Thal, Styria

Thal bei Graz is a market town in the district of Graz-Umgebung in Styria ( Austria ).

The place was known by the embellished by Ernst Fuchs Church and as the birthplace of Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Geography

The community is located approximately 4 km west of the Styrian capital Graz in Western Styria. The form natural borders with neighboring communities to the north and northwest of the Frauenkogel and the General Kogel, in the east of Plabutsch. In the intervening hills and forests of the Thalersee is embedded, which is often used as a recreational area.

Community structure:

Thal is a scattered village, whose houses are grouped in 19 hamlets. This hamlet called: Level, Corner, Hardt, Haslau, Kirchberg, Kötschberg, LINAK, Oberbichl, Oberthal, Plabutsch, Schlüsselhof, Steinberg, Unterbichl Unterthal, Forest Village, Waldsdorfberg, Wendl conducting, Windhof angle.

Neighboring communities:

History

Until the 9th century, the present-day municipality was uninhabited. Only in the 10th century, the first settlement was founded by forest village. In the following two centuries followed the other villages. On January 1, 1850 was constituted in valley of the forerunners of today's church, in the early years under the name " St. Jakobsthal ". On 1 January 1995 the valley was elevated to a market town.

Culture and sights

Parish Church of St. Jacob

1735 was the parish church of St. Jacob was built in Baroque style and originally dedicated to St. Sebastian at the site of probably about a plague cemetery erected wooden chapel. 1772 James statue from the decaying church of the castle Untertal was transferred to the new church, which has since been dedicated to this saint. 1992 ( foundation stone was laid on 23 May) to 1994 ( consecration by Johann Weber on May 15 ) was an annex to the existing church under the architect Manfred Fuchsbichler, and the Austrian painter, printmaker and architect Prof. Ernst Fuchs, the artistic, the configuration of the entire complex with fantastic colors and shapes and impressive light effects realized.

Castle Oberthal

In the 12th century, was located at the site of the present castle, the seat of the lords of the forest village in the form of a fortified noble courtyard with a large dairy farm. From 1315 to 1605 the noble family Windisch- Graetz was the owner. In 1563 the castle was due to larger remodeling or repair work under the former builder and owner Erasmus of Windisch -Graetz extended by a palace built in the Renaissance style with an enclosed on three sides by three-story arcades courtyard. From this time also an underground passage that leads towards Graz and after a few hundred meters is no longer accessible there. 1605-1622 1622-1624 sold owned by Bernhard Walther of Walther Because, owned by the Schranz family Schranzenegg, then it was to Siegmund Friedrich Graf Trautmannsdorff. In the reign of Siegmund Friedrich dj of Trautmannsdorff the Oberthal Castle 1656-1661 became one of the most glamorous palaces in the vicinity of the state capital and expanded. Above the castle was a large, landscaped based on French models pleasure garden surrounded by a wall and equipped with caves and summer house. 1798 Castle Thal including domination was sold to Leopold Edler von warning Hauser and remained until 1841 this family owned. From 1841 the castle belonged to the Barons of Walter churches. In 1846 the castle was remodeled in the romanticized style of a Scottish castle. 1905 Oberthal was sold to a group of Slovenian businessmen, who had to leave after a short time due to financial reasons the estate. As a result, the property changed hands several owners and fell increasingly to it in the possession of Dr. Friedrich Schuster of the castle was repaired and put back the tags from 1846 eliminated and so the original Baroque reestablished. In 1940 the castle and the estate in the hands of the family Essberger. From 1945 to 1955, the British commander here a part of the castle was situated, from 1955 to 1957 leased to the British Embassy. November 1, 1958, the ownership of John Theodor Essberger was restored in 1959 died of this and the property came into the hands of his daughter Liselotte married name of Rantzau. Liselotte von Rantzau died 1993. From this point on the property passed to your sons, Dr. Eberhart and Heinrich von Rantzau.

