City government

The city government of Villach (Stadtsenat) consists of seven members. It is chaired by the mayor, who is directly elected by the people. The other members—two vice-mayors and four town councillors—are appointed by the municipal council, with party affiliations according to the election results.

In the March 2009 elections, Helmut Manzenreiter, mayor since 1987,[6] was reelected with 56.89 per cent of the votes cast.[5]

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Villach is twinned with:

Festivals

There are several festivals throughout the year:

Notable citizens

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Einwohnerzahl und Komponenten der Bevölkerungsentwicklung (Population and Components of Population Growth)" (in German) (pdf). Statistik Österreich (English Version). 2007-11-29. http://www.statistik.at/blickgem/pr1/g20201.pdf. Retrieved 2007-12-27. 
  2. ↑ Lisa Rettl, Werner Koroschitz, "Ein korrekter Nazi: Oskar Kraus, ns-oberbürgermeister von Villach", Drava (2006), ISBN 3-85435-501-7
  3. ↑ ORF Kärnten, "Oskar Kraus - ein korrekter Nazi" (German)
  4. ↑ "Luftkrieg (aerial warfare) "Ostmark"" (in German). www.airpower.at. Martin Rosenkranz. 2003-08-13. http://www.airpower.at/news03/0813_luftkrieg_ostmark/statistik.htm. Retrieved 2007-12-18. 
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Wahlergebnisse 2009
  6. ↑ Unser Bürgermeister - Helmut Manzenreiter personal website (in German)

Gallery

Villach from the Alpenstraße (Oct. 2005)

Main square

Drau River - downstream (2004)

bridge towards the center (2009)

Drau River - downstream (2009)

External links

Carinthia (state) Cities and districts (Bezirke) of Carinthia
Cities
Klagenfurt • Villach
 Map indicating the districts of Carinthia
Districts
Feldkirchen • Hermagor • Klagenfurt-Land • Spittal an der Drau • St. Veit an der Glan • Villach-Land • Völkermarkt • Wolfsberg