Lesachtal

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Lesachtal
Holy Trinity Chapel in Frohn

Coat of arms
Lesachtal
Location within Austria
Coordinates: 46°42′N 12°49′E / 46.700°N 12.817°E / 46.700; 12.817Coordinates: 46°42′N 12°49′E / 46.700°N 12.817°E / 46.700; 12.817
Country Austria
State Carinthia
District Hermagor
Government
 • Mayor Franz Guggenberger
Area
 • Total 190.69 km2 (73.63 sq mi)
Elevation 1,044 m (3,425 ft)
Population (1 January 2013)[1]
 • Total 1,422
 • Density 7.5/km2 (19/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 • Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 9653
Website

The Lesachtal (English: Lesach valley, Slovene: Lesna dolina) is a valley in the Austrian state of Carinthia. It is the uppermost part of the valley formed by the Gail river, and stretches from the border between East Tyrol and Carinthia to Kötschach-Mauthen (alt. 705 m).

In East Tyrol the valley dug by the Gail river is called the Tilliach valley. The Lesachtal valley borders the Lienzer Dolomite mountains and the Gailtal Alps to the north, and the Karnisch Alps to the south. Most settlements and paths are over 300 meters above the bottom of the valley.

The Lesachtal valley is located in the administrative district of Hermagor. The municipality of Lesachtal (area 19.62 km², pop. 1,665) comprises the villages of Liesing, Maria Luggau, and Sankt Lorenzen im Lesachtal.

Neighboring municipalities

Lavant
Untertilliach Kötschach-Mauthen

History

The Lesachtal valley was inhabited by Slavs in 600 AD. Later it was one of the first Carinthian valleys to be Germanised.

The district court of Lesach (Landgericht Lesach) was transferred to Pittersberg castle in 1380 and afterward became an office of this rule. It belonged to the Counts of Gorizia, then after their dynasty died out, to the reigning prince, and then finally, together with Goldenstein, to the Counts of Ortenburg.

With the creation of the municipalities (Ortsgemeinden) in 1850, the three municipalities Luggau, St. Lorenzen, and Liesing were constituted. The localities (Katastralgemeinden) Kornach and Strajach merged with the municipality of Mauthen, but obtained in 1882 independent status as the municipality of Unterlesach. Ten years later the two localities Birnbaum and St. Jakob became independent municipalities as well.

With the Carinthian local government reform in 1973, the eastern municipality St. Jakob merged with Kötschach-Mauthen, while the four western municipalities were merged into the present municipality of Lesachtal.

During World War I the frontline between Austria-Hungary and Italy was located on the ridge of the Carnic Alps. Many old positions and fortifications bear witness to the War in the mountains (see: War of the Mountains 1915–1918).

Population

According to the 2001 census, the municipality of Lesachtal has 1,560 inhabitants, of which 98.4% are Austrian citizens and 1.3% are German citizens. The size of the population has been declining sharply in recent decades.

According to the 2001 census, 98.4% of the population are Roman Catholic and 1.2% are Protestant.

Language

The language spoken in the Lesachtal valley is linguistically striking, because the spoken German dialect is not Styria, but East-Tyrolean with slight variations. Slovenian elements are also present in the dialect.

See also

Gallery

  • Farmhouses in Klebas

  • Liesing

  • Liesing

  • Folk Music School in Liesing

  • Saint Ann's Church in Obergail

  • Saint Lorenzen

  • Saint Radegund

  • Saint Joseph's Church in Tscheltsch

  • Tuffbad

  • Fourteen Holy Helpers Chapel in Wiesen

  • Chapell in Xaveriberg

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lesachtal.
  1. ↑ Statistik Austria - Bevölkerung zu Jahres- und Quartalsanfang, 2013-01-01.
Municipalities in the district of Hermagor
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