Ruined castle valley

The castle was first mentioned in 1259 and probably built on a hill between the present parish church and the Thalersee beginning of the 13th century. The castle was surrounded by a powerful defense wall with loopholes and battlements. Within the wall was the great hall and other residential real estate and the castle church, dedicated to St James. 1569 Unterthal castle with the reign of Sebastian von Windisch -Graetz was sold to the Carinthian Governor George of Khevenhüller. From 1621 owned by Eggenberger Castle fell into ruin. In 1715 a fire destroyed large parts of the fortress. In 1750 the chapel was now expired. In 1772 the statue of the patron saint was solemnly transferred to the present parish church and canceled the church ruins. As a result, only the round tower was inhabited until 1979. In 1996, parts of the castle restored and made ​​habitable again.

Schwarzenegger Museum

In the birthplace of today's Freeman Arnold Schwarzenegger there is since 2011 a museum. Schwarzenegger's school friend Peter Urdl and others have sought for years to exhibits. Today, in the building where the bodybuilder, actor and governor spent the first 19 years of his life, about to see the steel tube bed, in which the young person was sleeping, a motorcycle from one of his films and a replica of the desk of California governor. The opening took place on 64th birthday Schwarzenegger.

Sports

• Sports and leisure facility
• Thalersee: This artificial lake attracts not only relaxation, but also serves as a sports meeting place for walking, skiing, ice skating and curling. Since 2007, an archery course in the hamlet Haslau is in operation.
• Arnold- Schwarzenegger - trail: Around the media attention, by the election of Arnold Schwarzenegger was governor of California, this trail was created and opened in October 2004.
• Grazer Golf Club in Thal near Graz: Grazer Golf Club in the town of Thal offers since 2007 an 18 - hole course with a further 9 hole as an attractive supplement.

Policy

• Mayor: Mayor Peter Schickhofer ( SPÖ).

• City Council: The council consists of 15 members and has been committed to the local council election 2010 mandates the following parties together: 9 SPÖ - provides the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor
• 3 ÖVP proThal - represents the church treasurer
• 3 Thaler alternative list / Grünenthal ( ThAL )

Coat of arms

Since 1 July 1987, Thal has the right to run their own coat of arms: In red two silver piles, each pile covered with six shells in shadow color.

The piles are from the family crest of the oldest detectable noble lordship " forest village". The shells have the parish patron, the Apostle James the Elder

The official ceremony took place on 11 July 1987.

Established businesses

The economic structure of Thal form for an agriculture and forestry, and some small commercial and service enterprises.

Education

• Kindergarten in the village of Thal
• Elementary school in the village of Thal
• Agricultural College Grottenhof -Hardt in the hamlet Hardt

Traffic

Transport default, the towns are well served by private transport (cars ). The Phyrn motorway (A9 ) runs Plabutschtunnel by the municipality and may be over the exit Graz -Nord ( 175 ) can be achieved in about 8 km. The Grazer Straße ( B 67 ) is about 5 km away.

Public transport by buses of Graz AG transport services plays a very minor role. In Thal itself there is no railway station, the nearest station is the main train station in Graz is 8 km away.

Graz Airport is about 20 km away.

Personalities

Sons and daughters:

• Arnold Schwarzenegger ( born 1947 ), Austrian bodybuilder, Mr. Universe, actor and former governor of California, was born and raised in Thal

People with relationship to the community:

• Joe Polaischer (1946-2008), born in Austria Permakulturexperte, ( derived from the Kor ), emigrated to New Zealand, spent several early years in Thal

Honorary Citizen of:

( In brackets the date of the council decision )

• Fritz Dulnig (15 June 1987)
• Otto von Habsburg (11 April 1936)
• Franz Purkt (15 June 1987)
• Lieselotte Rantzau (15 June 1987)
• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Field Marshal Lieutenant August Urbanski of Ostrymiecz
• Peter Urdl (25 September 2008)
• Simpert Wehinger (18 July 1929)